Ecosystem Accounts - Peatlands and Heathlands 2018

The estimated total spatial extent of Peat bogs and Moors & Heathlands slightly decreased between 2012 and 2018. This decline was mostly due to a reduction in the area of Peat bogs (Table 2.2). The majority of this change laid in a conversion from Peat bogs to Burnt areas (73%) and Transitional woodland/shrub (26%) (Table 2.3).

County level

More than 66% of Peat bogs and Moors & Heathlands occurred in four counties in 2018: Donegal, Galway, Kerry and Mayo (Table 2.4). Almost 70% of all Peat bogs were located in these four counties, while almost 70% of all Moors & Heathlands were in Cork, Donegal, Kerry and Wicklow (Map 2.2 and Table 2.4). Although Peat bogs were found in all counties, Moors & Heathlands were not reported for five counties: Kildare, Longford, Meath, Offaly and Westmeath (Map 2.3 and Table 2.4).

Inside or outside protected areas?

To protect and conserve biodiversity, the European Union has developed two Directives aimed at designating nature conservation areas: the EU Directive on the Conservation of Habitats, Flora and Fauna (92/43/EEC) (hereafter EU Habitats Directive) and  the EU Directive 2009/147/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 30 November 2009 on the conservation of wild birds (hereafter EU Birds Directive).

The EU Habitats Directive identifies threatened habitats and species for which special conservation measures are required through the designation of Special Areas of Conservation (SACs). Its Annex I lists these habitats, which includes peatlands and heathlands (Introduction - Table 1.1). It also establishes the Natura 2000 network comprising SACs and Special Protection Areas (SPAs) designated under the EU Birds Directive to protect the habitats of endangered and migratory species.

At national level, the Wildlife (Amendment) Act 2000 enables the statutory protection of Natural Heritage Areas (NHAs). These are areas of national importance for habitats and/or species that occur there. On a non-statutory basis, proposed NHA (pNHAs) are also part of this national network but have limited protections compared to NHAs.

Irish peatlands have been a primary target for designated SACs and NHAs areas. In 2015, the National Peatlands Strategy¹ reported 53 raised bogs nominated as SACs and 75 as NHAs. For blanket bogs, 50 were designated as SACs and 73 as NHAs. In this section, we look at the spatial extent of Peat bogs and Moors & Heathlands in protected areas (i.e SACs SPAs NHAs and pNHAs) and unprotected areas.

At national level, nearly half (44%) of Peat bogs and Moors & Heathlands occurred in protected areas in 2018. SACs and pNHAs were the protected areas covering the largest extent of Peat bogs and Moors & Heathlands (Table 2.5).

About 71% of all the protected Peat bogs and Moors & Heathlands were in Donegal, Galway, Kerry and Mayo (Map 2.4 and Table 2.6). Peat bogs and Moors & Heathlands located in the east of the country were more likely to be protected. The proportion of protected area of both land cover types exceeds 70% in counties Wexford, Wicklow, Monaghan, Louth, Dublin and Carlow (Map 2.5 and Table 2.6).

The second largest sector using Peat bogs, after Agriculture, was Peat production at almost 5%. Active peat production accounted for 65% of this land use type, while cutaway areas accounted for 31%. Forestry and Cultural activities represented less than 2.5% of Peat bogs land use. The majority of forestry land use on Peat bogs was coniferous forests (82%). Cultural related activities are aimed at education, research and biodiversity conservation and largely correspond to the creation of biodiversity areas (Table 2.8).

Drainage network

The hydrology of peatlands is one of their defining characteristics¹⁰. Disturbances in the water level can prevent peat formation and have a negative impact on biodiversity and the control of carbon emissions^2,10. The spatial extent of drained peatlands thus represents a relevant proxy of condition.

Under the Arterial Drainage Act, 1945, and the Arterial Drainage (Amendment) Act, 1995, the Office of Public Works (OPW) carried out drainage and flood defence schemes to improve land for agriculture and mitigate flooding. The OPW has a statutory obligation to maintain these drainage schemes. For the same purpose, Drainage Districts schemes were carried out by the Commissioners of Public Works under different drainage and navigation acts from 1842 to the 1930s. The maintenance of Drainage Districts schemes is the responsibility of Local Authorities. For more information on both drainage schemes, refer to this link.

The OPW refers to lands drained or improved by the execution of drainage works through the Arterial Drainage and Drainage Districts schemes as benefiting lands. This section reports the spatial extent of benefiting Peat bogs.

In 2018 almost 5% of Peat bogs were benefiting lands, but no Moors & Heathlands were drained under the Arterial Drainage or Drainage Districts schemes. Almost all of the drainage work has been carried out under Arterial Drainage schemes only (Table 2.9). Counties in the midlands had the highest proportions of benefiting Peat bogs. Drainage works under these schemes affected 90% of the Peat bogs in county Meath and almost 70% in county Westmeath. There were no benefiting Peat bogs in the east coast counties (Map 2.6 and Table 2.10).

Almost half of the Peat bogs affected by Arterial Drainage and Drainage Districts schemes were also impacted by Peat production or Agriculture (Table 2.9). These Peat bogs are the most likely to be in bad condition. Less than 10% of the Peat bogs used for Forestry and 40% used for Cultural activities were altered by Arterial Drainage and Drainage Districts schemes. Under Cultural activities, these Peat bogs mostly corresponded to cutaways converted into biodiversity areas.