We couldn't go into Scotland's Climate Week without talking about peatland! 

Peatland restoration and protection is vital in our fight against climate change as peatlands are highly effective at storing carbon.

Despite how critical peatlands are for the health of our planet, they are so often overlooked, which is why it is always so exciting for us when these ecosystems get the attention they deserve through restoration efforts, research and advanced monitoring.

At Leadloch, our site in Scotland’s Central Belt, we are working to restore over 50ha of peatland through work funded by Peatland ACTION. Alongside our own monitoring of vegetation and water levels, we're thrilled that the University of Stirling have included the site in their extensive Forth-ERA digital observatory.

What Are Peatlands and Why Do They Matter?

Peatlands are wetland ecosystems formed when layers upon layers of partially decomposed sphagnum mosses and other bog plants build up over time, forming peat.

The waterlogged conditions prevent the organic matter from these plants from fully decomposing, which means that they do not release any carbon.

Peatland restoration and protection are vital in our fight against climate change as they are highly effective at storing carbon. Despite covering only around 3-4% of the planet’s land surface, they contain up to 44% of all soil carbon, which is more than the carbon stored in all other vegetation types including the world’s forests. 

Peatlands also provide essential ecosystem services like water purification and flood prevention and provide important habitats for specialised plant and animal life.

When peatlands become degraded, they start to release the carbon they have stored. It's important to monitor the health of peatlands to ensure that restoration efforts are effective.

 

What Is The Forth-ERA Digital Observatory? 

The Forth Environmental Resilience Array (Forth-ERA), housed within Scotland's International Environment Centre (SIEC) at the University of Stirling, is establishing a state-of-the-art digital environmental monitoring network and platform spanning the vast catchment area of the River Forth.

It encompasses ground monitoring of water and air quality, environmental extremes and peatland conditions and biodiversity.

This programme is designed to facilitate world-leading scientific research, promote more efficient environmental management and regulation, and stimulate business innovation in support of Scotland’s transition to a net zero carbon society.

As the Forth-ERA team explains, "The project has its roots in the University of Stirling’s established expertise in state-of-the-art environmental monitoring techniques, particularly in remote sensing and satellite data processing. It was inspired by the need to gain a more thorough and granular understanding of Scotland’s natural environment at catchment scale, from headwaters and uplands all the way to the sea, in order to provide the data we need to effectively tackle the greatest environmental challenges of our day."

 

How Does The Forth-ERA Digital Observatory Support Peatland Restoration?

At Leadloch, Forth-ERA is working with the Future Forest Company to monitor the water level, as well as the moisture content and temperature in the soil.

These measurements provide valuable data to assess the success of peatland restoration efforts, as well as inform and validate remote sensing and earth observation approaches that allow remote monitoring of peatland health at scale.

“We are delighted to be able to work with The University of Stirling on this project, the high-quality digital observatory will help us to understand and measure the success of our restoration work and how it interrelates with the wider catchment area.  We look forward to a long working relationship with the University and the sharing of important knowledge and resources in our efforts to protect and enhance Scotland’s diverse habitats.” Matthew Cook, Peatland Project Manager 

What Role Does The Forth-ERA Digital Observatory Play in Fighting the Climate Crisis?

Innovations like the Forth-ERA digital observatory play a vital role in fighting the climate crisis. According to the University of Stirling team, "Forth-ERA provides near real-time ground monitoring and remotely sensed data on a very wide range of environmental variables, from air and water quality to biodiversity and peatland health, which helps us and our partners better understand how different parts of the environment influence each other and respond to pressures like climate change.

This allows our partners to plan, execute and assess nature restoration projects with climate benefits using robust and comprehensive data. Our work also helps local and national authorities and other organisations to deliver climate adaptation initiatives and through a partnership with SEPA supplies emergency services with vital intelligence for life-saving flood response." 

How is The Forth-ERA Digital Observatory Inspiring Change?

For the University of Stirling team, working on this project has had a great impact. As they describe, "The team behind Forth-ERA is a colourful mix of people from different disciplines and backgrounds, spanning environmental science, community engagement, remote sensing and software engineering to technical field specialists and project and stakeholder management professionals. We are all united by a passion for the environment and contribute to the project from different angles, which has been a fantastic learning and growth opportunity for every one of us."

Working within the Forth Valley region, they have gained new perspectives on the local environment and feel more connected to it. "We have all discovered the Forth Valley region from new perspectives, feel more connected to our local environment, and feel even more determined to ensure it provides a healthy and safe home for us and local communities for many generations to come." This personal connection has inspired an even greater commitment to climate action, both in their work and daily lives.

Projects like Forth-Era are incredibly inspiring as they not only push our ability to effectively restore ecosystems forward but also reinforce our belief that through innovative approaches and committed action, we can make tangible progress in fighting the climate crisis.