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Optimising Water Quality Returns from Peatland Management while Delivering Co-Benefits for Climate and Biodiversity.

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This report is part of a detailed scoping study to: -Provide an in depth literature review of peatlands in Ireland covering the following topics: 1) rewetting degraded peatlands; 2) carbon sequestration; 3) social value of peatlands; 4) alternative management options. -Provide strategic guidance and identify resources for future integrated management of peatlands. This project was produced for and funded by Fóram Uisce (The Irish Water Forum). the report can also be found here: https://mail.thewaterforum.ie/app/uploads/2021/03/Peatlands_Full_Report_Final_Feb2021.pdf
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... This process began with the Mapping and Assessment of ES (MAES) project which mainly mapped stocks of NC and ES (Parker et al., 2016). A range of research projects and initiatives are ongoing in Ireland relating to natural capital and ES on various habitats, including freshwater resources (Feeley et al., 2017); woodlands (Bullock et al., 2016); peatlands (Pschenyckyj et al., 2021); and coastal and marine environments (Norton et al., 2018;Ryfield et al., 2019), as well as natural capital accounting at catchment scale (Farrell et al., 2021). A summary of research projects in Ireland with a focus on ES and natural capital can also be found in Chapter 5 of Collaborative and community-led approaches and power asymmetries in ES 2 These perspectives encompass postmodern theories that emphasise cultural and historical influences in the social creation of phenomena, the prevalence of power structures in society, the continuous process of meaning making in language, and pluralism (Barker, 2003). ...
... Much ES literature recommends that social assessments be carried out before biophysical assessments in order to identify landowners and other stakeholders that may impact on ES either positively or negatively . However, assessments more frequently start with the biophysical environment to establish the condition of the 'stocks' of natural capital (Farrell et al., 2021;Parker, 2016;Pschenyckyj et al., 2021). This work is of critical importance but without social analysis and research, it is difficult to understand the barriers to implementation of conservation policies and measures, drivers of environmental problems and social implications for different groups (Hysing and Lidskog, 2021;Reed et al., 2020). ...
... But there has to be both" (13). PES schemes could operationalise the ES concept by rewarding farmers and landowners for supporting biodiversity and providing services such as clean water or carbon storage (Pschenyckyj et al., 2021): "Why would we expect people to farm for clean water without paying them when they get more money by putting fertilizers on the land to produce cheap food? They're going to ignore other services unless they have social pressure from local communities or because they believe it's the right thing to do" (13). ...
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The ecosystem services (ES) concept emerged as a metaphor to demonstrate humanity’s dependence on the natural environment and is increasingly applied to frame human-nature relationships in conservation science, policy and practice. This paper aims to enhance understanding of how the ES concept is applied for ecosystem management and biodiversity conservation in the Irish context, with further applicability to international contexts. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with stakeholders involved in ES research, policy and practice to understand and reflect a variety of perspectives. Three contexts of ecosystem management in Ireland are examined as focal points for the ES framing: natural capital and ES research; Agri-Environment schemes as types of Payments for ES; and collaborative forms of governance for peatland conservation. Specifically, we examine the idea of conceptual innovation as a process where concepts evolve in time and space as they are applied by different societal actors. The contexts examined demonstrate a variety of perceptions and show the scope for agency in how concepts are applied when they meet local realities. The research also demonstrates how alternative concepts and ideas are continuously emerging in societal discourse, and suggests the need to develop ‘networks of concepts’ that can work together to manage the politics, power relations and inequities inherent in the application of any concept. Fostering transparency and reflection on values, language and how knowledge is produced helps make visible power dynamics underlying the ES concept and encourages the development of ES approaches that are effective, inclusive and actionable. Developing concepts from a process perspective has implications for changing the course of a concept as its future unfolds. Following from this, we suggest the need to map an emancipatory future agenda for ES research that centres the voices of those researching, participating and acting ‘from the margins’.
... In Ireland, the conservation and restoration of peatlands can be a contentious and emotive topic (O'Connor, 2022). Although there has been a gradual transition from the exploitation of peat for fuel and horticulture towards conservation and restoration for ecosystem services (Csurgó et al., 2021;Pschenyckyj et al., 2021), domestic turf cutting and unregulated peat extraction is still a significant issue (O'Connor, 2022). This transition is driven by global, European and national policy relating to the restoration of ecosystems; the Sustainable Development Goals; and a Just Transition for communities in these regions (Fischer et al., 2021;Mercier, 2020;Tanneberger et al., 2021). ...
... However, this transition has been contested by some communities resisting efforts to halt peat cutting activities at some protected sites and workers who have lost jobs through the closure of peat production plants (O'Riordan et al., 2015;McGreevy, 2020). Moreover, both state and private actors are looking at options for future land uses of peatlands, including renewable energy, forestry, and carbon credit schemes (Pschenyckyj et al., 2021). Consequently, a variety of different futures are being constructed for peatlands and the communities that surround them, often from a top-down perspective. ...
... (For interpretation of the references to colour in this figure legend, the reader is referred to the Web version of this article.) (Pschenyckyj et al., 2021). ...
