Download Peatland Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services

Peatland Biodiversity and
Ecosystem Services
Aletta Bonn & Clifton Bain
IUCN UK Peatland Programme
Biodiversity is life
Biodiversity is our life
Biodiversity is the variety of life on Earth.
It is essential for sustaining the natural living systems or ecosystems that
provide us with food, fuel, health, wealth, and other vital services.
People are part of this biodiversity too and have the power to protect or
destroy it.
In the past and today, our activities are destroying biodiversity at
alarming rates. These losses are irreversible, impoverish us all and
damage the life support systems we rely on.
Current peatland landscapes are result of significant ‘market failures’.
But we can prevent losses and restore biodiversity.
‘Business as usual is no longer an option
if we are to avoid irreversible damage to the
life-support systems of our planet.’
Achim Steiner, executive director of the United Nations Environmental
Programme – The Financial Times – 8 November 2010
‘Conservation
does work,
but it needs our support and it needs it fast.’
Julia Marton-Lefèvre, director general of the International Union for
Conservation of Nature (IUCN) – The Guardian – 27 October 2010
‘Bees don’t send invoices’
Pavan Sukhdev, Deutsche Bank,
team leader of ‘The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity’ (TEEB)
£1BN – just this years invoice from the bees....
(Parliamentary Office for Science and Technology 2010)
‘Bees don’t send invoices’
Pavan Sukhdev, Deutsche Bank,
team leader of ‘The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity’ (TEEB)
£1BN – just this years invoice from the bees....
(Parliamentary Office for Science and Technology 2010)
What’s the invoice
from Sphagnum?
2020 Vision
NE report Englands Peatlands
JNCC/ LCN report
Towards an Assessment of the
State of UK Peatlands
Led by Matthew Shepherd (NE)
and Patricia Bruneau (SNH)
Biodiversity
• unique & specialised
• part or full life cycle
• sensitive to pollution, management
& climate change
Why conserve biodiversity?
• Intrinsic value:
threatened, rare or declining species
• Enjoyment:
peatland wildlife & breathing spaces
• Ecosystem function/services:
soil, water, cultural
Sphagnum building blocks
Hill Drains - Moor Grips
Burning
Atmospheric Pollution &
Wildfire
Woodhead Estate, Bleaklow
Forest planting
Windfarms
Integrated land uses
Peatland Ecosystem Services
• Biodiversity, sport and leisure
• Climate change mitigation and adaptation
• Water quality and supply
Carbon
Organic Carbon (%)
No Data
0-1
1-2
2-5
5 - 10
10 - 25
25 - 35
> 35
•
Peat covers 3% of the worlds surface
>2x the carbon storage of all forest biomass
¼ of total global soil C
•
Peatlands most space effective terrestrial C store:
temperate peatlands contain 7 x more carbon per ha
than any other ecosystems
••
•
•
At
a global
scalepeatlands
peatlandsbecome
store about
the same
amount
of
When
drained,
vigorous
sources
of carbon
carbon
present
in the atmosphere.
dioxide that
(andisnitrous
oxide),
Agriculture is best way to oxidise peat
~500 Pg in peatlands
Peat is globally important
• Loss of 1.6% of peatland C = total annual human C emissions
• loss of 1.6% of peatland C = total global annual human GHG
• emissions
Loss of 0.6% of peatland C = total annual increase in
• loss
of 0.6% of
C = total annual increase in
atmospheric
COpeatland
2-C
• atmospheric CO2-C
In the UK, peatlands cover approximately 15% of the land
(Smith 2004)
area.
UK Peat is nationally important
•
approximately 15% of the land area, 1357 Mt C
•
loss of 12% of UK peat carbon = the total annual UK GHG
emissions
•
loss of 0.04% of UK peatland C = wipe out the current UK
LULUCF sink
(Smith et al 2010)
•
Most peatlands damaged and need to be protected
•
>10 million t CO2 lost per year
= 1 million households
Water
% Sphagnum
% bare peat
Data J.Holden Defra SP0572
Chris Evans
EA Drinking Water Protected Areas
Article 7 of the Water Framework Directive:
Environment Agency charged with
protecting water used for
public consumption.
