Latest news with #peatlands
BBC News
12-05-2025
- Science
- BBC News
Map shows 80% of England's peatlands dry and degraded
New mapping data has shown 80% of England's peatlands to be dry and damaged. The government said the findings, shown on an open source map, presented a worrying picture, with degraded peat emitting carbon into the atmosphere and contributing to global peat is the country's biggest carbon store but when damaged it releases planet-warming greenhouse gases into the the most extensive peatland habitat was shown to be found across parts of the Lake District, the Pennines, North York Moors and in the uplands of the south-west of England. Scientists have used satellite imagery, artificial intelligence and in-depth data analysis to create the most complete map of England's peatland and peaty soils to date, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) vital carbon sinks, healthy peatlands can help tackle climate change, reduce flood risk, improve water quality and support rare wildlife, including the golden plover, curlews and 25 species of dragonflies. The map models the extent, depth and important aspects of the condition of England's peat, including vegetation, gullies and man-made as well as natural draining found that peaty soil covers roughly 8.5% of England's surface with four-fifths of England's peatlands also revealed to be in a dry and degraded map showed that three-quarters of the surface was shown to be covered by plants and land use types associated with dryer conditions such as heather, while only 1% is covered by important peat-forming plants such as sphagnum Wildlife Trust said it was looking to restore some of its peatlands, which were historically burned to help heat homes last in Dartmoor, the University of Exeter estimates just 1% of its deep peat is healthy, peat-forming to restore this vital natural resource are under way, including in Exmoor, Dartmoor and Cornwall, but scientists are warning climate change could make that difficult. Natural England's chief scientist, Dr Sallie Bailey, said: "Mapping peat to this level of detail will help us maximise the benefits of peat and massively advances our understanding the role our peatlands are playing in a changing climate."Tony Juniper, chairman of Natural England, said the map "would allow us to make far better and more informed decisions when it comes to managing peatlands - targeting restoration efforts to the most degraded peat and identifying the best opportunities for nature recovery". Follow BBC Cumbria on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram.
The Guardian
11-05-2025
- Science
- The Guardian
Eighty percent of England's peatlands are dry and degraded, mapping shows
New mapping of England's peatlands has revealed that 80% of the habitats are dry and degraded. Scientists mapped England's peatlands and peaty soils for the first time using satellite imagery, artificial intelligence and in-depth data analysis to create the most complete map to date, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) said. The open source map, launched on the government's website on Monday, models the extent, depth and condition of England's peat, encompassing vegetation, gullies and human-made and natural draining channels. Healthy peatlands can help to tackle the climate crisis, reduce flood risk, improve water quality and support rare wildlife including the golden plover, curlews and 25 species of dragonflies. However, degraded peat means carbon is emitted into the atmosphere, contributing to global heating. The map found that peaty soil covers roughly 8.5% of England's surface, with the most extensive peatland habitats in the Pennines, North York Moors, parts of the Lake District and the uplands of the south-west. However, the research also found that 80% of England's peatlands were in a dry and degraded condition. The map showed that while three-quarters of the peatlands are covered by plants and land use types associated with dryer conditions, only 1% were covered by important peat-forming plants such as sphagnum moss. Dr Sallie Bailey, Natural England's chief scientist, said: 'Trying to map something that's largely underground, changes in volume depending on whether it's rained recently and tries to swallow you up every time you set foot in it comes with its challenges, which makes this map extraordinary in its accomplishment and something of a global first. 'Mapping peat to this level of detail will help us maximise the benefits of peat and massively advances our understanding of the role our peatlands are playing in a changing climate.' Defra has said understanding how much peat England has is the first step to calculating how much carbon it holds and how much it is releasing. Ministers also hope that land managers will use the map to better understand and restore peatland, through measures such as blocking drainage channels to re-wet the land, and that it will help decision-makers in balancing biodiversity and carbon storage with food security. Tony Juniper, the chair of Natural England, said: 'The benefits of healthy peatlands are well documented. They are our biggest natural carbon stores, essential to the water cycle and refuge to some of our rarest plants and wildlife, such as the carnivorous sundew plant, marsh violet, and charismatic birds like golden plover and curlew. 'The England peat map will allow us to make far better and more informed decisions when it comes to managing peatlands – targeting restoration efforts to the most degraded peat and identifying the best opportunities for nature recovery.' Caroline Thorogood, the National Trust's lead for peatlands, said: 'The data in the map will help us take a significant step forward to more accurately map peatlands that we own and care for in England and understand their condition. 'This will allow us to better identify priorities and action future work to recover our precious peatlands, helping nature thrive and providing benefits such as carbon storage and water regulation.'
