Whilst they occupy only 3% of the terrestrial area of the world, peatlands contain 500 gigatonnes of carbon, twice that held within the biomass of all the world’s forests and, sequester 0.37 gigatonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2) a year. Peatlands are preserved by water saturation and if they remain wetted, their carbon stores are not only conserved but continue to slowly accumulate as plant material steadily decomposes.
The Isle of Wight is lucky to have a lowland peat source at Alverstone.
This report provides guidance on peatland protection and restoration, describing the availability of mapped data to determine extent and type of peatland, the provision of information to determine the reduction in emissions from restoration projects, explanation of associated ecosystem service benefits and, examples of business models. Its really useful for those considering restoration projects.