Today, along with others around the globe, we celebrate World Wetlands Day – and this year’s theme of climate change. In Scotland, peat bogs play a crucial role in tackling climate change. 

Scottish peatlands host an amazing array of wildlife, from sphagnum moss, white cotton grass & purple heather to insects looking for a drink. ©Lorne Gill/SNH

We need to find ways to drastically reduce our global footprint, especially our carbon footprint; it is estimated that 60% of our ecological footprint is carbon. One place to look is definitely peatlands – and Scotland has plenty of those! Ecosystems like peatlands are capable of absorbing and storing large amounts of carbon dioxide known as “carbon sinks,” making them ideal for helping to tackle climate change.

What usually springs to peoples’ minds when asked about carbon sinks are trees, whether it’s the local woodland where you walk your dog every day or the tropical rain forests of Borneo. But research suggests that trees actually aren’t the most efficient way to store carbon. Other often forgotten ecosystems, like peat bogs, can make a big impact.

Volunteers clearing willow scrub at Loch Leven ©Lorne Gill/SNH

About 60% of the world’s wetlands are made of peat. Peat forms in waterlogged, acidic conditions. Layers upon layers of the partially decomposed sphagnum mosses and other bog plants build up, forming peat. The further down into the peat bog you go, the more decomposed and darker the peat becomes as it gets squished by the layer on top. This peat forming process is very slow – it can take 100 years to form just one meter of peat.

Equally, peat bogs are very low in nutrients, and only very specialised plants – like sphagnum, cotton grass and sundews – can grow in them, but more importantly for climate change, the carbon in these plants are trapped in perpetuity.

As peat is formed in waterlogged conditions, it is hard to disturb, making it a very efficient carbon sink. However, if you drain or burn the peat, the balance is disturbed.

For example, draining water away from peat bogs causes the peat to dry, resulting in the vegetation decomposing much faster – and the release of carbon. Similarly burning peat – just as burning a tree – has the potential to release hundreds of years of stored carbon back into the atmosphere.

Peat core taken on a peat bog at Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park, Scotland. The peat here is dark at it was taken at four meters deep. ©Lorne Gill/SNH

Scottish peatlands store 1.7 billion tonnes of carbon; this is equivalent to 140 years’ worth of Scotland’s total annual greenhouse gas emissions. Peatland ACTION – with funding from Scottish Government – is working with land managers and partners to restore this vital carbon sink.

In essence, the project is returning peat bogs into thriving wetlands. For climate. For nature. For people. For the planet.

This great short film, which you can pan 360 degrees, explains the science behind why we are working so hard to rewet and restore the bog habitats of Scotland.

If you have a peatland restoration project, Peatland ACTION pre-application advice is available now (for the next funding round which will be announced in the spring). If you would like to speak to one of our advisors, contact us at peatlandaction@nature.scot