What is the science behind Peat Bog restoration as a CO2 capture mechanism? How is effectiveness of actual projects typically measured?

Research Question

What is the science behind peat bog restoration as a CO₂ capture mechanism? How is the effectiveness of actual projects typically measured?

Peatlands are the largest terrestrial carbon store — globally they hold approximately twice as much carbon as all the world's forests combined, despite covering only ~3% of the Earth's land surface. Degraded peatlands switch from being carbon sinks to significant carbon sources. In the UK, drained peatlands are estimated to emit approximately 23 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalent per year — roughly 5% of total UK greenhouse gas emissions.

Restoration — principally through re-wetting and re-vegetation — aims to reverse this, but the scientific evidence on effectiveness and measurement is substantial yet fragmented across disciplines, jurisdictions, and project types. This page is the entry point for investigating the question.

Documents

• Research Plan — Structured approach to investigating the question
• Peatlands as a Carbon Store — Baseline facts: global and UK peatland carbon stocks
• GHG Flux Science — The biogeochemistry of drainage, rewetting, and carbon dynamics
• Restoration Techniques — Catalogue of methods and their evidence base
• Measurement Methods — How CO₂ capture and avoided emissions are measured
• Project Evidence — Empirical outcomes from real-world UK and international projects
• Evidence Gaps and Debates — What we don't know and what is contested

See Also

• General Research Guidelines
• IUCN UK Peatland Programme