England's peatlands have been mapped to a level of detail never achieved before, thanks to satellite imagery, AI and in-depth data analysis.
The England Peat Map is the most complete map of England’s peatlands and peaty soils to date and shows peatlands in a degraded state with a need for recovery.
The map shows the extent, depth, and important aspects of the condition of the peat, including vegetation, and even shows gullies and man-made and natural drainage channels.
The researchers used AI, satellite data from the European Space Agency and individual data sets from field surveys and modelled to identify the likelihood of peaty soils.
The map shows that peaty soil covers around 8.5 per cent on England's surface and 80 per cent of England’s peatlands are in dry and degraded states. Degraded peat emits carbon into the atmosphere.
Around three quarters of England's peat is covered by plants and land use types associated with dryer conditions such as heather, while only 1 per cent is covered by important peat forming plants such as sphagnum moss.
The most extensive peatland habitat can be found across the Pennines, North York Moors, parts of the Lake District, and in the uplands of the South West.
It is hoped that the open source map will empower land managers and key decision makers to better understand and restore the nation’s peatland, for example, by blocking drainage channels to re-wet the land and support better informed decisions on how to effectively balance biodiversity and carbon storage with food security.
Restoring peatland will also bring benefits for nature, communities, and the wider economy. Estimates suggest restoring 55 per cent of peatland to near-natural condition will have a value of around £50 billion in reduced carbon emissions, while their value as a source of drinking water and recreation space is worth many hundreds of millions of pounds.
Natural England’s chief scientist Dr Sallie Bailey said: "Trying to map something that’s largely underground, changes in volume depending whether it’s rained recently, and tries to swallow you up every time you set foot in it comes with its challenges, which makes this map extraordinary in its accomplishment and something of a global first.
"Mapping peat to this level of detail will help us maximise the benefits of peat and massively advances our understanding the role our peatlands are playing in a changing climate."
Natural England chair Tony Juniper said: "The benefits of healthy peatlands are well documented - they are our biggest natural carbon stores, essential to the water cycle, and refuge to some of our rarest plants and wildlife, such as the carnivorous sundew plant, marsh violet, and charismatic birds like golden plover and curlew.
"The England Peat Map will allow us to make far better and more informed decisions when it comes to managing peatlands - targeting restoration efforts to the most degraded peat and identifying the best opportunities for nature recovery."
