VALUES

Peatlands are beautiful landscapes with a unique biodiversity. They provide mankind with services that are worth billions of dollars that may be easily jeopardised by inappropriate or short-sighted exploitation.

Biodiversity
Peatlands constitute habitats for unique flora and fauna which contribute significantly to the gene pool. They contain many specialised organisms that are adapted to the unique conditions. The tropical peat swamp forests of Southeast Asia, for example, feature some of the highest freshwater biodiversity of any habitat in the world and are home to the largest remaining populations of orang utan.

Carbon storage
Peatlands are some of the most important carbon stores in the world. They contain nearly 30 percent of all carbon on the land, while only covering 3 percent of the area. Peatlands in many regions are still actively sequestering carbon. Peatland exploitation and degradation lead to the release of carbon. The annual carbon emission from peatlands in Southeast Asia by drainage alone is at least 350 million tonnes, while 1-2 billion tonnes were released in the major peatlands fires during the 1997-98 El Niño event - representing a major portion of global emissions as well as causing significant social and economic impacts in the ASEAN region.

Water regulation
Peatlands contain about 90% water and act as vast water reservoirs - contributing to environmental security of human populations and ecosystems downstream. They play an important role in the provision of drinking water both in areas where catchments are largely covered by peatlands and in drier regions where peatlands provide limited but constant availability of water.


USES OF PEATLANDS

Humans have directly utilised peatlands for thousands of years - with varying degrees of impact.

Agriculture
For centuries, peatlands in Europe, North America and Asia have been used for grazing and for growing crops. Large areas of tropical peatlands have been cleared and drained for food crops and cash crops such as oil palm and other plantations in recent years. However large scale drainage of peatlands for agriculture has often generated major problems of subsidence, fire, flooding, and deterioration in soil quality.

Forestry
Many peatlands are exploited for timber harvesting. In northern and eastern Europe and Southeast Asia, peatlands have been drained for plantation forestry, whereas in North America and Asia some timber extraction takes place from un-drained peatlands. The peat swamp forests of Southeast Asia used to be an important source of valuable timber species such as Ramin (Gonostylus bancanus), but over-exploitation and illegal trade has led to trade restrictions under CITES.

Peat extraction
Peat has been extracted for fuel both for domestic as well as industrial use, particularly in Europe but also in South America. Peat extraction for the production of growing substrates and gardening is a multi-million dollar industry in North America and Europe. For instance, the Netherlands import 150 million euro worth of peat every year as a substrate for horticulture.

Subsistence use
Peatlands contribute importantly to the economy of local communities. In the tropics this includes the harvesting of non-timber forest products such as rattans, fish, Jelutung (a raw material for chewing gum), medicinal plants and honey. In parts of Europe and America the collection of berries and mushrooms is important for some rural populations. All over the world we can find indigenous people whose livelihoods and cultures are sustained by peatlands.

Research, education & recreation
Peatland ecosystems play an important role as archives. They record their own history and that of their wide surroundings in the accumulated peat and enable the reconstruction of long-term human and environmental history. Because of their beauty and often interesting cultural heritage, many peatlands are important for tourism.