Peatland Restoration for Ecosystem Services – the IUCN UK Commission of Inquiry on Peatlands

Authors:
Aletta Bonn, Clifton Bain, Rob Stoneman, Steve Chapman, Andrew Coupar, Martin Evans, Ben Gearey, Martyn Howat, Hans Joosten, Clunie Keenleyside, Richard Lindsay, Jill Labadz, Nick Littlewood, Paul Lunt, Chris Miller, Andrew Moxey, Harriett Orr, Mark Reed, Pete Smith, Vicky Swales, Des Thompson, Robert Van de Noort, Jeremy Wilson & Fred Worrall

Book:
Proceedings of the 14th International Peat Congress

Venue:
Stockholm

Keywords:
biodiversity, climate-change-adaptation-and-mitigation, conservation, peatland-ecosystem-services

Documentfile:
Bonn et al 2012: Peatland Restoration for Ecosystem Services – the IUCN UK Commission of Inquiry on Peatlands

Summary:

Theme I.  Inventory, stratigraphy and conservation of mires and peatlands

SUMMARY

Peatlands provide vital ecosystem services to society, globally, nationally and locally. The IUCN UK Commission of Inquiry on Peatlands has brought together over 300 contributors from over 50 organisations drawing on a wide range of expertise from science, policy and practice. It comes at a crucial time, with high level strategic decisions being made at a national and international level on climate change, biodiversity, water and agriculture, which will impact on the way we manage our peatlands and how we pay to keep them in a healthy state. The Inquiry’s findings clearly demonstrate the value of healthy peatlands to society, the damage which has been done to them, and the huge liability of doing nothing to repair this damage.