Insight into the factors of mountain bog and forest development in the Schwarzwald Mts.: Implications for ecological restoration

•Multi-proxy study on the long-term development of mountain bog and forest in Central Europe.•Self-recovery of the peat formation process began at ca. 200 cal BP.•The impact of dust deposition led to changes in local plant succession.•Shallow water table depths (<10 cm below the surface) may not be necessary for restoration efforts.•Fagus sylvatica was replaced by Picea abies and Pinus sylvestris during the last two centuries.