Abstract:
Peatland areas comprise half of the world’s wetlands and play important ecological
roles. Peatlands offer a diversity of social, economic and environmental benefits, and
in so doing serve a wide range of human interests. Despite this peatlands are fast
disappearing. Some uses, particularly those associated with agriculture, result in
degradation of the peat stock itself.
In this context, the research aims to increase the understanding of the socio-economic
dimensions of lowland peatland systems in Northern Europe. Focussing on two sites
in England, namely Somerset and the Fens, it uses the ecosystem services framework
to explore the flow of multiple goods and services from peatlands, while
simultaneously linking these to stakeholder interests and influences.
Stakeholder and multi-criteria analysis were used in combination to identify the
ecosystem services delivered in the case study areas and explain how these services
were distributed amongst stakeholders. Using open stakeholder interviews, workshops
and formal multi-criteria techniques (AHP and MAUT), it was possible to elucidate
the factors that shape land use preferences.
Livelihood provisions, maintenance of wildlife interest and floodwater storage were
found to be the most important peatland services to stakeholders. The high livelihood
associated with consumptive use of peatlands, along with the high degree of private
land ownership and the continued relative freedom this affords were found to be the
two largest barriers to wise use of peatlands.
The findings suggest that new policy mechanisms may be required to designate
property rights to secure particular ecosystem services for the public good. This might
involve new institutional arrangements, possibly involving multi dimensional
entitlement systems, to secure the future of peatlands. The ecosystem services
framework, combined with stakeholder and multi-criteria analyses, were shown to be
effective in providing an understanding of the synergies and conflicts in peatland
management.