Latest news with #peatlands
Yahoo
18 hours ago
- Science
- Yahoo
Arctic warming spurs growth of carbon-soaking peatlands
Arctic peatlands are expanding as the climate warms, new research showed Thursday, a change that could slow global heating in the near term but have the opposite effect in future. Peatlands are the largest terrestrial store of carbon, locking away twice as much heat-trapping CO2 from the atmosphere in their waterlogged soils as all the world's forests. These carbon-rich reservoirs, composed of partially decayed organic matter, only cover three percent of Earth's surface, and generally fade out in the far north, where harsh weather limits plant growth. But warmer temperatures caused by climate change have improved growing conditions for plants in the Arctic, and satellite data has shown a general "greening" of this frosty region. Using drones, satellite imagery and on-the-ground observations, an international team of scientists assessed peatlands in the European and Canadian Arctic to see if they had benefited from warmer climes. They found strong evidence that peatlands "have likely undergone lateral expansion over the last 40 years" in the Arctic, which is the fastest-warming region on Earth. "The permafrost thaws a little, provides a water source for vegetation, and surface vegetation recovers. In this study, we specifically see a lateral expansion," Michelle Garneau, a professor at the University of Quebec in Montreal, and co-author of the study, told AFP. The most marked change was observed where summer temperatures have risen the most, such as in the Norwegian archipelago of Svalbard. "All these new vegetated surfaces that didn't exist three decades ago are currently actively absorbing carbon," Garneau added. How Arctic peatlands respond to climate change in future is "still highly uncertain", said the study, published in the peer-reviewed journal Communications Earth & Environment. Recent modelling suggests these northern peatlands "may become a carbon source from mid-century" as they dry out and permafrost thaws, the study said. They are also at risk from wildfires, which release masses of stored up carbon at once. "This means that in the short term, these expanding peatlands are a growing carbon sink in the Arctic," said study co-author Karen Anderson, a professor from the University of Exeter, which led the research. "But in the future, this could switch back, and this will happen because of higher temperatures and potentially things like fires," she told AFP. As peatlands expand, they also release methane, a potent greenhouse gas with far more heat-trapping capacity than CO2, though these emissions decline over time. "So while our study gives us some positive news, it does not detract from the urgent need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and stabilise our climate," said Anderson. jmi/np/jhb
The Guardian
5 days ago
- General
- The Guardian
On Ireland's peat bogs: climate action clashes with tradition
Doreen King, the project manager of Bord na Móna's peatlands climate action scheme, and Mark McCorry, ecology manager, walk past a carbon flux monitor, in Ballynahown. Rewetting bogs 'is all about reducing the carbon emissions from the bare peatlands', says King King holds bog grass in a restored bogland, in Ballynahown. Bog grass, which holds in carbon, is a critical flora of peatlands A drone view shows the scars on the landscape of peat harvesting in Clonbullogue. Bord na Móna has been charged with trying to restore damaged bogs to curb the carbon emissions and allow natural ecosystems to restore themselves, eventually turning them back into carbon sinks A drone's view shows a stage of the rewetting process at Ballaghurt Bog where the grids are flooded with water to seal in the carbon emissions, near Clongawny View of a marked control square, set out before recording a carbon emission measurement at Ballycon Bog, in Mount Lucas. Degraded peatlands in Ireland emit the equivalent of 21.6m metric tons of CO2 each year, according to the 2022 UN report Johny Gorry uses a digging machine to cut away chunks of peat to put through a turf installation machine, in Clonbullogue. Contractors dig turf on behalf of plot owners, who then stack turf sods to dry and transport home to burn over the winter John Smyth, 69, squeezes freshly cut turf before stacking it up for drying over the summer months, in Mount Lucas. Smyth, like many households, uses turf to heat and fuel his house. A single harvest can heat a home for a year for less than €1,000 without the stress of energy bills Bog cotton, or common cottonsedge in Clonydonnin Bog, a cutaway bog, in Ballynahown. Ireland's bogs were formed over thousands of years as decaying plants formed a thick layer of peat in wetland areas As the peat stacking process starts in Clonbullogue, freshly cut turf is stacked into a pyramid shape, known locally as a foot, to help with the drying process. Wooden posts mark where each person's plot of turf begins Willie Flynn (left), 74, and Michael Morrissey (right), 72, load dried turf cut from a patch they rented for the year to bring home to use for heating, in Clonbullogue. The turf is cut into sods by a tractor and is then 'footed' – stacked by hand to dry over several weeks - before being transported home for fuel John Smyth, 69, drinks a cup of tea as he looks out of the window of his house at sunset, in Mount Lucas. Smyth heats his home with peat turf harvested from a bog. 'I can never see the day that we won't need turf,' he says. 