Environmental controls on hydrological processes in fen peatlands Over the last century peatlands have undergone severe degradation. Nevertheless the restoration of drained peatlands has gained much importance over the last decades. Hydrological processes are closely linked to soil properties and as such investigations of both water dynamics and soil properties are vital. The specific objectives are to evaluate (1) how long term rewetting of drained fens alters the response of the water table to precipitation (2) to what extent rewetting changes how meteorological factors drive water table dynamics (3) whether microtopography controls peat properties.<eng>