Final-year PhD student Jayne Glass

A research student from a Scottish college will join academics from across the UK in a project likely to change the way peat uplands are managed.

Jayne Glass, a PhD student with Perth College UHI’s Centre for Mountain Studies has developed a toolkit for monitoring peatland management practices on Scotland’s upland estates.

She will join a team headed by the University of Aberdeen working on research commissioned by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature UK Peatland Programme and the Rural Economy and Land Use Programme.

Findings will produce guidance for policymakers on how peat bogs can be restored and preserved, and is likely to recommend compensation for farmers.

Ms Glass, of Aberfeldy, said: “I am looking forward to working with this prestigious team of academics to further our knowledge on peatland management in the UK’s uplands. This is a great opportunity for me and it is exciting to see my own research beginning to be been applied more widely.”

Dr Mark Reed of the University of Aberdeen’s school of geosciences said: “Our project aims to pull together the widespread research being conducted on peat bog conservation, and produce robust guidelines for policymakers on how it could be managed to secure the long term future of peatlands.

“The measures we suggest are likely to include a rethink on how landowners and managers are compensated for their work in maintaining peat bogs.”

Peat bogs are the UK’s largest carbon store, holding three billion tonnes of carbon dioxide.

They also provide seventy per cent of Britain’s drinking water and play a key role in supporting some of the world’s rarest and most important animal and plant species. When peat degrades, carbon dioxide is released, effectively reversing its positive impact on the climate.