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Stornoway, Lewis

 

 

Lewis peatlands critical in trapping carbon emissions   26/6/10

 

 

 

 

 

The importance of the vast tracts of moor across the Western Isles has been highlighted in a ground breaking new report which stresses the major climate change benefits of work to protect peatbogs.

 

Despite their wild and barren appearance, the UK's peatbogs are of

international importance and are a national asset says the study written by Richard Lindsay, an international authority on peatlands. It  was commissioned by the RSPB.

 

Peatbogs - home to a variety of special plant and animal communities - have been accumulating peat, over thousands of years and comprise the largest store of terrestrial carbon in the UK.

 

Peatlands and the associated carbon store are extremely sensitive to

human disturbance, leaving them vulnerable to the effects of climate

change and to the way we use and manage them.  

 

A number of major peatland restoration initiatives are underway across

the UK.  These mainly involve reducing livestock numbers, blocking

drains, removing plantation trees and re-vegetating areas of bare peat.

 

The report reviews the impact of restoration on the carbon balance and

concludes that intact peatlands are generally climate change beneficial,

whereas degraded peatlands are likely to have negative effects on

climate because they release greenhouse gases into the atmosphere.  

 

The report argues that while some peatlands can release methane, an

extremely potent greenhouse gas, the impact is short term and has less

global warming impact than damaged peatlands.  Healthy peatlands are

also considered to be more resilient to the impacts of climate change.

 

Stuart Housden, Director RSPB Scotland said: "This report highlights that restoring our peatlands may be a cost-effective way to lock up stored

carbon thereby preventing further loss of this damaging greenhouse gas

into the atmosphere.  

 

“It is imperative that we invest now to save this vital carbon store. It is certainly not just the climate that will benefit from restoring these areas; biodiversity, landscape and water management all improve too - making this a cost effective action for Government."