The document summarizes Ireland's experience with peatland restoration. Originally covering 17.2% of Ireland, peatlands have been degraded through turf cutting, industrial extraction, afforestation, and other threats. Restoration projects led by various organizations have rehabilitated over 12,500 hectares of raised bogs and blanket bogs. Ongoing work includes evaluating carbon storage in restored versus degraded sites, with some restored sites found to act as carbon sinks. The document calls for a strategic national restoration plan, more evaluation of restoration results, and recognizing the value of peatlands' ecosystem services to better inform policy and management.
16. Raised Bog
Ready for
windrowing
Peat
dams
Brash removed
17. Biodiversity Objective:
To promote the role of Bord na Móna
in enhancing biodiversity and to create awareness of
the values of cutaway bogs through wise-use
management for biodiversity and carbon
Biodiversity – baseline, cutaway rehabilitation/restoration
Carbon – understanding, restoring and/or retaining carbon pools and
sinks
Communications – creating awareness internally and externally
22. Carbon Measurement
Rehabilitated Mayo
bogs: carbon sink
Restoration of
Abbeyleix bog:
carbon store and
sink?
Cutaway Bog habitats:
birch scrub to open water
Reed-beds:
carbon sink?
Are we creating
carbon sources
or sinks?
23. Carbon measurement (GHG)
Peatland type Location Years of study Carbon sink/source
Lowland blanket Bog Glencar, Co. Kerry 5 SINK
Montane blanket bog Glenlahan, Co. Laois 1 SOURCE
Raised Bog Clara, Co. Offaly 1 SOURCE
Cutaway (bare peat) Turraun, Co. Offaly 2 SOURCE
Afforested cutaway Lullymore, Co. Kildare 2 SINK
Naturally regenerated cutaway Turraun, Co. Offaly 2 SOURCE
(Birch scrub)
Rewetted cutaway Turraun, Co. Offaly 2 SOURCE
Restored cutaway Bellacorick, Co. Mayo 2 SINK
Reed on cutaway 0 ?
24. Policy and Management
• Turf-cutting: compensation, stop cutting
before you can restore? Clara degrading
continually..
• Industrial: energy policy, co-fuelling, IPPC
Licensing; licensing small operators?
• Afforestation: no further planting of peatland
sites? more restoration in biodiversity areas?
• Overgrazing: Commonage framework plans
• Climatic erosion?
• Other: dumping, ‘bad planning’ wind farms
25. Barroughter Bog SAC: active RB decreased by 91% 1994-2004 due to
turf-cutting (24.35ha to 2.38ha); area of high bog decreased from
84.09ha to 80.17ha; bogs less than 100ha more vulnerable
26. Results and Observations
• Will Degraded RB will get better? – restored
within 30 years? Turf-cutting and the futility of
efforts..
• Afforested: sites do get wetter; active peat
formation?
• Industrial: restored for biodiversity or carbon?
• How to restore industrial sites for carbon and
Sphagnum – flooding vs. mosaic habitats and
biodiversity
• Role of monitoring to advise on future planning
for restoration
27. Policy Issues and Information Gaps
• Restoration (positive management) essential everywhere; need
strategic national plan and funding!!!
• State funding or EU funding?
• The role of public engagement and education e.g. Abbeyleix
Bog
• Future role of Strategy Responsible Peatland Management and
Peat Certification (standard requirements for restoration and
rehabilitation plans)
• Need to evaluate results; identify info and research gaps Wise
After-Use of Peatlands Guidelines
• Biodiversity vs. Carbon…or Biodiversity and Carbon
• More research…more funding…recognising the value of
ecosystem goods and services..
