Degraded peatlands, abandoned after exploitation, emit continuously and intensely; disproportionately more in comparison to the size of the area they occupy. In fact, undamaged peatlands store around 30 percent of the global carbon on only 3 percent of the land area. LIFE Peat Restore aims to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from degraded peatlands by … read more
Up until mid 20th century, Pūsčia was one of the largest natural raised bogs in the north-eastern part of Lithuania. However, in the 1970s industrial peat mining began and lasted 30 years. The dense network of drainage ditches built (total length of approximately 35 kilometres) dried up the area, resulting in unfavourable hydrological conditions. Unfortunately, … read more
LIFE Peat Restore team (University of Latvia in collaboration with Lake Engure Nature Park Fund) has developed a site restoration plan for the project site in Lake Engure Nature Park. The nature park has a nature management plan for the period from 2011 to 2025; however, it does not include any actions for restoration of … read more
On 10 October 2018, Latvian Television aired a broadcast dedicated to peatland ecosystems. This was a series within a popular science broadcast called Impulse of Discovery (Izziņas impulss in Latvian). In the broadcast, the role of peatlands in regulating flooding and climate by sequestering greenhouse gases (GHG) was explained, as well as the conflicting nature … read more
The overall objective of the project Life Peat Restore is the reduction of the greenhouse gases emission of peatlands on the project sites. One of the aims of project is to contribute in significant way the halting the loss of biodiversity and degradation of ecosystem services. Many specialized species inhabit natural peatlands, making them critical … read more
Measurements of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from peatlands have started on all the project sites, in Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland and Germany. This summer, NABU’s national coordinator visited Estonia and Latvia, to supervise and assist with the instalment of the GHG monitoring plots. Testing of the instrumental measurement system was successful. Valuable data on GHG … read more
Restoration of damaged mire habitats is one of the most important objectives of the LIFE Peat Restore project. With such an objective, several preparatory actions must be carried out before implementing active nature management; chief among them is the preparation and approval of technical and management plans. Currently, almost all nature management and technical plans … read more
Estonian team started fieldwork at Suursoo restoration site in the early spring of 2018. In April and May, detailed descriptions of ditches were made and borders between GEST types specified. In the months of May and June measurement technology was established: 56 water level divers were installed close to 10 x 10 m vegetation plots; … read more
In Latvia, within the LIFE Peat Restore project, blocking of ditches is proposed in three areas. In all these sites, prior to restoration actions careful surveys and hydrological and hydrogeological modelling was done. It means that a hydrogeologist has assessed the current situation and potential impacts of ditch blocking. As the next step, the appropriate … read more
On May 24 2018, the Latvian team of LIFE Peat Restore met with their Swedish peers, from the Kristianstad Vattenrike Biosphere Reserve and Krinova Incubator & Science Park. During the meeting, the group visited one of the LIFE Peat Restore project sites in Engure Lake Nature Park, where there are plans in place to block … read more