'I'm going to keep it going for as long as I can, as long as turf is available' A drone's view shows turf from Derryrush bog left out to dry after being harvested from the blanket bog. The shadow of the now late Jim Bracken, then 92, seen in the hearth of the outdoor living room of his friend, Willie Pilkington, 79, as they catch up over a cup tea made on a turf fire. About 68,000 households in Ireland were still dependent on turf for home heating in 2022, down from 90,000 in 2011, according to census data Smyth chops up firewood from a tree that fell after Storm Éowyn, in Mount Lucas. Ireland has introduced strict rules on the burning of solid fuels. Wood must be dried so it has a moisture content of less than 25%. Harry Kelly, a carbon technician with Bord na Móna, takes a photo on a makeshift boardwalk among the reeds at Ballycon Bog, in Mount Lucas. Bord na Móna permanently ceased harvesting peat on its lands in 2021 and now focuses on renewable energy, recycling, peatland restoration A drone's view shows the rehabilitated Ballycon Bog, some 20 years after rewetting, in Mount Lucas. High rainfall and poor drainage causes blanket bogs to develop over hundreds of years on large expanses of land, supporting rich biodiversity, including rare plants and vulnerable species A person stands on top of Diamond Hill in the Connemara national park, which is surrounded by a protected blanket bog found in lowlands of mountainous regions with a rainy climate, in Letterfrack Smyth stacks freshly cut turf into a pyramid shape, or foot, which helps the peat dry over the summer months, in Clonbullogue Bracken and Smyth drink tea made using peat turf, in Rhode. Open turf fires have long lent a unique peaty smell to homes and pubs across rural Ireland Doreen King holds sphagnum moss in a restored bogland, in Ballynahown. Raised bogs need certain types of mosses, collectively known as sphagnum, to grow in order for peat to form, according to Bord na Móna A drone's view shows the early stages of the rewetting process at Ballaghurt Bog, near Clongawny. Bord na Móna has been charged with trying to 'rewet' the bogs to curb the carbon emissions, allowing natural ecosystems to restore themselves, eventually turning them back into carbon sinks A drone's view shows secondary school students stacking freshly cut turf on a raised bog to help the peat dry over the summer months, in Clonbullogue Mark McCorry, an ecology manager with Bord na Móna, searches for a family of egrets that have begun nesting in the rehabilitated cutaway Boora Bog, near Glen Lower. 'In the longer term, we will see more and more of those bogs, you know, switching back to sinks for carbon,' McCorry says
The Sun
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Sun
Prince William enjoys impromptu pint at the pub with locals after braving the rain for muddy Dartmoor visit
PRINCE William enjoyed an impromptu pint during a muddy visit to Dartmoor yesterday. The Duke of Cornwall braved heavy rain and wind to visit Royal Tor Bog, near Yelverton, Devon, and spoke to men and women working in collaboration to help restore the "special" landscape. 4 4 After working up a thirst, William headed to the Prince of Wales pub in the picturesque village of Princetown. He sipped on a local cider at the bar and chatted to locals before making his way home. The Prince's project will focus on a "coordinated public and private investment" to restore peatlands and upland mosaic habitats in the south Devon area. 'I'm keen to continue my father's work as well,' said William, who inherited responsibility for the land with the Duchy of Cornwall in 2022. 'For me it's about the impact, I want to see stuff actually happen. We've done the talking now, we've put the vision together, the design, now it's about the activation.' Pointing to an area of bog which has been restored, he added: 'Even though this is a small bit, we need to get more and more of this going on all around Dartmoor to bring it back to its former glory while still keeping the farming and everything else going.' The Prince spoke out after discussing a new 20-year plan to give fresh life to Dartmoor's wilderness while helping to protect it from climate change with a group including Tony Juniper, chair of Natural England and Phil Stocker, Chair of Dartmoor Land Use Management Group. As they chatted in the steady downpour, the Prince joked: 'I came to talk about the fires and a plan to re-wet peat!' Referring to the Landscape Vision, he said: 'To be able to bring everyone together, I think, is not only crucial to the whole thing but it sets a model for how it can be done elsewhere. "And that's what I love doing. Whatever we do here, other people can follow what we're doing. 'So much of it is local leadership and collaboration. If you put those two together, things can be adapted.' The Prince said not everyone believed the vision to restore the land within just two decades was possible. '[They said] 20 years, good luck, it's going to take longer than that! These things take time, they really do. "But at least if you set up a path and move in that direction, everyone will move in the same direction.' The Prince heard from Stocker how they had been 'making progress' in bringing different people on board with the plan. 'The one thing that has come through is the enthusiasm," Phil said. Morag Angus, of the South West Peatland Partnership, told William how the land they were looking at had become more barren and dry and was benefitting from a 're-wetting' process. She said afterwards: 'If someone like the Prince is coming down here, it just shows that he's thinking about it and how important is. "And I think it just galvanizes everyone and gets everyone on board and gets them coming here to talk about it, but also to make sure we action things and we make meaningful restoration happen. "See it happening, rather than just talking about it." 4 4
BBC News
12-05-2025
- Science
- BBC News
Map shows 80% of England's peatlands dry and degraded
