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BOGLAND

A PROTOCOL FOR SUSTAINABLE PEATLAND

MANAGEMENT

May 2005 (Sept 2005) – May 2008

Peatlands perform important functions which underpin the rationale for their sound management

Apply the principles of sustainability and wise use

BOGLAND

Develop guidelines for the future management of peatlands with

the aim of sustaining the environmental and ecological

goods and services they provide, as well as the human

communities that use them

Approach

• Review current information on physical, environmental, social and institutional aspects of peatland utilisation and management

• Address some of the gaps by carrying out research on different types of peatlands

Partners• UCD

– School of Biology and Environmental Sciences– School of Agriculture, Food Science and Veterinary Medicine– School of Geography, Planning and Environmental Policy– School of Architecture, Landscape and Civil Engineering

• Trinity College – Department of Civil, Structural and Environmental Engineering

• NUI Galway– Department of Engineering Hydrology

• University of Limerick– Centre for Environmental Research

• Teagasc– Athenry– Johnstown Castle

• Bord na Móna• National Parks and Wildlife Service

BOGLAND TEAM

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Sub-project 1: Management and co-ordination

• Prof. Jim Curry (Project Co-ordinator)• Florence Renou (Project Manager)• Prof. Tom Bolger (Sub-project 2)• Prof. Shane Ward (Sub-project 3)• Prof. Frank Convery (Sub-project 4)

Biodiversity study sites

Name Region County OS map # Bog type Core sites Total area (ha)

Scragh Bog Midlands Wh 41 Fen y 16Pollardstown Midlands Ke 55 Fen y 235

Bellacorick flush West Mo 23 Fen y 30Suck rive callows Mid-West G/Rn 47 Fen 200

Sharavogue Midlands Oy 53 Raised bog y 180Clara Midlands Oy 48 Raised bog y 665

Carrowbehy Midlands Rn 32 Raised bog y 276Cloonshanville Midlands Rn 33 Raised bog 123Knockmoyle West Mo 23 Atlantic blanket bog y 157Owenirragh West Mo 23 Atlantic blanket bog y 166Ballygisheen West Ky 78 Atlantic blanket bog y 565Roundstone Connemara G 44 Atlantic blanket bog 134Fiddandary Ox mountains Mo/So 24 Mountain blanket y 1418

Kippure Wicklow mountains Ww 56 Mountain blanket y 880Glenlahan Slieve Bloom Oy 54 Mountain blanket y 2230

Cuilcagh/Lough Cratty Cuilcagh mountains Cn 26 Mountain blanket 5000

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Base-line data collection

• Water table wells and PVC tape• Water sampling for anions, cations and pH• Mapping of site with ‘degradation’ scale• Seasonal pictures

BELLACORRICK BOG and FLUSH

POLLARDSTOWN FEN SCRAGH FEN

SHARAVOGUE RAISED BOG CLARA RAISED BOG

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CARROWBEHY RAISED BOG KNOCKMOYLE ATLANTIC BLANKET BOG

BALLYGISHEEN ATLANTIC BLANKET BOG OWENIRRAGH ATLANTIC BLANKET BOG

GLENLAHAN MOUNTAIN BLANKET BOG KIPPURE/LIFFEY HEAD MOUNTAIN BLANKET BOG

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FIDDANDARY MOUNTAIN BLANKET BOG Sub-project 4: Socio-cultural, economic and institutional/policy module

Co-ordinator: Frank Convery

• WP4.1 Stakeholder interviews• WP4.2 Socio-cultural issues• WP4.3 Socio-cultural case study• WP4.4 Socio-economic aspect

A Protocol for Sustainable Peatlands in Ireland

Sub-project 4:Socio-cultural, economic and

institutional/policy

Subproject Statement

To develop an understanding of the values the Irish public, and adjacent communities in particular, of choices concerning peatlands, including – How the contribution of peatlands in social,

economic and environmental terms can be characterised by indicators over time

– How they should be managed to maintain or enhance their economic, social and environmental functions

Context

Social Economic and Policy dimensions – from hard to harder science….

• Understanding:– Values of stakeholders and general public– National and local perspectives– How to shape policy to achieve desired outcomes

• Contributing to:– Knowledge and decisions– Intellectual understanding and research literature

Objectives and TargetsSOCIO-CULTURAL

ISSUES

Examination of communities linked to peatland areas, rural development, archaeology and culture, tourism

ECONOMIC ISSUES

Economic valuation of resource uses, future management options, market and non-market values including as carbon sink

INSTITUTIONAL AND POLICY

Examination of relevant government policies – energy, fuel, conservation, biodiversity and future use of cutaway bog, agriculture and forestry

Descriptive/Analytical(developing and understanding of local and national issues and perspectives)

& Prescriptive/Normative

(addressing how to move the peatlands sustainability agenda forward)

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Methodology

Methodology 1 – Socio-cultural• Nationwide survey - attitudes to landscape• Boosted survey - attitudes to peatlands

