The sponge analogy problem: moving towards clearer communication of peatland hydrological processes

Peatlands are important habitats that provide a range of ecosystem services, one of which is hydrological regulation. Depending on landscape position, healthy peatlands can reduce flood risk and provide resilience to drought, while degraded peatlands can exacerbate these hydrological disturbances. There is, however, a lack of clear scientific communication, particularly in the media, and misguided public perceptions of the underlying processes that control peatland hydrological regulation. The ‘sponge analogy’, which compares peatlands to sponges which soak up water during rainfall and release it slowly later, contributes to this miscommunication by often oversimplifying the hydrological processes. In this paper we aim to understand why and how the sponge analogy is used, and to offer alternatives for clearer scientific communication. We present an analysis of media articles covering peatland hydrology, and the results of a UK survey of peatland practitioners, with a particular emphasis on the use of the sponge analogy and more descriptive alternatives. We show that the sponge analogy is widely used as a convenient explanation even when it is known to be inaccurate by practitioners. To more clearly communicate the hydrological processes in popular media, we suggest the alternative phrases ‘slow the flow’ and ‘dampen the droughts’ as more accurate descriptions of flood- limiting and drought- reducing peatland hydrological processes.