Discover the Potential of Peatland Restoration
We work with landowners, governments and investors to identify peatland restoration sites and provide future monitoring to help rebuild ecosystems and reduce emissions.
Why are Peatlands Important in the UK?
Peatlands are a type of wetland, covering 29.6 thousand km2 (12%) of the UK’s total land surface, and are amongst the most valuable ecosystems on Earth. Peatlands are critical for preserving global biodiversity, providing safe drinking water, minimising flood risk and helping to address climate change.
As the largest natural terrestrial carbon store, UK peatlands store 3.2 billion tonnes of carbon, more than twice that of UK forest cover. Damaged peatlands have now been recognised as a major source of greenhouse gas emissions, releasing 5% of the UK’s CO2 emissions due to continuous draining of peatland for agriculture, forestry and peat extraction and also through burning.
These deteriorating peatlands are a major net source of greenhouse gases and with 16% of global peatland having been drained, the protection and restoration of these areas are now vital to achieve Net Zero emissions.
Peatland covers 12% of UK landcover, storing 3.2 billion tonnes of carbon, more than twice that of UK forest cover.
Peatland Restoration and Protection
Peatland restoration is by far the most space-efficient land-use intervention for climate change mitigation and can be achieved through proactive ecosystem recovery. There are several different methods to reverse peatland draining, otherwise known as rewetting – these not only restore ecosystem services and reduce environmental impacts but also generate significant financial opportunities through carbon trading.
Although the benefits of peatland conservation are substantial, there are investment barriers when it comes to sourcing finance for peatland restoration and carbon offsetting. With no reliable low-cost method for assessing peat condition and verifying carbon emissions at large scales, the outcome for restoration schemes and climate mitigation can be uncertain… until now!
What is the Science?
Having developed a unique ground motion measurement solution, Terra Motion utilise open-source Sentinel-1 satellite data to measure millimetric land subsidence from space. This Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR) based survey method, known as APSIS™, is unique in being able to derive accurate movement measurements over all surface types and terrain. Recent research from the University of Nottingham and the University of the Highlands and Islands has shown that the method is also particularly relevant to the mapping of peat movement, extent and depth and condition.
In healthy peatlands, the surface responds seasonally to changes in water and gas volumes by rising and falling, a phenomenon known as “bog breathing”. By carefully studying the subtle way that the bog moves, we can determine its condition and also estimate the amount of carbon it is losing, or gaining, over long periods of time.
How Does it Work?
This means measurements of surface motion, using the APSIS™ method, can be utilised to identify the state of the peat, prior to restoration and to regularly monitor and report on its improvement following the implementation of a restoration project. Using motion as a proxy, we are also able to report on the reduction of carbon emissions at various stages of the project.
Now a tried, tested and delivered method, we are currently using APSIS™ to measure the ground motion on over 600 sites and to provide the technical insights within our peatland monitoring solutions.
Carbon Heat Map
In the run up to COP26, and using our data analytics method, we have surveyed the surface motion of all peatland areas across the UK and the Republic of Ireland. This map is derived from analysis of thousands of satellite radar images to estimate the average surface motion of peatland areas over a 5 year period (2016 – 2021) at a high resolution.
This map is particularly suited to highlighting areas with rapid rates of collapse, generally associated with actively eroding peatlands – areas which have the highest emissions and therefore the greatest potential for carbon offsetting and carbon credit trading.
Based on our survey, we have estimated that the economic potential of UK peatland restoration could be worth over £500 million per year, providing a substantial source of carbon credits. Our Carbon Heat Map is now available for landowners, governments and investors to pinpoint areas with the greatest carbon benefit, providing credible evidence to qualify for restoration grants or source investment for emission trading schemes.
Peatland Condition Map
The carbon heat map highlights actively eroding classes identified by satellite using the APSIS™ technique. Using a more detailed analysis of “bog breathing” characteristics, we can see the more subtle changes in condition across the peatland surface and can hence classify the peat from the worst to the best, near-natural, state. This Peat Condition Map can be used to determine the state of the bog in a detailed fashion. It can also be used to observe the slow transition from degraded to naturally functioning peatland over time, and to estimate the reduction in carbon emissions at stages over the same period.
This approach is the basis of our service for landowners, governments and investors to continuously monitor peatland and gain a detailed map of its condition, highlighting the results of restoration projects and recording the reduction in carbon emissions.
Who Can We Help?
Landowners
Governments
Investors
Our Partners
Our Memberships
Latest News
Terra Motion Announce Launch of New Division Peat Motion
Terra Motion announce the launch of the new division Peat Motion that will spearhead a new approach to Global Peatland Monitoring. Utilising patented APSIS™, an
Game-Changing Satellite Map Identifies Peatland Areas where Restoration has the Greatest Carbon Impact
Peatland organizations and experts from across the globe have joined together to pledge their collective commitment to tackling climate change, protecting nature and forging ahead
