Evaluating upland blanket peatland restoration in Cumbria

Blanket peatland restoration aims to return peatlands to functional behaviour, enabling sequestration and the long term storage of carbon. However, restored blanket peatlands often fail to function effectively, and continue to be net carbon sources, rather than carbon sinks. Furthermore, the carbon costs of blanket peatland restoration are not included in carbon saving reports. This is resulting in an over-estimate of the forecasted emission savings from blanket peatland restoration projects. We need to understand the fundamental processes that govern peatland functionality and include the carbon costs of restoration projects if we aim to use blanket peatland restoration as a key tool to meet the climate crisis