IUCN UK Commission of Inquiry on Peatlands

Abstract

Peatlands are areas of land with a naturally accumulated layer of\npeat. These are formed under waterlogged conditions from carbon\nrich, dead and decaying plant material. In the UK mosses, mainly\nSphagnum\nspecies, are the main formers of peat.\nPeatlands are found in at least 175 countries – from the tropics to the poles\n– and cover around 4 million km\n2\nor 3% of the world’s land area. In Europe,\npeatlands extend to ca. 515,000 km\n2\n. The UK is amongst the top ten nations\nof the world in terms of its total peatland area. The UK has between 9-15%\nof Europe’s peatland area (46,000-77,000 km\n2\n) and about 13% of the world’s\nblanket bog – one of the world’s rarest habitats. There are three main types\nof peatland in the UK: blanket bogs, raised bogs and fens. The international\nimportance of the peatlands found in the UK give it an especial responsibility\nfor their management and conservation.\nThe IUCN UK Commission of Inquiry on Peatlands has gathered up-to-date\nknowledge from science, policy and practice. The assessment focuses on\nblanket bog and raised bog peatlands, because they represent over 95% of\nall UK peatland habitat and offer an opportunity to make early and substantial\nprogress in delivering a combination of economic, social and biodiversity\ngains. However, we recognise that lowland, river and groundwater-fed fen\npeatlands are also vital carbon stores, as well as existing and potential areas\nof rich biodiversity, which have also been subject to intensive and damaging\nmanagement. Fen peatlands share many of the issues affecting rain-fed\npeatlands but with distinct differences in terms of their functions, threats\nand pressures, which merit further investigation.\nA multidisciplinary team of experts produced this Report. It provides an\nauthoritative assessment of the available evidence, based on peer-reviewed\nscientific consensus about the state of peatlands, the impacts of dif\nferent\nactivities on peatland ecosystems and the services they provide and the\nbenefits of restoring and conserving them. The assessment explores\nmechanisms and processes for peatland conservation action, recognising the\ndifferent social, economic and environmental drivers. The evidence-gathering\napproach was inclusive, engaging individual land managers as well as a wide\nrange of organisations, which in itself has helped to foster joint action for\npeatland conservation and restoration.\nThe Assessment Report sets out the main conclusions, highlighting gaps\nand opportunities for further action. It identifies ways to secure additional\nfunding and develop expertise to help land managers restore the UK’s\npeatlands and to allow decision makers to take better account of their\nmultiple benefits.