ABSTRACT
Peat harvesting for horticultural and other purposes is an important industry affecting peat bogs in southern Canada. The methods being used to extract the peat greatly affect the environment, leaving bare peat surfaces that can scarcely be recolonized by bog plants. In order to restore those peatlands, efforts must focus on the reintroduction of Sphagnum species that are responsible for specific conditions found in bogs, such as acidity and peat accumulation. Small-scale greenhouse experiments have shown that the spreading of Sphagnum fragments on bare peat surfaces can lead to the reestablishment of a moss layer within a few months. As peatland restoration research is a new field in North America, it is assumed, based on the Dutch literature, that the most important problem that Sphagna and other plant diaspores face in colonizing bare peat surfaces is a water deficit.
