Videos
Watch more IUCN UK Peatland Programme videos on our YouTube channel.
In their current state the UK’s peatlands are a source of around 20 million tonnes of CO2 (equivalent) per year – this is the same as the yearly emissions from electricity use in two and a half million homes. This short film premiers possibilities for achieving a brighter carbon future. Read related news article.
By The Carbon Farmer from The Top Of The Tree.
'The Day We Found the Bog' was released for Bog Day - an international celebration of the importance of bogs, fens, swamps and marshes on the 4th Sunday of each July.
The following videos are part of a suite of training materials produced by Richard Lindsay, University of East London, and the IUCN UK Peatland Programme, working in partnership for peatlands:
The Extraordinary Story of Peat and Carbon
A short animation that looks at the extraordinary quantities of carbon locked up on millennial timescales within peatland ecosystems.
With thanks: Low poly trees: Studio Ochi; Animated dragonfly: Andreas Creative; Music: Lindsjomusic; Sound effects: jaegrover, benbonbcan & kangaroovindaloo
Raised bog formation
An animation showing how raised bogs are formed. More information on UK peatlands.
Drainage impacts on a raised bog
This animation explores the hydrological basis of raised bogs, considers what happens to them when they are damaged by drainage, peat cutting or agricultural land-claim, and suggests ways to aid and speed up recovery from such impacts.
The same underlying processes of subsidence and carbon dioxide emissions also occur on blanket bogs but the pattern of morphological change is more complex because the overall shape of blanket bogs is largely determined by the underlying landform, whereas in a raised bog the overall morphology is almost entirely dictated by the accumulation of peat.
For more information about the growth of raised bogs and their behaviour as ground water mounds visit the DigiBog website.
See also: Joosten, H., Tanneberger, F., Moen A. (2017) Mires and Peatlands in Europe: Status, Distribution and Conservation. Schweizerbart Science Publishers. Germany. ISBN 978-3-510-65383-6.
Burning on Blanket Bogs: Part 1- Effects of fire
Part 2 - Recovery pathways
Demonstrating the differing pathways of recovery that may be observed, or stimulated, following cessation of burning on damaged blanket mire habitat.
These animations are based largely on evidence from the experimental plots established on blanket bog at Hard Hill, Moor House National Nature Reserve, in 1954 (Hard Hill experimental plots on Moor House – Upper Teesdale National Nature Reserve - A review of the experimental set up (NECR321), Natural England, 2020). All the experimental plots were burnt at the start of the experiment in 1954. Some plots have since been left unburnt (but grazed or ungrazed) for the intervening 66 years, others have been burnt (with or without grazing) approximately every 20 years, while some have been burnt (with or without grazing) every 10 years.
Some of the ground outside the experimental plots is estimated (in 2020) to have been free from burning for around 100 years and appears now to be showing substantial signs of recovery from past burning events (all ground at Moor House is considered to have been subject to managed burning in the past). These recovery times are more akin to those of woodland restoration, though recovery times can be shortened substantially through the use of Sphagnum plug-planting.
Most of the images of actual sites used in the animation are from Hard Hill or from other areas of blanket bog subject to managed burning. Three of the images used are from examples of wildfire. References are available at the end of the video.
See also: The causes and prevention of wildfire on heathlands and peatlands in England (NEER014), Natural England, 2020
Explaining the impacts of draining peatland on carbon emissions, hydrology & peat structure
The effect of peatland drainage on surface subsidence and carbon loss continues as long as drainage persists. Peatland restoration, particularly including drain blocking, is needed to halt this loss and restore healthy functioning peatlands.
Measuring ground-level movements (subsidence) as well as the behaviour of the water table is vital to understand the condition of a peatland (see Eyes on the Bog Initiative for methods of monitoring).
2 The society of motor manufacturers and traders. New Car CO2 Report, 2017.
3Commission of Inquiry State of UK peatlands report
Watch more IUCN UK Peatland Programme videos on our YouTube channel.
Virtual Reality (VR) & 3D views
360 Virtual Reality (VR) and 3D views can be used to generate useful descriptions of peatland sites.
A combination of panoramas have been created to help train peatland staff to recognise key peatland characteristics.
The 3D - VR - 360 videos are also a great way of bringing the outdoors into the classroom, office or home - helping people to explore and become familiar with peatlands without having to venture outside. Click on the information hotspots (shown above) which are scattered across the VR panoramas to learn more about peatland characteristics.
These videos are intended to be viewed on a smartphone with VR goggles (widely available). See viewing instructions and QR codes.
View NEW LIFE for Welsh Raised Bogs peatlands, including Carmel, Waun Ddu
and Rhos Goch.
View Plantlife's Munsary Peatlands, Caithness iStaging training site.
For more 360 degree panoromas and VR imagery, including Hard Hill Research Plots, Moor House National Nature Reserve, click here.
Courtesy of Richard Lindsay, University of East London.
Images
To help the peatland community celebrate, communicate and educate about the importance of peatlands the IUCN UK Peatland Programme have set up a Flickr group called 'Peatland Pictures' for sharing peatland images.
Infographics
If you would like high resolution copies of infographics featured in any of our publications or would like to share your materials with the peatland community please contact info@iucn.org.uk.
Presentations, talks & webinars
Presentations on a wide range of peatland topics are available from our IUCN UK Peatland Programme conference series.
See our Events listings for upcoming peatland focussed webinars. If you would like to share an upcoming webinar or highlight pre-recorded content please contact info@iucn.org.uk.
