Scientists investigate bogs to solve climate change riddle

Working with colleagues from the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology and the Open University, researchers from the University of Leeds will look at how blanket peatlands can be restored in a way that minimises greenhouse gas emissions.

Northern-hemisphere peatlands, such as the blanket peatlands of north Wales and the north Pennines, contain three times as much carbon as the Amazon rainforest. But years of over-drainage has caused peat to dry out and decompose, releasing carbon in the form of CO2 into the atmosphere where it can contribute to global warming.

Lead researcher Prof Andy Baird, from the University of Leeds, said: “If managed correctly, peatlands have the potential to play an important part in the fight against climate change. However, the effect of such restoration measures on future climate is not fully understood.

“There is evidence to suggest that restoring peatlands by blocking man-made drainage channels will cause them to release methane – a greenhouse gas 20-times more potent than CO2.

“Until now, methane has been ignored when estimating the benefits of peatland, but because it is so potent, it has the potential to contribute more to global warming than CO2. If this is the case there is a chance that peatland restoration could do more harm than good in terms of contributing to climate change.

“If robust policy and guidelines on peatland management are to be developed, there is an urgent need for better understanding of how restoration practices affect the carbon balance and global warming potential of peat bogs.”

The £1.1 million, five-year study, is being funded by Defra.

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