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Research led by a Royal Holloway academic finds the 50 questions that could protect a vital ecosystem found across...globe
https://www.royalholloway.ac.uk/about-us/news/research-led-by-a-royal-holloway-academic-finds-the-50-questions-that-could-protect-a-vital-ecosystem-found-across-the-globe/Research led by a Royal Holloway academic finds the 50 questions that could protect a vital ecosystem found across the globe
Date 28 April 2026
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 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.
…
Milner, A.M., McKeown, M.M., Ruwaimana, M. et al. Priority research questions in global peatland science. Commun Earth Environ 7, 349 (2026). https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-026-03321-5
Date 28 April 2026
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 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.
…