A team of researchers, led by Dr Alice Milner, from the Department of Geography at Royal Holloway, have identified the most urgent, unanswered questions about peatland ecosystems, providing a global roadmap which can guide future science.

Peatlands are a wetland ecosystem found across the globe in which plants are not able to fully decompose, instead forming peat - a type of soil formed from these partially decomposed pieces of organic matter.

The study, published in Communications Earth and Environment, involved surveying participants to determine which research questions matter most for understanding and protecting peatlands.

By surveying and analysing opinion from international peatland experts, the research highlights where these knowledge gaps exist and where new information could make the biggest impact for climate mitigation, biodiversity conservation, and sustainable land management.

Peatlands only cover about three percent of Earth’s land surface but store more carbon than all of its forests. When healthy, they lock away carbon for thousands of years, but drainage, fire, extraction, or land‑use change can quickly turn them into a large source of greenhouse gas emissions.

Despite their importance, key knowledge is lacking around how peatlands respond to climate change, how to restore them effectively, and how to protect them while supporting the local and Indigenous communities who rely on them.

To address this challenge, the researchers surveyed 467 scientists, practitioners and policy experts from across 54 countries. Within the survey, each expert was asked what they thought were the most pressing, unanswered questions across peatland research.

This included everything from ecology and hydrology to biogeochemistry, climate science and social science.

The questions selected captured priorities across a range of boreal, temperate, and tropical peatlands, including those in Europe and the peat swamp forests of Southeast Asia and the Arctic tundra. They include:

• What is the global extent and distribution of peatlands, including those in areas that are currently poorly mapped?
• What are the tipping points at which some peatlands shift from carbon sinks to carbon sources, what techniques can be used to determine tipping points and what factors make some peatlands more resistant to change than others?
• What are the most effective approaches to integrate traditional ecological knowledge or knowledge from Indigenous peoples into sustainable peatland management and restoration, and can this approach enhance the success of restoration efforts?
• How can remote sensing and other existing and emerging technologies (including AI) be used to improve our understanding of peatland dynamics, support peatland monitoring and management, and address the challenges of peatland research?
• How can global environmental initiatives incentivise peatland management in equitable and just ways that benefit and empower local communities and organisations as agents of change, whilst optimising climate, biodiversity, and ecosystem services?

Protecting the planet’s peatlands is crucial to our existence, as they are a vital source of Earth’s global soil carbon. The results of the survey highlighted key areas where research and funding should be prioritised.

These included understanding peatland resilience and tipping points at which they shift from carbon stores to carbon sources under climate change; managing the increasing risk of peatland fires, which release stored carbon and are becoming more frequent with climate change; better mapping of peatland extent and carbon stocks globally; developing and scaling restoration approaches; harnessing remote sensing, AI and other technologies to improve monitoring at local and global scales; and ensuring governance frameworks (including carbon credit schemes) deliver equitable outcomes.

Dr Alice Milner, Associate Professor at Royal Holloway, University of London, and lead author of the study, said: “Peatlands are increasingly recognised as critical ecosystems for climate action, but we still don’t have all the answers we need to manage them effectively. By identifying the most urgent research questions, this work helps focus global effort.”

Dr Julie Loisel, Associate Professor at the University of Nevada, Reno, USA, and co-author of the study, added: “This survey revealed how much common ground exists among people working with peatlands worldwide. Bringing these voices together has allowed us to focus on the questions that matter the most.”

Interest in peatlands has grown rapidly in recent years as countries look for nature-based solutions to help meet climate targets. 

Peatland protection and restoration feature increasingly in national climate strategies in countries such as the UK, Ireland, Indonesia, Canada, and Finland, and are now on the agenda of international climate and biodiversity frameworks. However, the authors warn that without clear research priorities, investment risks being fragmented and short-term, potentially undermining more beneficial long-term outcomes.

Dr Michelle McKeown, Lecturer in Environmental Geography at University College Cork and co-author, said: “Restoring peatlands is not as simple as just ‘rewetting’” said. “There are important trade-offs, uncertainties, and regional differences that we still don’t fully understand. These priority questions help ensure that peatland management is helping, not harming, climate and biodiversity goals.”

Importantly, the priority questions extend beyond biophysical science. Many focus on governance, land-use decision-making, and the role of Indigenous and local knowledge in peatland management; areas that have historically received less attention in global research agendas. 

Professor Angela Gallego-Sala from the University of Exeter, UK, and co-author, also said: “Peatlands are not empty landscapes. They are lived-in places with deep cultural significance. In the tropics especially, they provide vital livelihoods, and it is important that research provides answers that are useful to these communities.” 

Dr Monika Ruwaimana, co-author of the study and Lecturer at Universitas Atma Jaya Yogyakarta, Indonesia, added: “As someone who grew up in tropical peatland landscapes, it is encouraging to see the global research community paying attention to these ecosystems. This reflects a collective effort developed over decades, from local communities in the field to international researchers and policymakers.”

The authors hope the priority list will be used by the peatland research community, funding agencies, research institutions, and policymakers to guide international collaboration, investment and future research. 

“Peatlands can either help stabilise the climate or accelerate its change,” said Dr McKeown. “Which path we take depends on the knowledge we build, and how quickly we act on it."

Read the full study in Communications Earth and Environment here.