Exploring carbon dynamics of restored blanket peatlands in 3D

A key function of healthy peatlands is their ability to sequester and store carbon. It is estimated that peatlands sequester ~500 million annually and store ~550-612 billion tonnes worldwide. However, anthropogenic disturbance has resulted in over half of the known extent to be emitting more carbon than what is being stored. Since 2013, the IPCC has included peatlands in guidelines for national GHG inventories. This has switched many countries’ GHG inventories, including the UK, from overall net carbon sinks to net carbon sources. The restoration of carbon-emitting peatlands are thus at the forefront of national climate change mitigation strategies. Although, restored peatlands do not function the same as undisturbed, healthy peatlands, and in many cases they remain net carbon sources. We need to understand the fundamental processes that govern peat functionality if we aim to use peatland restoration as a tool to meet the climate crisis.