Peatlands play a major role in the global carbon (C) cycle and subsequent regulation and maintenance of the global climate (Vasander and Kettunen 2006, Dise 2009). There is an estimated 270 to 455 billion tonnes of C stored in boreal and sub-arctic peatlands (Sjörs 1980, Gorham 1991, Turunen et al. 2002), and a further 83 billion tonnes may be stored within tropical peatlands (Rieley et al. 2008). The ability of peatlands to continue to actively remove and store atmospheric C and thereby act as a buffer to climate change is highly dependent on the degradation status of the individual peatland. Given that 30,000ha of industrial cutaways may be available for restoration/wetland creation over the next 20 years, it is critical that appropriate GHG management plans are in place prior to the cessation of peat extraction. The plans should include a detailed assessment of the physical and nutrient characteristics of each cutaway site and should seek to identify the best approach for the avoidance of GHG emissions in the first instance (e.g. drain blocking, shallow inundation, etc.). The plans should also identify the potential of each cutaway site in regard to C sequestration in the medium/long term, and highlight the criteria required to achieve those objectives.

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Müller, C.   "Carbon Restore: The Potential of Restored Irish Peatlands for Carbon Uptake and Storage ". Associated datasets and digitial information objects connected to this resource are available at: Secure Archive For Environmental Research Data (SAFER) managed by Environmental Protection Agency Ireland https://eparesearch.epa.ie/safer/resource?id=e54f4c28-d0d3-11e1-a6bc-005056ae0019 (Last Accessed: 2025-01-24)

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SAFER-Data Display URL	https://eparesearch.epa.ie/safer/iso19115/display?isoID=280
Resource Keywords	Peatlands Carbon Sequestration BOGLAND
EPA/ERTDI/STRIVE Project Code	07-CCRP-1.1.6a
EPA/ERTDI/STRIVE Project Theme	Climate Change
Resource Availability:	Public-Open
Limitations on the use of this Resource	Any attached datasets, data files, or information objects can be downloaded for further use in scientific applications under the condition that the source is properly quoted and cited in published papers, journals, websites, presentations, books, etc. Before downloading, users must agree to the "Conditions of Download and Access" from SAFER-Data. These appear before download. Users of the data should also communicate with the original authors/owners of this resource if they are uncertain about any aspect of the data or information provided before further usage.
Number of Attached Files (Publicly and Openly Available for Download):	1
Project Start Date	Monday 1st January 2007 (01-01-2007)
Earliest Recorded Date within any attached datasets or digital objects	Monday 1st January 2007 (01-01-2007)
Most Recent Recorded Date within any attached datasets or digital objects	Sunday 1st July 2012 (01-07-2012)
Published on SAFER	Wednesday 18th July 2012 (18-07-2012)
Date of Last Edit	Thursday 19th July 2012 at 09:57:31 (19-07-2012)
Datasets or Files Updated On	Thursday 19th July 2012 at 09:57:31 (19-07-2012)

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Description of Geographical Characteristics of This Project or Dataset
In this study, CO2, methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O) fluxes were quantified over a 12-month period (1 January to 31 December 2009) at a rewetted industrial cutaway The study site was located at Bellacorick, Co. Mayo (54° 7? N, 9° 35? W). Formerly an Atlantic blanket bog, the site forms part of the much larger Oweninny bog complex (6,500ha). From 1960 to 2003, the peat was industrially extracted and used in the nearby Bellacorick power station for electricity generation peatland at Bellacorick, Co. Mayo. The site was restored in 2003, and this has resulted in a persistently high water table level throughout the study site and the extensive recolonisation of the former bare peat substrate by a range of vascular and moss For the period of the study, the vegetated communities were net annual CO2-C sinks, sequestering an average 279±246g C m-2 yr-1. Conversely, they were also significant net annual CH4-C sources of 10.1±3.6g C m-2 yr-1. The bare-peat and open-water areas were net CO2-C sources, releasing 40 and 53g C m-2 yr-1 respectively to the atmosphere. N2O emissions were negligible throughout the study period. The results from this study indicate that restoration at Bellacorick has been successful with regard to reestablishing the C sink function. This observation highlights the potential use of restored industrial cutaway peatlands for C offsetting.

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