Integrated approaches towards understanding the scientific and cultural value of wetlands and especially peatlands for climate mitigation.
Wetlands and peatlands are highly relevant to Natural Environment Research Council (NERC)’s ‘environmental solutions’ agenda because they offer a range of ecosystem services for climate regulation (e.g., carbon sequestration, flood alleviation) provisioning (e.g., water) and supporting (e.g., nutrient cycling, pollination).
They also offer cultural services and a powerful lens through which to understand climate change impacts, effects, and human responses: archaeological data from peatlands, for example, can inform and complement the work of carbon scientists, ecologists and flood modellers, by providing longer term perspectives, whilst research on the ‘cultural imaginary’ of wetlands can identify historical, social or aesthetic factors that influence commitment by policymakers, stakeholders or the public.
Follow this link to see more about the follow-on cross-disciplinary approach funded by NERC: Peatlands and Wetlands Discipline- Hopping working group