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Project Code [GOIPG/2022/286]
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Project title
Natural colonisation of forest on post-industrial peatlands � implications for ecosystem services
Primary Funding Agency
Irish Research Council
Co-Funding Organisation(s)
EPA
Lead Organisation
Maynooth University (NUIM)
Project Abstract
Globally, wetland ecosystems make a disproportionally high contribution to ecosystem services. The global monetary value of natural wetland ecosystem services is now estimated at $47.4 trillion per year. Yet, almost 50% of all wetlands globally have been lost or degraded since 1900 due to human activities. Ireland�s intact peatland area has declined from 1,200,000 hectares to approximately 100,000 hectares in the last century, primarily due to industrial scale harvesting of peat. However, the last two decades has seen increased recognition of the need to conserve and rehabilitate peatlands in Ireland, and particularly to restore their status as a carbon sink to aid climate change mitigation efforts. Indeed, Bord Na Mona, a semi-state energy and horticulture company and principal manager of cutaway peatland in Ireland, recently announced the cessation of peat extraction and the initiation of bog restoration and rehabilitation. In many post-industrial peatland areas, degraded bog ecosystems can rapidly transition to wooded landscapes following the colonization of fast-growing native deciduous tree species such as birch (Betula spp.) and willow (Salix spp.). The overarching aim of this project is to assess how the natural development of native forest on post-industrial peatlands impacts ecosystem service provision. Using meta-analysis, this project will assess whether there are consistent global trends in how peatland restoration impacts ecosystem services such as carbon sequestration, biodiversity, and water quality. Secondly, Earth Observation techniques will be used to quantify the area of natural forest development on post-industrial peatlands in Ireland over the last two decades. In a field-study, the project will assess how forest development impacts carbon pools and biodiversity in post-industrial peatlands. Finally, in a glasshouse study, the soil characteristics associated with the germination and growth of birch forests on post-industrial peatlands in Ireland will be determined. Ultimately, this project will inform future peatland restoration and rehabilitation approaches.
Grant Approved
�110,000.00
Research Theme
Ireland's Future Climate, its Impacts, and Adaptation Options
Initial Projected Completion Date
30/09/2026