PEATLANDS

Mazo, Erna Lynn P.

Rodriguez, Elyn B.
PEATS
- remains of plant and animal constituents accumulating
under more or less water saturated conditions owing to
incomplete decomposition.
- organic material that has formed in place, i.e., as sedentary
material, in contrast to aquatic sedimentary deposits
Photo by: Dr. Beenish Siddique

PEATLANDS
Peatlands are terrestrial wetland ecosystems in
which waterlogged conditions prevent plant material from
fully decomposing. Therefore, the production of organic
matter exceeds its decomposition, which results in a net
accumulation of peat. Photo by: Comboslamanray
PEATLANDS
- used to encompass peat-covered terrain, and usually a minimum depth of peat is required
for a site to be classified as peatland.

In Canada the limit is 40 cm (National Wetlands Working Group, 1997), but in many countries
and in the peatland area statistics of the International Mire Conservation Group it is 30 cm (
Joosten and Clarke, 2002 ). For purposes of clarity and uniformity, 30 cm is used to define
peatland.

There are approximately 400–500

million ha of peatland worldwide,
predominantly in the mid–high
latitudes of the Northern Hemisphere.

most common across the boreal and

subarctic zones of the Northern
Hemisphere
Photo by: Nina Stavlund/Can Geo Photo Club Photo by: Lorna Harris
In cool climates, peatland vegetation is mostly made up of Sphagnum mosses, sedges and
shrubs and are the primary builder of peat,

Sphagnum moss Sedges Shrubs

In warmer climates graminoids and woody vegetation provide most of the organic matter

Graminoids Woody Vegetation

ECOSYSTEM SERVICES PROVIDED BY PEATLAND

Climate regulation through

carbon sequestration and Water regulation
storage

Provision of palaeo- Recreation opportunities

environmental archives

Provision of habitats for nationally

and internationally important
wildlife
CHALLENGES AND Most of peatland area has been
PROBLEMS cleared and drained especially for
agriculture/plantations
CHALLENGES AND PROBLEMS
Damaged peatlands are a major
source of greenhouse gas Insufficient cross-sectoral collaboration
emissions, responsible for almost and integration at the national and
5% of global anthropogenic CO2 sub-national level
emissions.

Insufficient knowledge and Insufficient finance resources and

awareness of the importance of political will to support priorities
peatlands

Lack of capacity in peatland Land tenure

management
MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES OF PEATLAND
MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES OF PEATLAND
Wise Use of Mires and
Peatlands
balance the conservation of
peatlands with their sustainable
use
Responsible Peatland
Management
manage peatlands responsibly by
safeguarding their environmental, social,
and economic functions and respecting
their local, regional, and global services
Adaptive Management
monitoring and adjusting
management practices based on the
feedback received from the
ecosystem
Conservation and
Restoration
conserve and restore peatlands by
reducing the impact of human
activities on these ecosystems
Wetland Agriculture
reduce the pressure on peatlands by
providing an alternative source of
livelihood for communities that depend
on peatlands for their livelihoods
Community-Based
Management
participation of local communities in
the management of peatlands
REFERENCES
Charman, D. J. (2009, March 2). Peat and peatlands. Encyclopedia of Inland Waters.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/B9780123706263000612
International Peatland Society. (2020, September 22). What are peatlands?
https://peatlands.org/peatlands/what-are-peatlands/
Vitt, D. H. (2008, August 6). Peatlands. Encyclopedia of Ecology.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/B9780080454054003189
Rydin, H., & Jeglum, J.K. (2006). The Biology of Peatlands. Oxford University Press.

Horák-Terra, I., et al. (2020, July 3). Altitude, vegetation, paleoclimate, and radiocarbon age of the
basal layer of peatlands of the Serra do Espinhaço Meridional, Brazil. Journal of South American
Earth Sciences. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0895981120302716

Chin, S. Y., Chee, T. Y., & Parish, F. (n.d.). Peatland Management in Southeast Asia – Issues and
Challenges. https://peatlands.org/document/peatland-management-in-southeast-asia-issues-
and-challenges/