Peatlands are critical ecosystems for carbon storage and biodiversity, containing more carbon than all the world’s forests despite covering just 3% of the global land surface – but new research has revealed that vast areas of the UK’s peatlands, including the Flow Country UNESCO World Heritage Site, are likely to be unsuitable for peat accumulation by 2061-80 due to climate change.

A group of researchers including Dr Jonathan Ritson from the University of Manchester are calling for a shift in conservation strategies in their new study published in the Journal of Applied Ecology, and their findings highlight significant regional differences - Western Scotland emerges as a stronghold for peatlands, making it an urgent priority area for conservation efforts.

Using advanced bioclimatic models, the study projects substantial reductions in areas suitable for peat accumulation across the UK, with the Flow Country, Dartmoor and the Peak District being particularly at risk. Even under moderate emissions reductions, many of these landscapes may no longer sustain the conditions necessary for peat formation.