Failure to meet targets –
development of Safeguard Zones
voluntary measures to improve water quality
Failure to meet targets –
possible introduction of
Statutory Water Protection Zone (WPZ)
IUCN UK Peatland Programme
Steering Group comprising the major peatland projects,
The Wildlife Trusts, RSPB, Jon Muir Trust and Natural England adopted under IUCN UK.
IUCN UK Peatland Programme
The programme’s long term vision
• multiple benefits and heritage values of peatlands to be widely understood and
appreciated
• UK peatlands to be functioning to their full natural potential
In the short term, the Programme’s aim is for
• high-level policy to invest now in securing the benefits and heritage values of
peatland conservation
• to avoid the costly consequences of peatland deterioration.
The three-year strategy will focus on:
• providing advocacy and knowledge to inform policy
• sharing knowledge on practical restoration approaches
• building consensus on the scientific evidence for the ecosystem services that
peatlands offer.
IUCN UK Peatland Programme
Commission of Inquiry on UK Peatlands
Patrons from Science, Policy & Practice:
Lord Lindsay, Sir Graham Wynne, Prof Andrew Watkinson
Core Panel & Advisory Committee
“Investing in Peatlands” Conferences
2010, Durham: The Climate Challenge
2011, Stirling: Funding for Peatlands
2012, Bangor tbc: Delivering Restoration
Website: www. iucn-uk-peatlandprogramme.org
Partner Initiatives
Communicate Key Findings
What are
peatlands like?
What are the
current drivers?
What can we do?
Peatland
Hydrology
CC mitigation &
adaptation potential
Peatland
restoration
Historic
Environment
Burning Management
on Peatlands
Policy options
State of the
peatlands
Peatland
biodiversity
IUCN UK
Conference
Web survey
Technical Reviews
Workshops
Public
Consultation
Inquiry in
Edinburgh
Assessment
Report
Dec 09
Planning &
Initiation
Feb 10
April 10
June 10
Aug 10 Sept 10
Nov 10
Mar 11
Evidence Gathering
Consultation &
Evaluation
Publication
The time is right for action
UK Biodiversity Action Plan –
targets to restore more blanket bog
Site designations & policies
EU Habitats Directive
requires favourable conservation of habitats with their typical species
component to avoid deterioration or decline across whole resource
Not just designated sites (see Lawton Review)
Restoration to safeguard adjacent priority habitats
2020 Vision
The time is right for action
Biodiversity Convention – Nagoya COP10
IUCN UK PP showcased 18 examples of peatland management,
including Moors for the Future Partnership (Richard Lindsay)
Nagoya Protocol
Restoration of damaged ecosystems is vital for re-establishment of
ecosystem functions, services and resilience in the face of climate change
Peatland restoration important for retaining and enhancing carbon store
Achim Steiner, Director of UNEP, observed
Restoration of peatlands is a low hanging fruit,
most cost effective option for mitigating climate change
We must pick that fruit!
The time is right for action
• Kyoto Protocol LULUCF recognising peatlands (Cancun 2010)
• Water Framework Directive : good status
(MIEX plants typically cost £5m upwards)
• Flood Risk Management Act (2009)- Scotland
• Scottish Parliament: commitment to include peatland in its climate change
work
• EU Budget reform
Reform of Agri-environment Schemes (PES?)
• Other Economic Tools
C-Offsettings, Corporate Social Responsibility, Peat Levy
Moors for the Future
Black Hill 2005
Moors for the Future
landscape scale restoration
Black Hill 2008
Moors for the Future
landscape scale restoration
Restoration works!
•
Pioneering and Development of good practice
•
Partnership Approach & Communication
•
Improve science and understanding of benefits of restoration
Black Hill 2008
‘Business as usual is no longer an option’
Achim Steiner, executive director of the United Nations Environmental Programme
‘Conservation does work,
but it needs our support and it needs it fast’
Julia Marton-Lefèvre, director general of IUCN
MoorLIFE vital for delivery and demonstration of biodiversity and
ecosystem services from peatlands!
A wise investment
Photo: Mrs Logic
A damaged bog is more than a
little inconvenient
Photo: Jerry Wong