FAQs
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Peatlands are a unique type of terrestrial wetland that contain peat soil. Peat is a substance that is a sort of “pickled” and partially decomposed organic matter that can form in waterlogged areas [source].
There are active peatlands, which still form new layers of peat or are in the process of being restored, and non-active peatlands. The latter are often drained of water and in the slow process of peat decomposition, though some peat is still present. Funnily though, there is no way of knowing if a peatland is actually forming peat in the present. [source]
Importantly, peatlands are very difficult to define. This is already indicated by the untranslatability of the word “peatland” - where the bounds of this definition lie are not consistent throughout languages. There have also been a variety of classification systems used in academia, which makes it difficult to integrate data comprehensively. [source]
Within peatlands, there is a large variety of peatland types. There are coastal peatlands, boreal peatlands, tropical peatlands, ground-water fed peatlands, rain-fed peatlands, etc. Though all of these are characteristics of peatlands rather than classifications, as peatlands have proven near impossible to classify. Best to get to know each peatland individually and understand its unique personality.
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All of these are subtypes of peatlands, different in their vegetation, pH, water source and other characteristics. For example, fens are groundwater-fed and alkaline, while bogs are usually rain-water fed and acidic. A mire is a peatland that is currently forming peat soil. [source] And it doesn’t stop here, there are also marshes, peat-swamps, quaking bogs, morasses, everglades and sloughs. All slightly different, yet with overlap in their defining characteristics. For convenience purposes, we stick with the general term “peatland”.
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Peatlands are formed when dead plant material is submerged in still water. Since oxygen cannot penetrate this still water, after some initial decomposition the oxygen is depleted. These conditions create a preservation effect which can go on for thousands of years. [source]
Peatlands form veeeeeeeeery slooooooooooowly. V e r y s l o w l y . Over the course of 10 years only 0,.5-1 centimetre of peat is formed. Imagine the history you can touch when you put your hand into the peat! [source]
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The best way to visit a peatland is by walking on a boardwalk or to join a local guide. Peatlands are fragile ecosystems and easy to get stuck in! They generally like to be admired from afar only, but if you are with someone who knows where to step without disturbing the land, we highly recommend getting a full sensory peat experience. Don’t forget to take your shoes off and feel the peat slush between your toes.
Peatlands 101
How do peatlands sound?
the importance of Peatlands
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Peatlands, when intact, have a whole array of planetary superpowers. They hold carbon safe and in the ground and may even actively absorb atmospheric carbon and keep it locked up in the soil. They are a hotspot for biodiversity, as their soggy grounds and acidic earth provides a unique habitat for life of various sizes and shapes. Insects, carnivorous plants, migratory birds, etc. [source]. Then they are a fantastically potent water sponge, partially due to sphagnum mosses being able to hold up to 26 times its own weight in water [source]. As a result, it acts as a buffer for floods, drought and wildfires [source].
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Very simply put, peatland justice is a continual process of valuing peatlands for their own sake, in both a personal and societal capacity. Peatland injustice refers to peatlands not being valued, and communities not being supported to protect them.
We also recognise that peatland justice can mean a variety of things. Our understanding of peatland justice is rooted in the concept of climate justice. According to the Center of Climate Justice, this means a recognition of the disproportionate impacts of climate change on low-income communities and communities of colour around the world, the people and places least responsible for the problem [source].
In the context of peatlands, this requires that we are not solely looking at upholding biodiversity and optimising carbon storage, but that we are concerned with the questions of who is able to participate in decision making, who is paying the price, who is profiting, and what reparations should be granted. Peatland conservation can occur in various ways, and we advocate for one where local communities are at the forefront of it, businesses are held accountable, and subsidies are granted in an equitable manner.
It also means justice for the peatlands, where it can be understood as a continual process of valuing peatlands (their soil, their creatures, their communities) for their own sake, in both a personal and societal capacity.
Curious to delve deeper into this exploration? Then make sure to follow our Peatland Justice campaign, where we are exploring Peatland Justice from all sorts of perspectives.
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We asked ourselves the same question! And we think it has to do with a few different factors: peatlands have a bad reputation of being useless, stinky, muddy, unsafe and uncomfortable places. Places to be scared of, disgusted of even. On top of that, peatlands are relatively inaccessible and scarce, making it difficult for people to encounter one and start relating to it. The forest, in contrast, is walkable and has an overwhelmingly curious and highly visible web of life. The life of the peat is more subtle, hidden in its deep layers, or mostly to be admired with a magnifying glass or through the eyes of a bird flying over. To convey the beauty of peat requires imagination and creativity. But importantly, it is not your fault that you’ve never heard of them! Education, science and the public discourse are all failing to give peatlands the attention they deserve, so we encourage you to bug (bog?) everyone with your new found excitement about the peat.
human impact and usage
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The word using implies a certain extractivism, a disrespect. This does occur on a large scale. Predominantly some populations in the western world have a history of extracting, draining and burning peatlands. All of these actions have the aim of transforming a land without purpose into something profitable. Whether that is a space for agriculture, a substrate for potting soil or a fuel for heating houses. An up and coming usage of peat is commodifying peat into units of carbon credit, which makes us wonder: can the same capitalist forces that drive destruction drive effective, regenerative and community-led conservation?
