ABOUT 80 per cent of carbon-storing peat, including that found on Exmoor, is being damaged and releasing carbon and other warming greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, according to statistics released to mark the recent World Peatlands Day.

Experts say that, globally, peatlands store more carbon than all of the world’s forests combined - until they are disturbed and dried out.

Which is why the South West Peatland Partnership (SWPP) is working across Exmoor and other moorland to restore traditional valuable peatlands.

A SWPP spokesperson said: “The campaign has already restored 12,355 acres of peatland that would otherwise have continued degrading, the equivalent of over 7,000 football pitches.

“When healthy and functioning, as well as storing carbon, peatlands support the recreation and livelihoods of people, benefit wildlife, and help prevent flooding through natural water management.”

The SWPP team, helped by South West Water volunteers, have been creating wooden blocks and planting trees to help trap sediment, slow water flow, diversify wildlife habitats, and prevent further erosion of carbon-rich peat.

Such actions help slow the flow of water leaving upland areas, levelling the water table in the peat, and encouraging peat-forming mosses to colonise and thrive.

Grey willow, oak, hawthorn, alder, and rowan saplings have been planted on local moorland to support the stabilisation of water levels and provide habitat for birdlife and insects.

The spokesperson said: “Peatland restoration is a long-term process with peat forming at approximately a millimetre per year, but many newly wetted sites are quick to show signs of success, from clouds of dragonflies to visiting wading birds.

“Making our moorlands more resilient to extreme weather events also helps to protect thousands of years of history preserved in the peat and ensure that peatlands remain earth’s largest land store of carbon.”