ECO-I North West - Opening up the expertise, equipment and resource of the region’s leading universities

Company Profile Barker & Bland Ltd is a leading provider of peatland restoration services in the UK, delivering >30,000 ha of peatland restoration since 2008. Their scientific and land management experience along with the benefit of a ‘long term view’ has enabled them to retain their position at the cutting edge – developing and delivering workable, landscape scale solutions to this critical area of habitat restoration. The Project In the UK, peatlands store ~3.2 Bt of carbon, making peat the UK’s most important terrestrial store of carbon. Yet, >80% of UK peatlands are in a degraded state and are thought to emit ~23.24 Mt of carbon equivalent annually. The restoration of peatlands is therefore critical to mitigate the impacts of climate change and aid the UK’s goal of net zero by 2050. Soil and sediment structure exert fundamental controls over physical, hydrological, and biochemical function. However, little is known about how these vary between pristine, degraded, and restored peatlands. This project applies 3D X-Ray CT to explore the connections between structure and function in peatlands associated with restoration, and how this can inform better carbon stewardship of restoration. Jack Richard Brennand Jack is an alumni to the University of Cumbria, attending the BSc (Hons) Geography program. His aspiration in life is to protect and conserve the UK’s vulnerable habitats. He has a passion for the outdoors and relishes the concept of undertaking fundamental, interdisciplinary research on the UK’s peatlands. Academic Supervisors Dr Simon Carr Dr Andrew Weatherall Barker and Bland Ltd