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Local Authorities and Sustainable Peatland Management: Current Opportunities and Future Possibilities for Local Approaches
What is peat and what are peatlands?
Peat is a soil formed from carbon rich, dead decaying plant material under waterlogged conditions. Peatlands are areas of wetland habitat supported by a naturally accumulated layer of peat. In Wales there are three main types of peatland habitats. Blanket bog covers many of our hills and mountains in the uplands while smaller areas of fen and raised bog occur throughout the lowlands of Wales. Most peatlands in Wales are in a degraded state and referred to as ‘inactive’. This can be contrasted with ‘active’ peatlands which are those currently forming peat or growing.
Why are peatlands important?
Peatlands are important because they provide numerous ecosystems services to Wales as demonstrated in Figure 1.
Provisioning Services – historically, peat has been used as a source of fuel and as compost for the horticultural industry and domestic use. Peat is now recognised to be so valuable in providing other ecosystem services that these uses are strictly regulated. Regulating Services – peatlands are essential in regulating natural processes that provide important benefits. For example, regulating the hydrological processes that influence flood control; reducing the risk of wild fires; or providing for processes of carbon sequestration.
Supporting Services – peatlands are crucial in supporting other ecological processes such as carbon storage in the ecosystem, biodiversity and ecological resilience.
Cultural Services – peatlands also provide non-material benefits, including recreational activities such as hiking and pony trekking. Perhaps most significantly peatlands exist in areas that can provide a sense of wilderness and tranquillity. They also have a long and rich history and are significant to the natural and cultural heritage of the landscapes of Wales.
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