Over 10 billion tonnes of carbon is estimated to be stored in UK soils, over half of which is in peat, equivalent to around a year and a half of global greenhouse gas emissions.
Sir Martin Doughty, Chair of Natural England, said: "Evidence shows that the degradation of soils through over-grazing, fires, drainage and erosion is releasing five times more carbon dioxide into the atmosphere every year than from all domestic flights in the UK. Peat soils contain significant amounts of carbon and, if damaged, can become a major source of emissions."
In addition to the peat in its uplands, Yorkshire and The Humber contains the largest lowland raised peat bogs in Britain. The Humberhead Peatlands National Nature Reserve combines Thorne and Hatfield Moors and contains almost 3,000 hectares of peat land. Commercial extraction had badly degraded the peat and water levels had dropped drastically. Natural England has installed over 2,500 dams to restore the wet conditions that help maintain and build peat.
