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Degraded peatlands are being restored in many parts of the world. These include areas impacted by humans, as well as those drained by natural processes, such as a lack of rain, erosion or overgrazing. Fundamentally, peatlands can be restored by blocking ditches, raising the water table, applying or encouraging typical mire vegetation and careful monitoring. To be successful, scientists and practitioners need to work together closely, especially if small test areas are upscaled to large bogs. Catchment hydrology, geology, biodiversity and climate have to be taken into consideration, as well...

Peatlands are important for the environment and climate, but their role with regard to the economy and society is currently often underrated. People in rural areas depend on peatlands for water, food and raw materials. This applies, in particular, to the southern hemisphere, where inhabitants are highly dependent upon their natural environment, but with certain restrictions also to temperate and boreal regions. Peat has been used as a fuel and bedding material for centuries. The use of peat for energy is currently being phased out in many countries, including, e.g.,...

Since 2019, the IPS has had its own fully-open document database. The database contains articles from IPS conference proceedings, policy papers and certain presentations and publications for which we hold copyrights. You can easily search the database by author, topic or year, for instance. Try here: https://peatlands.org/publications/document-database Additional content will be added by the Secretariat as time allows. The IPS headquarters in Jyväskylä also provide scans of older, printed proceedings on request. [caption id="attachment_7519" align="alignleft" width="1136"] Photo by Becca Tapert[/caption]  

The IPS publishes its own magazine four times a year. The 40-60 page publication consists of reports written by peat and peatland enthusiasts on current research projects, interesting events, new publications and developments in science and industry. Subscription to the magazine is free for IPS members (electronically, PDF file), others can subscribe via our online shop. The next deadlines for articles are 15 November and 20 February. Subscribe to the magazine (2021 issues): https://bit.ly/ipsx2021 Download previous issues (2014-2020): https://bit.ly/pisearchpdf Order printed copies (1998-2013): https://holvi.com/shop/peatlands/section/magazines

Mires and Peat is the joint peer-reviewed journal of the International Peatland Society (IPS) and the International Mire Conservation Group (IMCG). As a truly “free-to-users” publication, it is immediately accessible to readers and potential authors worldwide. The journal publishes high-quality research papers on all aspects of peatland science, technology and wise use, including: ecology, hydrology, survey, inventory, classification, functions and values of mires and peatlands; scientific, economic and human aspects of the management of peatlands for agriculture, forestry, nature conservation, environmental protection, peat extraction, industrial development and other purposes; biological,...

Peatlands interact with climate through the uptake and release of greenhouse gases (GHGs). These are carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O). Emissions and their impact on climate and vice versa are studied worldwide by thousands of scientists, many of whom are members of the IPS. To understand the GHG balances of peatlands, a profound knowledge of their biology, chemistry and hydrology is required. There are also differences between geographical regions and mire types, which need to be taken into consideration. Mires are important carbon stocks and can...

Wise Use of Peatlands can be described as the uses of peatlands for which reasonable people now and in the future will not attribute blame. The IPS has developed a framework for Wise Use to resolve conflicts between the different values and uses of mires and peatlands. Overall, the major – anthropocentric – conflicts which arise with respect to peatland use are between those who wish to develop mires and peatlands for their production or carrier functions, and others who wish to preserve them for their regulation and non-material life-support...

The Strategy for Responsible Peatland Management was published as a joint stakeholder document in 2010. The document contains information on the extent of peatlands, their values and the use of peatlands and peat worldwide. It formulates strategic objectives and actions for biodiversity, hydrology and water regulation, for climate and climate change processes, for economic activities, for after-use, rehabilitation and restoration, for human and institutional capacity and information dissemination, as well as for the engagement of local people and good governance. To order a printed copy, visit https://bit.ly/srpm2010. To read the...

Peatlands can be found across all five continents, especially in the Northern hemisphere and in Southeast Asia. Many of them are in pristine or near-natural condition, but they are also increasingly degraded and often misunderstood. Peatlands are extremely important for our climate and biodiversity. In many regions, they also play an important role for society and the economy. Drained peatlands are widely used for agriculture (7%), forestry (4%) and many other purposes. Of all the peatland areas, 0.1% are used for peat extraction, and 0.05% for growing media. The tropical...

The 16th International Peatland Congress was held virtually, hosted by the Estonian National Committee of the IPS in May 2021, with over 185 oral and 75 poster presentations. International Peatland Congresses (IPC) are the main forum for IPS members and other peatland specialists to meet and exchange information. They are held every four years and attended by young, mid-career and experienced scientists, as well as students of biology, geology, horticulture, forestry, agriculture, history and many other subjects, around 700-800 persons. Click on the links below to watch the original presentations...