Human activities, like resource extraction, inevitably overlap with peatland areas. While only an estimated 2% of Canadian peatlands have been disturbed to date, ongoing human development will continue to impact new areas. These industrial activities disrupt the natural ability of peatlands to sequester atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) and store it as soil carbon. Depending on the disturbance type and how it changes the normal conditions present in that peatland, impacted areas may also release previously stored soil carbon as CO2 or methane (CH4). These changes to the usual greenhouse gas (GHG) exchange have significant global implications for climate regulation, so ecological restoration or reclamation is necessary for disturbed areas to regain their normal GHG functions.

Restoration/reclamation trials originating on former horticultural peat extraction sites have repeatedly demonstrated that rewetting and revegetating the site with peatland species can return a self-sustaining peatland plant community. These trials have culminated in recommended best management practices that utilize the moss layer transfer technique (MLTT) to introduce a multi-layered plant community of diverse mosses and vascular species. New trials for other disturbance types like oil and gas mineral well pads are also demonstrating success using similar methods. However, few restoration/reclamation trials have measured the GHG exchange response due to the labour-intensive nature of field GHG measurements. The results of the available studies provide a mixed picture because of the many interactions between peatland setting, disturbance type, restoration strategy, and the different study designs. There is also a lag period after groundwork and revegetation activities are applied that needs to be accounted for as the plant community re-establishes. 

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Ducks Unlimited Canada (DUC) has secured two salt marshes along Nova Scotia’s South Shore, enhancing coastal protection and wildlife habitat. The Melbourne Lake and McLean’s Lake Road salt marshes, located near significant conservation areas, contribute to the province’s efforts to preserve its shrinking coastal wetlands.

Nova Scotia has lost 60 percent of its salt marshes to development, making conservation efforts increasingly vital. These wetlands provide essential habitat for migratory birds and act as natural buffers against storm surges and sea-level rise.

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A Moncton project to reduce the salt and sediment reaching waterways from a city snow dump is showing positive results, according to Ducks Unlimited Canada. 

There has been an increase of about 20 per cent in water quality since the creation of a new wetland to filter pollutants from snow melt, said Adam Campbell, the Atlantic manager of operations for the conservation group.

"It was quite acceptable not that long ago to dump the snow right into rivers and right into the bay," Campbell said. 

But that's changing.

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