– Longford/Roscommon & Mayo/Offaly– Peatland after use - stakeholder views

• Focus Groups– Professional stakeholders

• Ecological and physical land-use options & landscape designation

• Integration into the community• Visual impact

– Community / individual stakeholders• Action Research methodology

Methodology 2 – Surveys• National survey, incorporating environmental

valuation. Including raised & blanket peatlands• Concentrated local survey

– Incorporating former focus group analysis.– Focus on raised bogs under scenarios of:

− Baseline protection − Extension of preservation − Alternative (National Wetland Park)

• Issues of association, scale, biodiversity, cultural landscape

Methodology 3 – Socio-Economic

• Apply valuation methods to measure: – Use values: Direct use – extraction, forestry,

recreation. Indirect – hydrology, carbon store– Non-use: Biodiversity. Landscape– Future: as above under different scenarios, and

including wind, biomass, etc.• Methods:

– Stakeholder analysis– Production function approaches– Valuation methods (probably CVM)

Methodology 4 - Policy Instruments

Review legislation

Review policy instruments- Market based (taxes and charges, trading)- Regulation (command and control)- Information and education- Negotiated agreements- Develop draft portfolio of instruments to achieve desired

outcomes- Test against economic efficiency, effectiveness, political

and administrative feasibility.

Timeline, Progress & WorkplanDescription Timeline

Stakeholder Interviews In Progress Month 0-6

Community Analysis In Progress Months 4-12

Stakeholder Focus Groups Some groups completed

Months 8-14

Local Survey In consultation with survey company

Months 8-20National Survey In consultation with

survey companyMonths 14-20

Investigate LBAPs In Progress Month 4-12

Develop scientifically-grounded scenario

In Progress Months 6-32

Feasibility of extending cutaway network

In Progress Months 8-36

Stakeholder policy interviews In Progress Months 10-18

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Linkage with other workpackagesand teams

WP4.4.2/3 Surveys

WP4.2.3 Prod Functions

WP4.2.4 Internat workshop

WP4.2.5 Soc-econ indicators

WP4.1.6 Policy review

WP4.2.7 Synthesis

WP4.2.1 Community analysis

WP2.1/2.2 Biodiversity / vegetation

WP3.1/3.2/3.5 Carbon & climate

WP3.4/3.6 Vulnerability & grazing

WP3.7 Hydrology

Outputs

Outputs 1 - Socio-cultural• Map the after use options for the Mountdillon group of

peatlands

• Produce a plan for the development of the National Wetlands Wilderness Park

• Create the National Wetlands Wilderness Park

• Produce a blueprint / toolkit for stakeholder involvement in thebiodiversity/amenity afteruse of peatlands

• Present at international conferencesGreifswald (2006), Sacremento (2007), Tullamore (2008)

• PhD Thesis (& peer reviewed papers) & publish blueprint

Outputs 2 - Socio-economic

• Economic values: Current & future– Recreation– Biodiversity– Productive use– Climate-related.

• Cost-benefit analysis – Alternative policy instruments – Alternative futures (e.g. Wetlands Park)

Outputs 3 - Policy instruments

Policy instrument alternative packages to achieve different outcomes

Outputs - overall

• Contribute to evidence-based policy making

• Contribute to intellectual understanding and theoretical development

• Contribute to methodological development– Policy instruments– National/local surveys and environmental

values– Stakeholder participation– Focus groups and visual modelling

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Outputs - overall

• Theoretical and methodological development:– International conferences– Peer-reviewed, interdisciplinary international

journals• Policy-making

– Strategies for peatland conservation and development

– National conferences– Policy briefs

Summary

• Understanding values for the first time via engagement with stakeholders and the general public at local and national levels

• Understanding these choices and how they might be achieved

• Achieve global intellectual leadership in this area, methodologically and empirically

Sub-project 2: BIODIVERSITY

Co-ordinator: Tom Bolger

• WP2.1 Biodiversity database• WP2.2 Vegetation studies• WP2.3 Soil microbial community studies• WP2.4 Terrestrial invertebrate studies• WP2.5 Bird diversity studies• WP2.6 Aquatic invertebrate studies

WP 2.1: Biodiversity databaseFlorence Renou

• Existing reports, surveys, databases, academic works– NPWS– IPCC– BNM– Universities

• Representative peatland sites– 12 core sites

WP 2.2: Vegetation studiesFlorence Renou and Catherine Farrell

• Existing studies• Survey of all core sites during the

summer

WP 2.3: Soil microbial diversityLouise Deering, Nicholas Clipson and Fiona Doohan

• To identify microbial populations, especially: methanogen and methanotroph

• Community fingerprint profiling to establish spatial and temporal variation between different peatland types, sub-structure (lawns, hummocks and hollows) and status (`intact’, degraded, restored)

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WP 2.3: Soil microbial diversity

