Uniquely, an Australian subtropical peatland ecosystem exists that is not only resilient to the frequent bushfires, but actually needs fire to survive.
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Articles on Peatlands
Displaying 1 - 20 of 37 articles
When it comes to storing carbon, alpine peatlands are powerhouses. But feral horse grazing and trampling tips the carbon balance in the other direction. We need to protect and restore our peatlands.
The bog does not neatly divide traces of the distant and recent past. Archaeology and forensic science still have much to learn from each other.
Crofters who have managed the land for centuries are being offered dubious rewards to risk their rights.
Nearly a third of all moorland burning in Scotland occurs on peat soil – a vital carbon sink.
Large stretches of the Arctic are carbon-rich peat bogs. As the region warms and dries, lightning strikes can spark underground fires that can burn for years.
Orangutans are vocal animals, so analyzing their calls during events like wildfires can indicate how smoke is affecting their health.
New research shows that northern peatlands may not help regulate our climate by the end of the century.
Peatlands have always had a place in art, writing and poetry. In times of global warming these cultural reflections can help open up debate about the biodiversity and climate crisis.
The Angolan Highlands are hydrologically and ecologically important - and the region’s newly mapped peatlands are valuable “carbon sinks”.
Peat is partially decomposed plant matter that has accumulated over thousands of years.
Somerset Wetlands national nature reserve merges and extends six existing protected sites.
The hunting territories of wolves in the northern boreal forests are changing, in part due to the convenience of trails built for logging. This has placed caribou at an even greater risk.
The pledge to end deforestation holds great potential, but Canada has some work ahead if it is to make meaningful progress on the new goal and stop ongoing forest and carbon loss.
Peatlands have been central to how northern European folklore has explored fear and a sense of the supernatural for hundreds of years. Their persistence is also key to slowing down climate change.
New Zealanders have planted just over a quarter of a billion trees, about half of it native species, as part of an effort to increase carbon storage.
Solve the climate and extinction crises together, or solve neither.
What can gardeners use that isn’t so bad for the climate?
The UK’s marshes, bogs and fens provided the bare necessities of daily life for many centuries.
Peat beds around the world hold huge quantities of carbon and keep it from warming the planet. But rising temperatures and over-use could turn them from a brake on climate change into an accelerant.
Top contributors
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Professor of Global Change Science at University of Leeds, UCL
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Lecturer in Environmental Archaeology, University College Cork
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Professor in Soil-Landscape Modelling, University of Sydney
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Lecturer, Environmental Science, University College Cork
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Senior Lecturer, Environmental Soil Science, RMIT University
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Lecturer, Geography and Sustainable Development, University of St Andrews
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Professor of Agricultural Technology, IPB University
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Professor of Environmental Science, Auckland University of Technology
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Soil Scientist, Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research
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Reader in Geography, University of Hull
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Honorary Senior Knowledge Exchange Fellow, University of Manchester
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Research Scientist, Queen's University, Ontario
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Postdoctoral Researcher, Tropical Peatlands, University of Leeds
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Professor of Soil Science, Universitas Andalas
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Honorary Senior Research Fellow, University of Manchester
