RUNOFF GENERATION IN A PLOUGH-DRAINED PEAT BOG IN SOUTHERN SCOTLAND

This paper reports on a study, using runoff plots and other equipment, of runnoff generation in a peat bog in Scotland four years after it had been plough-drained for afforestation. In generally dry periods runoff responses were dominated by flow generated by rain falling directly onto the ditches. Only during very wet periods was this source of runoff less important than water draining into the ditches from the strips on either side. Flow from the strips to the ditches consisted entirely of groundwater. This occurred at a very low rate unless the water table was within 6-7 cm of the surface; then it could become as rapid as the rate at which rain landed on the area. The results emphasize the need to consider the ditches and the strips between them separately when seeking an understanding of runoff generation in densely plough-drained peatlands.