• Intensive analysis on 4 sites in the first year• Sampling within each micro-topographical

structure: lawns, hollows and hummocks• Peat cores extracted using a double skinned

stainless steel corer• Three depths: 1-10 cm, 40-50 cm and 90-100cm• Two seasons: May and August

WP 2.3: Soil microbial diversity

• Peat DNA extractions

• Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR)

• Terminal restriction fragment (TRF) community profile

• Cloning to identify the different microbial populations within Irish peatlands

WP 2.4: Terrestrial invertebratesRachel Wisdom and Tom Bolger

• To enhance the current body of knowledge on terrestrial invertebrates of peatlands in Ireland

• To describe the biodiversity of the soil fauna of peatlands

• To assess the terrestrial invertebrates in relation to peatland types and status

WP 2.4: Terrestrial invertebrates

• Sampling: extraction of peat cores (18 cm x 20 cm) using a Kempson high gradient extractor

• Enchytraeids will be extracted from smaller peat cores (5 cm), using wet funnels

• Pitfall traps will be setto assess beetles and spiders

• Gather current information on the bird fauna of bogs

• Breeding season bird surveys on the core biodiversity sites

WP 2.5: Bird studiesFintan Bracken and John Whelan

WP 2.5: Bird diversity

• Line transects: two parallel 1 km transects per site - 500m apart

• Two visits per site (weather permitting)

• Four distance bands: 0-25m, 25-100m and >100m

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WP 2.6: Aquatic invertebratesEdel Hannigan and Mary Kelly-Quinn

• Identify the open-water habitats

• Describe macroinvertebrate and microcrustaceans of open-water bodies

• Identify potential indicators

Sampling Methods••Traps:Traps:

••Horizontal traps every 3 m around Horizontal traps every 3 m around poolpool••Vertical traps will be used in the Vertical traps will be used in the hollows and densely vegetated hollows and densely vegetated areas of the poolsareas of the pools

••Sweeps with pond net:Sweeps with pond net:--Number depends on pool sizeNumber depends on pool size

Aquatic habitats …..

• The categories identified:– Drains– Sphagnum Hollows (includes mud-bottomed

hollows)– Pools (1m² -10m²)– Pools (10. 1m² - 100m² )– Pools (> 100m² )– Lakes (>0.5 Ha)– Rivers

Sub-project 3: The Peatland ResourceCo-ordinator: Shane Ward

• WP3.1 Peatland mapping• WP3.2 Climate change scenarios• WP3.3 Peat extraction and bio-energy• WP3.4 Slope stability and slippage• WP3.5 Greenhouse gas fluxes• WP3.6 Sheep grazing• WP3.7 Hydrological balance

WP 3.1: Peatland mappingJohn Connolly and Nick Holden

Derived Irish Peatland Map = 13.8%

• Compared to:GSM = 16.9%Peatland map = 17.1%CORINE = 13%

Accepted for publication in Soil Science Society of America Journal

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WP 3.2: Climate change scenariosJohn Connolly and Nick Holden

The probability of disturbance on upland blanket bogs

WP 3.3: Peat extraction and bio-energyEnda Kennedy, Shane Ryan, Kevin McDonnell and Shane Ward

• Sub-task 1: Present a framework for a national bioenergy strategy based on cutaway peatlands as the base areas for biomass growth – By calculating direct and indirect energy inputs for

willow, poplar, miscanthus and reed canary grass

• Sub-task 2: Review of peat mining, its outputs and effects

WP 3.4: Slope stability and slippageNoel Boylan and Mike Long

• Peatland stability not currently addressed in guidelines for planning authorities

• Slippage or ‘bog bursts’ have occurred recently due to natural but also anthropogenic influences

• Sites have been studied for geotechnical analyses• Remote sensing and geologicalmapping to identify peat failures

WP 3.5: Greenhouse gas fluxesDavid Wilson

• Effect of drainage, harvesting, restoration on status of C gas exchange in Irish peatlands

• CO2 and CH 4 to be measured for one year using static chamber

• 1 Blanket bog (Glenlahan): – ‘intact’ area– restored area following decades of

hand cutting• 1 Raised bog (Clara):

– ‘intact’ area– lagg area severely damaged by small

scale peat harvesting

WP 3.6: Sheep grazingM. Walsh, M. Gormally, R. Schulte, T. Hochstrasser, R. Moles

• Sub-task 1: Monitoring the use of mountain blanket bog resource by Scottish Blackface sheep using satellite geo-referencing and behavioural assessment under free-range grazing

• Sub-task 2: Mechanism underlying preferential grazing areas and development of sustainable grazing management strategies

•Sub-task 3: Physical and ecological impact of preferential grazing areas

WP 3.7: Hydrological balancePaul Johnston and Con Cunnane

• To identify key hydrological indicators and mitigation measures to enable ecological regeneration and sustainable development of peatland

• Hydrological balance in successful and failed restored sites (using dams)

• Hydrological assessment of cutaway peatlands for regeneration

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BOGLAND

End of morning session