New mapping data has shown 80% of England's peatlands to be dry and damaged. The government said the findings, shown on an open source map, presented a worrying picture, with degraded peat emitting carbon into the atmosphere and contributing to global peat is the country's biggest carbon store but when damaged it releases planet-warming greenhouse gases into the the most extensive peatland habitat was shown to be found across parts of the Lake District, the Pennines, North York Moors and in the uplands of the south-west of England. Scientists have used satellite imagery, artificial intelligence and in-depth data analysis to create the most complete map of England's peatland and peaty soils to date, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) vital carbon sinks, healthy peatlands can help tackle climate change, reduce flood risk, improve water quality and support rare wildlife, including the golden plover, curlews and 25 species of dragonflies. The map models the extent, depth and important aspects of the condition of England's peat, including vegetation, gullies and man-made as well as natural draining found that peaty soil covers roughly 8.5% of England's surface with four-fifths of England's peatlands also revealed to be in a dry and degraded map showed that three-quarters of the surface was shown to be covered by plants and land use types associated with dryer conditions such as heather, while only 1% is covered by important peat-forming plants such as sphagnum Wildlife Trust said it was looking to restore some of its peatlands, which were historically burned to help heat homes last in Dartmoor, the University of Exeter estimates just 1% of its deep peat is healthy, peat-forming to restore this vital natural resource are under way, including in Exmoor, Dartmoor and Cornwall, but scientists are warning climate change could make that difficult. Natural England's chief scientist, Dr Sallie Bailey, said: "Mapping peat to this level of detail will help us maximise the benefits of peat and massively advances our understanding the role our peatlands are playing in a changing climate."Tony Juniper, chairman of Natural England, said the map "would allow us to make far better and more informed decisions when it comes to managing peatlands - targeting restoration efforts to the most degraded peat and identifying the best opportunities for nature recovery". Follow BBC Cumbria on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram.
The Guardian
11-05-2025
- Science
- The Guardian
Eighty percent of England's peatlands are dry and degraded, mapping shows
New mapping of England's peatlands has revealed that 80% of the habitats are dry and degraded. Scientists mapped England's peatlands and peaty soils for the first time using satellite imagery, artificial intelligence and in-depth data analysis to create the most complete map to date, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) said. The open source map, launched on the government's website on Monday, models the extent, depth and condition of England's peat, encompassing vegetation, gullies and human-made and natural draining channels. Healthy peatlands can help to tackle the climate crisis, reduce flood risk, improve water quality and support rare wildlife including the golden plover, curlews and 25 species of dragonflies. However, degraded peat means carbon is emitted into the atmosphere, contributing to global heating. The map found that peaty soil covers roughly 8.5% of England's surface, with the most extensive peatland habitats in the Pennines, North York Moors, parts of the Lake District and the uplands of the south-west. However, the research also found that 80% of England's peatlands were in a dry and degraded condition. The map showed that while three-quarters of the peatlands are covered by plants and land use types associated with dryer conditions, only 1% were covered by important peat-forming plants such as sphagnum moss. Dr Sallie Bailey, Natural England's chief scientist, said: 'Trying to map something that's largely underground, changes in volume depending on whether it's rained recently and tries to swallow you up every time you set foot in it comes with its challenges, which makes this map extraordinary in its accomplishment and something of a global first. 'Mapping peat to this level of detail will help us maximise the benefits of peat and massively advances our understanding of the role our peatlands are playing in a changing climate.' Defra has said understanding how much peat England has is the first step to calculating how much carbon it holds and how much it is releasing. Ministers also hope that land managers will use the map to better understand and restore peatland, through measures such as blocking drainage channels to re-wet the land, and that it will help decision-makers in balancing biodiversity and carbon storage with food security. Tony Juniper, the chair of Natural England, said: 'The benefits of healthy peatlands are well documented. They are our biggest natural carbon stores, essential to the water cycle and refuge to some of our rarest plants and wildlife, such as the carnivorous sundew plant, marsh violet, and charismatic birds like golden plover and curlew. 'The England peat map will allow us to make far better and more informed decisions when it comes to managing peatlands – targeting restoration efforts to the most degraded peat and identifying the best opportunities for nature recovery.' Caroline Thorogood, the National Trust's lead for peatlands, said: 'The data in the map will help us take a significant step forward to more accurately map peatlands that we own and care for in England and understand their condition. 'This will allow us to better identify priorities and action future work to recover our precious peatlands, helping nature thrive and providing benefits such as carbon storage and water regulation.'
