Peatlands & Carbon Storage

© 2010 Crowberry Consulting Ltd info@crowberryconsulting.com ENGLAND’S The beneThe beneThe beneThe benefits of restoration on carbon capturefits of restoration on carbon capturefits of restoration on carbon capturefits of restoration on carbon capture © Crowberry Consulting 2010 Proud to support © 2010 Crowberry Consulting Ltd info@crowberryconsulting.com Executive Summary Peatlands are currently one of the most exploited natural ecosystems in the world and face many threats from both humans and the physical world, such as afforestation, erosion and peat extraction. The effective management of peatlands is a priority in today’s society and local land owners, councils and trusts all have a role to play in the upkeep and protection of these delicate ecosystems. Peatlands should be considered when taking into account the issues relating to global warming, as they are natural carbon sequesters. It therefore seems logical to want to implement as much restoration in these habitats; to restore them to a state where they can continue to take carbon from the atmosphere, grow and develop. This report looks at the types, formation and location of peatlands, threats facing peatlands today and provides case study material to highlight restoration techniques. Various bodies work hard to protect these habitats, including the Wildlife Trust. The sale of this report will be donated to the Wildlife Trust, providing some help in their work in restoring peatlands. About Crowberry Energy and Crowberry Consulting Crowberry Energy is a not for profit social enterprise established in 2009, that works with a range of suppliers to provide both research and development in the area of renewable energy and the supply and installation of small scale micro-renewables. Our profits are all donated in support of wildlife and conservation charities in the UK, one of these being the Wildlife Trust. Organisations such as this work hard to protect biodiversity and habitats and to adapt to the continuous pressure from climate change. We have selected the best suppliers of solar panels, wind turbines, ground source and air source heat pumps and rainwater harvesting systems. We also have supplier relationships with monitoring and metering organisations to help you measure your carbon foot print, and then provide the technology to reduce this. Crowberry Energy is an organisation that works closely with its sister company Crowberry Consulting Limited, an environment, ethics and corporate responsibility management consultancy. The Crowberry team have over 12 years experience of working with business to provide sustainable solutions. Contact details: Crowberry Consulting Ltd Chorley Business and Technology Centre East Terrace Euxton Lane Chorley PR7 6TE www.crowberryenergy.com www.crowberryconsulting.com Telephone: 01257 231171 Email: info@crowberryconsulting.com © 2010 Crowberry Consulting Ltd info@crowberryconsulting.com Contents Page 1. Introduction 1 2. Formation, types, and distribution of Peatlands 1 2.1 Fenlands 3 2.2 Blanket Bogs 4 2.3 Raised Bogs 4 3. Threats to Peatlands 6 3.1 Agriculture and forestry 6 3.2 Drainage 6 3.3 Peat extraction 7 4. Case studies 7 4.1 Astley Moss, Manchester 7 4.2 Foulshaw Moss, Cumbria 12 5. The need for restoration 14 6. Conclusion 15 7. References and Resources 15 © 2010 Crowberry Consulting Ltd info@crowberryconsulting.com 1. Introduction Peatlands are at present one of the most sensitive habitats at risk of extensive degradation within England. Our peatlands are important stores of carbon but have been widely threatened in recent years, mainly through incorrect management, drainage for cultivation, grazing and also extraction. Natural peatlands are home to a wide variety of wildlife including bitterns, butterflies and swallowtails in lowland peat fields, through to various wading birds, cranberries and bog mosses in upland mires and blanket bogs. Therefore it is vital that these peatlands are managed effectively in order to help conserve and protect such high biodiversity. Peatlands, on a global scale store approximately double the amount of carbon stored in all the world’s forests – an estimated 550 billion tonnes. Peatlands are therefore an essential and unique mechanism of regulating the world’s climate. Through storing vast quantities of carbon within the peat layers, peatlands prevent this carbon being emitted to the atmosphere as carbon dioxide. This process is currently under scrutiny as improper management in many peatland environments threatens these carbon stores through drainage, cultivation and extraction of peat. Peatlands currently emit approximately 2 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere every year, around 10% of the total carbon emissions from all human activity. England’s peatlands store approximately 580 million tonnes of carbon, but over the last 300 years, a fraction of the peatland life, they have become degraded; approximately 75% of these peatlands are already visibly degraded. Evidence suggests that peatland restoration delivers greenhouse gas benefits by protecting stored carbon and drastically reduces the amount of carbon dioxide emitted even after accounting for increased emissions of other gases after re-wetting processes. There are currently various policies and initiatives in force that broadly support peatland restoration, but yet there is still a need for more improvement. Over the past 20 years, there have been a number of successful restoration projects carried out in various parts of the country. These projects have specifically pioneered new techniques for restoring damaged peatlands and also communicated the need for new knowledge and ideas. Peatlands have been badly mistreated over the last three centuries, and in many places, much damage still continues today. With continued restoration, peatlands of the future should hopefully reflect a better balance of land use, integrating carbon storage, water management and wildlife habitats. 1