Samenvatting

In recent years, the recognition of the importance of ecosystem services provided by peatlands has become increasingly topical (Clarke, 2006). It is now known that peatland degradation and loss of habitat has large negative impacts, particularly with regards the loss of the habitats natural carbon sink function and role as a terrestrial carbon store, in addition to the significant loss of biodiversity. However, current policy frameworks and legislation do not adequately include the benefits of conserving and restoring peatland, which further contributes to public unawareness concerning their benefits to society. In order to promote restoration of peatland, the ecosystem services and affected stakeholders must be assessed.
A European Union (EU) funded LIFE programme project (LIFE14 NAT/IE/000032) was awarded to the governmental Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht (DAHG) and commenced in January 2016. The aim of this project is to restore twelve raised bogs designated as special areas of conservation (SAC) under the Habitats Directive and which form part of the European Natura 2000 network (European Commission, 1992). This thesis aims to create awareness by collecting important data surrounding raised bog restoration and conservation and providing suggestions on how to improve methods of bog restoration. This is partly done by comparing the Irish ways of land and water management with the Dutch way.
Raised bog ecosystem services have shown to be of utmost importance both globally and nationally. The provision of services like nutrient cycling and carbon sequestration are invaluable. The surface area of raised peat bogs has diminished over the years,
amongst others due to the practice of peat cutting. The restoration of bogs has to be executed before the bogs are damaged beyond repair. To promote this process, the peatland management in Ireland has been analyzed. Governmental cooperation seems to be limited in certain cases which slows down the restoration of the bogs.
Stakeholder and community involvement are crucial to the successful development of any project, this also includes raised bog preservation. Top-down approaches from the government have resulted in negative outcomes for both the public and the bog, inclusion of one of the most important stakeholders; the public , is something that can be improved upon massively. Networking groups like CWF play a large role in the connection
of bogs and the public , the Irish government need to recognize this and act accordingly.
The governmental perception of bogs is changing for the better with new recognition of bog restoration, however, there is still a long way to go, as turf cutting is still being executed in non-protected bogs. In order to improve the restoration processes of raised bogs, the policy and legislation has to be closely analyzed, this way, a framework for restoration can be made which
includes the boundaries of applicable legislation and policy. This prevents fines and unneeded work in case of restrictions.
The recognition of the benefits of raised bog restoration is on the rise in Ireland. The contents of this report hold the most important subjects in bog conservation and restoration and gives suggestions on how to improve communication, involvement and
protection of the raised bogs.