RAZOR: The race to save the peatlands

Scotland's windswept moors are an iconic feature of its landscape, yet beneath them lies one of the world's most important and overlooked ecosystems. Peatlands store vast amounts of carbon, help regulate water flows and provide habitats for wildlife. 

But centuries of drainage, peat cutting and other human activities have left many of these landscapes damaged. As climate change increases the risks of drought and wildfires, a pressing question emerges: Can we restore peatlands quickly enough to protect their vital role in the environment?

To understand the scale of the challenge, RAZOR’s Gabrielle Lawrence heads to Glen Dye Moor in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, where restoration teams are working to repair damaged peatlands across thousands of hectares. Years of erosion have exposed layers of peat, allowing stored carbon to escape into the atmosphere. 

Workers are reshaping eroded slopes and building small barriers to slow the flow of water, helping the land retain moisture and preventing further damage. The aim is not only to protect carbon stores, but also to restore habitats and allow the landscape to recover naturally.

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But restoring peatlands requires more than repairing the land. One of the most important plants in the process is sphagnum moss, which can absorb up to 20 times its own weight in water. By holding moisture and creating the conditions for peat to form, it helps rebuild the very ecosystem that has been lost. 

At BeadaMoss, a specialist growing facility in England, scientists have developed techniques to cultivate sphagnum moss on a large scale. With nearly 20 million moss plugs produced, the team is supplying restoration projects with the plants needed to bring damaged peatlands back to life.

The urgency is growing as extreme weather puts these fragile ecosystems under increasing pressure. Prolonged drought and heatwaves can dry out peatlands, making them more vulnerable to wildfires that release stored carbon into the atmosphere. Rewetting the land and restoring native vegetation can help reduce fire risks, retain water and encourage wildlife to return. 

In Scotland, where peatlands cover more than 20,000 square kilometers, restoration work is making progress, but the scale of the challenge remains considerable. Thousands of hectares still require attention, and rebuilding these ecosystems takes time.

The challenge extends far beyond Scotland. Peatlands play a critical role in regulating the global climate, yet they have often been overlooked in conservation efforts. Restoring them means protecting not only carbon stores, but also water resources, biodiversity and landscapes that have taken thousands of years to form. 

As climate change accelerates, RAZOR explores how restoration projects, scientific innovation and a greater understanding of these hidden ecosystems could help safeguard one of nature’s most valuable allies in the fight against climate change.