Response of testate amoeba assemblages to peatland drain blocking

Abstract Peatlands represent globally important habitats and carbon stores. However, human impacts climate change leave peatlands with a substantial management challenge. Degradation of peatland their hydrological integrity is increasingly counteracted through the rehabilitation including re-wetting drain blocking. Research into how such interventions affect microbial assemblages limited. Here, we investigate response testate amoebae (established unicellular amoeboid protist indicators conditions in peatlands) to blocking on three small lowland raised bogs Northern Ireland, UK. We sampled Sphagnum adjacent areas focused flow near sites damming addition control away from dam These restoration measures show complex but meaningful results after restoration. observe several key developments following blocking: (i) species diversity increases; (ii) unambiguous wet indicator taxa appear increasing abundance at dammed sites; (iii) transfer-function reconstructed water-table depths wetter sites. findings imply restoration, where routine monitoring presented no clear trend depths. found statistically significant assemblage-level experimental or environmental variables, which may be related antecedent periods drought during study period. Thus, caution advised when utilising for bioindication until better understood. Nevertheless, this emphasises potential an indicator-taxa based approach applying as contemporary bioindicators restoration—particularly short-term timescales immediately