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Evidence Synthesis and Knowledge Integration for Sustainable Peatland Management

Author

Listed:
  • Kate Flood

    (School of Biology and Environmental Science, College of Science, University College Dublin, D04 VIW8 Dublin, Ireland)

  • David Wilson

    (Earthymatters Environmental Consultants, F92 HX03 Glenvar, Co. Donegal, Ireland)

  • Florence Renou-Wilson

    (School of Biology and Environmental Science, College of Science, University College Dublin, D04 VIW8 Dublin, Ireland)

Abstract

Peatland research has expanded rapidly in the last two decades encompassing a diverse, multi-disciplinary evidence base, as countries seek to manage this resource sustainably along with meeting climate and biodiversity targets. There is growing global interest in the role of peatlands in carbon and water cycles, leading to more interdisciplinary research that applies ecosystem services and other integrative frameworks to generate knowledge and provide guidance for action. These trends have been replicated in Ireland with increasing research in peatland science, applied work on these degraded ecosystems, and a growing interest from civil society, landowners, and communities in the stewardship of this resource. This paper presents evidence-based insights from over two decades of Irish peatland research, with practical lessons for peatland policy and management in other national contexts. Analyses of the evidence from the literature, specialist expertise, and stakeholder knowledge were carried out under ten themes: biodiversity, soil, climate change, water, archaeology and palaeoenvironment, technology and mapping, society and culture, management, growing media and policy and law. The research identified four foundational pillars (accountability, longevity, equity and holistic knowledge) as critical to achieving sustainable peatland management in Ireland, with broader application to other regions. Peatland restoration is widely recognised across research disciplines as a key tool to meet regulatory targets related to climate, biodiversity, and water quality, while also delivering societal benefits. The findings of this research provide accessible, reliable and up-to-date evidence for sustainable peatland management. This study addresses a critical global knowledge gap by developing a novel, interdisciplinary evidence synthesis framework—applied here to Ireland but replicable worldwide—that systematically integrates 20 years of multi-disciplinary peatland research, expert insights, and stakeholder perspectives across ten thematic pillars.

Suggested Citation

  • Kate Flood & David Wilson & Florence Renou-Wilson, 2025. "Evidence Synthesis and Knowledge Integration for Sustainable Peatland Management," Land, MDPI, vol. 14(7), pages 1-26, July.
  • Handle: RePEc:gam:jlands:v:14:y:2025:i:7:p:1397-:d:1693839
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Etienne Fluet-Chouinard & Benjamin D. Stocker & Zhen Zhang & Avni Malhotra & Joe R. Melton & Benjamin Poulter & Jed O. Kaplan & Kees Klein Goldewijk & Stefan Siebert & Tatiana Minayeva & Gustaf Hugeli, 2023. "Extensive global wetland loss over the past three centuries," Nature, Nature, vol. 614(7947), pages 281-286, February.
    2. Miika Kumpulainen & Marko Seppänen, 2022. "Combining Web of Science and Scopus datasets in citation-based literature study," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 127(10), pages 5613-5631, October.
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    1. Olivier Lejeune & Jérémy Beucher & Alain Devos & Julien Berthe & Thibaud Damien & Delphine Combaz & Nicolas Bollot & Théo Krauffel, 2025. "Peatland-Type Sediment Filling in Valley Bottoms at the Head of Basins in a Stream Capture Context: The Example of the Bar and Petit Morin Peatland (Grand-Est, France)," Geographies, MDPI, vol. 5(3), pages 1-23, July.

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