Irish Peatland Conservation Council to buy Lodge Bog

The Irish Peatland Conservation Council (IPCC) is to buy a new bog: 3.5 hectares of the Bog of Allen, known as Lodge Bog southwest, near Lullymore.

Published Date: 19 February 2009 Leinster Leader By Staff Reporter

The bog is being bought primarily for nature conservation and the protection of an endangered habitat. Another reason for conserving bogs is that active bogs take approximately 0.7 tonnes of carbon out of the atmosphere per hectare, per year, and loc k it up in the undecomposed plant remains that make up the peat. While locked in the peat, this carbon cannot contribute to climate change.

Putting it into perspective, one hectare containing 2m of peat can store approximately 8,000 tonnes of carbon. Initial research on the IPCC’s new site shows average peat depths of 7m. This means that the area stores roughly 98,000 tonnes of carbon. There’s more! The 3.5-hectare site could, when restored, will store even more carbon, 2.45 tonnes per year to be precise. A return transatlantic flight equates to around 3-4 tonnes of carbon, so could peatland restoration be used as a means of reducing our carbon footprint? “Most definitely!” says Cillian Breathnach, IPCC’s Conservation and Reserves officer.

Mr. Breathnach pointed out that bogs are being drained, cut and burned away at an alarming rate, releasing massive amounts of carbon to the atmosphere and further worsening climate change.

The bog that the IPCC are buying adjoins the Lodge Bog Reserve. Although the area was drained for turf cutting in the past, much of the vegetation remains intact. By restoring this area the hydrological regime of Lodge Bog will be further secured, thereby helping the bog to absorb carbon from the atmosphere.

The IPCC has launched a fundraising appeal for this project, which needs public support. The Lodge Bog South West Purchase and Restoration Project budget is  €49,625 in 2009. For more information call the Irish Peatland Conservation Council on 045 – 860133 or e-mail bogs@ipcc.ie.