Old photograph of Peat Cutting in the Highlands of Scotland. In Scotland there are 1.7 million hectares of peatland, nearly the size of Wales. Peat is formed when plants become water logged and their decay is slowed by the lack of oxygen. Bogs are acidic, nutrient poor environments, dominated by Sphagnum mosses, specialist plants that can store huge amounts of water. As well as a unique habitat for specialised animals and plants, bogs also provide what are called ecosystem services. A healthy bog can store huge amounts of rainwater which can be of great help if surrounding areas are prone to flooding. They are also very valuable in the fight against climate change as they lock up vast amounts of carbon. In fact, they can store far more carbon than trees, which only have a limited life span, as undamaged lowland bogs can keep growing, accumulatingmore and more peat for thousands of years.
All photographs are copyright of Sandy Stevenson, Tour Scotland, and may not be used without permission.
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