There are also “non-using”, regenerative relationships to peatlands. Where a deep connection exists between humans and the land. Here, the word “use” would not feel suitable. There are historical and modern practices of cultivating peat plant for regenerative agriculture (also called paludiculture), for instance. Rather than taking our hands off the peat altogether, RE-PEAT seeks ways of (re)-learning ways of fostering a conviviality with the peat, a way of living together.
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About 12% of global peatland are or have been damaged [source]. At the EU level, this number drastically increases to 50% of the peatlands [source]. While European countries like the Netherlands and Germany have historically drained a lot of their peatlands, present-day peat destruction is more concentrated in Ireland, Finland and the Baltic states in the form of mining. Peatlands in South-East Asia are being drained and burned to make space for palm oil farms, while Chilean peat is being extracted for horticultural purposes.
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They are manifold! The soil will start to decompose as it is exposed to oxygen, which means that the precious historic organic material will evaporate in the form of CO2. As a consequence, it contributes to climate change phenomena. As the soil dries out and loses its matter, the land subsides slowly but surely, which can give big challenges to infrastructure. It also means that you have to keep draining more and more if you want to keep your feet dry! Through the disruption of the soil, the whole peatland ecosystem will collapse which means that plants will disappear and migratory birds have to find a new breeding place. Species are losing their home. On top of that, the dry soil creates a higher vulnerability to wildfires and the vanishing of the landscape goes along with a vanishing of cultural heritage.
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Sustainability starts with not allowing any new extraction or drainage to occur. Peatlands can be sustainably managed through paludiculture (wet agriculture) with which you can cultivate crops such as reeds, moss and certain berries. One can also experiment with low-impact grazing, which is rotational and with low animal-density on the land [source]. Unfortunately, subsidies are still favouring large-scale, drainage-based monocultures, rather than peat-friendly practices, which makes it financially challenging for farmers to care for the peat [source].
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You can try. But only time, hundreds of years of time, will tell.
conservation and restoration
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Very simply put, to keep healthy peatlands healthy. Now, we are aware that there is not necessarily a binary distinction between healthy and non-heatlhy peatlands, and that “healthy” might not even be the right word to describe them. But what it comes down to is to not accept any new plans for cutting, mining, draining or burning peatlands. To protect peatlands from this violence. To this day, new permits for peat destruction are being granted.
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A degraded peatland can once again become a carbon-storing and biodiversity-hosting peatland, but it will never be the peatland it was before disruption. Depending on how severely the peatland is damaged, restoration is easier or more difficult. A lightly degraded peatland can be restored through rewetting and some voluntary efforts, but highly damaged peatlands require a lot more work. Increasing the water levels in a drained peatland is one step, but to create conditions for plant, insect and animal species to return requires a lot more money and patience.
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There are a few…
Changing the hydrology often affects neighbouring areas as well. Rewetting peatlands require the consent and participation of neighbours.
Companies are not charged for the restoration of the peatland that they destroy, these costs are outsourced to the tax payers.
There is still a lot of uncertainty about what are effective and ineffective peat restoration techniques [source].
Some peatlands have been drained such a long time ago, that a new type of ecosystem has been established there. One can wonder: are we allowed to disrupt this one in order to bring back a peat-like ecosystem?
Baseline measurements and clear goals are often missing, which makes robust and standardised monitoring of the success restoration projects difficult [source].
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Not in the short term. We can create the conditions for peat to start forming e.g. through a bog garden [source]. However, peatlands form slowly, and for a land to be transformed to a functioning peatland ecosystem, many years will have to pass. RE-PEAT thus advocates primarily for the conservation of the peat we already have - as peat releases its carbon much faster than it captures it [source].
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When rewetting a peatland, there will be a temporary increase in methane (CH4) emissions, a potent greenhouse gas, while decreasing the CO2 emissions. However, it has been shown that in the long haul, methane emissions do not undermine the climate mitigation effect of rewetting peatlands, so the earlier they are rewetted, the better [source].
peat-free soil
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Peat in potting soil is extracted from a bog. Its extraction contributes to global greenhouse gas emissions and local ecosystem and biodiversity loss. There is a disbalance in places of import and processing (where most of the profit is generated) and places of extraction, where most of the negative consequences are suffered.
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Peat is popular among growers, because it has an immense water holding capacity. Its airy texture allows roots to breathe and grow freely. It is also relatively poor in nutrients, making it non-toxic for seeds. Lastly, it is free of pollutants, making it a very low-risk substrate of choice [source].
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It depends on where you are. Here are lists of peat-free potting soils available in the Netherlands, Germany, and the UK.
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Switching to peat-free compost can feel like switching from a gas stove to induction. You have to get used to it! Each peat-free alternative comes with its own properties, and it might take a bit of time to get a feel for it. In some places, unfortunately, peat-based soil is still more readily available and sold at cheaper prices, making it less appealing to switch to peat-free. Also, alternatives such as coco coir are currently largely imported from India and Bangladesh, which raises concerns about ethical trade and emissions related to the transport of these products.
GET INVOLVED
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Become a volunteer at a local restoration project, start your own peat action group, investigate what is happening to the peatlands in your region or join RE-PEAT! Also, get to know the peat. Start relating to it in your own unique way.
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Email us at info@re-peat.earth
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RE-PEAT uses creative methods to change people’s hearts and minds for and through peatlands. To find out more details about our work, visit our 'About Us' page.
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