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The ability to maintain livelihoods in the face of major environmental, political, economic and social stresses is fundamental to building resilient social and ecological communities. This research examines the place community has in this challenge and specifically the role of community involvement in the conservation of peatland social-ecological systems. It explores transformative change at local levels and the relational networks, diverse economies and range of resources communities draw on to achieve this change. Evidence is drawn from a survey, interviews and three case studies of rural community groups in the Irish midlands to provide an overview of local dynamics in peatland conservation and wider issues of place-based development and adaptation. Drawing on theoretical insights from resilience, resourcefulness and diverse economies scholarship, this research reveals the role of local communities in both adapting to, and enacting, change through everyday forms of resilience that are commonplace and ubiquitous in people's lives yet often invisible and under-valued. Thematic areas are identified which provide insights into how communities are: engaging in diverse work practices that foster ecological livelihoods and planetary well-being; co-creating community science projects through local networks and multi-level partnerships; and developing management and stewardship cultures that emphasise collaboration, co-operation and the commons. This research will help actors at a variety of scales to plan and implement more collaborative and inclusive research and restoration programs for peatland conservation. It also has relevance for regions with landscapes in transition that seek to initiate equitable community capacity-building programs and diverse economies in the shift from extractive to regenerative land use. These transitions will require investment and resources both for ecosystem restoration and the relational networks that are so crucial to the work of building the collaborative communities, cultures and economies of the future.
... While peatlands cover only 3% [12][13][14] of the area, they store 30% of the world's carbon [8,9]. The resource's quality has decreased [15][16][17][18], and peat is currently viewed more as an emission source [5,15,19,20]. Peatlands have to be managed sustainably, interrupting extensive peatland drainage and extraction [21]. ...
... According to earlier scientific studies, there is potential and necessity for improvements regarding peatland restoration strategies and methods [50]. Some of the recommendations are related to the opportunity to combine ecological and hydrological methods in peatland restoration [18,50]. ...
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Peatlands can become valuable resources and greenhouse gas sinks through the use of different management practices. Peatlands provide carbon sequestration; however, they are also among the greatest greenhouse gas emissions sources. The estimated annual carbon dioxide equivalent emissions from peat worldwide are 220 million tons. Novel strategies, methods, and technologies must be developed to enhance the sustainable use of peatlands and achieve climate targets by 2050, as set forth by the European Commission. There is no consensus in the scientific literature on which strategies included in the policy documents are more fruitful for reducing emissions. There are uncertainties and knowledge gaps in the literature that summarise the cons and benefits of each strategy regarding the potential of GHG emission reduction. Currently, peat is undervalued as a resource in the bioeconomy and innovation—a way that could save costs in peatland management. This review paper aims to analyse existing and potential strategies to minimise greenhouse gas emissions from peatlands. Studies show significant debates in the literature on whether the rewetting of peatlands and afforestation of previously drained peatlands can be defined as restoration. A more effective management of peatland restoration should involve combining restoration methods. The rewetting of peatlands should be realised in combination with top-soil removal to minimise methane emissions. The rewetting of peatlands should be used only in combination with revegetation after rewetting. One of the promising solutions for methane emission reduction could be paludiculture using sphagnum species. Products from paludiculture biomass can reduce GHG emissions and store long-term emissions in products. Paludiculture can also be the solution for further income for landowners and innovative products using the biomass of harvested paludiculture plants.
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Peatlands can become valuable resources and greenhouse gas sinks through the use of different management practices. Peatlands provide carbon sequestration; however, they are also among the greatest greenhouse gas emissions sources. Peat is undervalued as a resource in the bioeconomy and innovation-a way that could save costs in peatland management.
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The book was prepared and printed with the financial support of the European Commission’s LIFE programme within the project “Reduction of CO2 emissions by restoring degraded peatlands in Northern European Lowland” (LIFE15 CCM/DE/000138, LIFE Peat Restore). It reflects the experiences of the implementing organizations about the peatland restoration activities on about 5.300 hectares of degraded peatlands across five countries (Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Germany). More information about the project can be found here: https://www.life-peat-restore.eu
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This paper synthesises a number of meaningful practices and transferable insights from sessions at the 2019 National Biodiversity Conference on engagement in biodiversity conservation. To achieve this, a diverse selection of contributors working with youth, the business and farming sectors, local communities, the general public and society at large, reflected on their research, practice and understandings using Dunford's (2019) triadic framework of engagement—the Pocket, Head and Heart. Across the range of social groups and scales involved, and different methodological approaches employed in each contributor's work to date, the paper finds that an overarching principle to successfully progressing all engagement work is the value of developing collaborative relationships among stakeholders in order to help identify and achieve shared conservation goals. It concludes that co-designed and appropriately resourced all-island, place-based or sectoral approaches, together with citizen science and public education, accessible to everyone from youth to retirees, offer effective practices for growing and strengthening collaborative relationships. Key to these practices is authentic and meaningful engagement across age groups, communities, sectors, institutions and public authorities, in order to achieve the ultimate shared goal of biodiversity conservation for this and future generations.
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