Sundew - Vicky Nall (c)
a vital part of our heritage... hugely undervalued
The Wildlife Trust for Lancashire, Manchester and North Merseyside
In terms of global habitat importance, mosslands are our rainforest.
Despite mosslands being a vital part of our heritage and listed as a UK Priority Habitat, they are hugely undervalued and regarded as wastelands to be exploited for peat. Mossland once covered large areas of our region, but today 99% of the resource has been destroyed with only 300 hectares of intact mossland habitat remaining.
Not only are mosslands a key habitat for endangered and rare species, but they also have the ability to store carbon dioxide. In order to extract peat, the land is drained and so the first stage in restoring a mossland is to re-wet. This is done by several processes of land management including the building of dams to raise the water levels and begin the restoration process.
Virtual tour by Mike McFarlane
What's happening?
The Mosslands Project has four main aims:
1. To provide a major contribution to national and local Biodiversity Action Plan targets for mossland conservation through purchase and restoration of key sites.
2. To provide a significant and cost-effective contribution to carbon sequestration through restoration of degraded sites and prevention of major carbon loss through peat extraction.
3. To challenge the current practice of peat extraction by demonstrating the benefits of mosslands conservation.
4. To campaign for and raise awareness of alternatives to peat.
Our work in restoring and maintaining a mossland is crucial to this magnificent habitat. In order to extract peat, the land is drained and so the first stage in restoring a mossland is to re-wet. This is done by several process of land management including the building of dams to raise the water levels and begin the restoration process.
One of the key aims of the mosslands project is to protect the remaining habitats in the North West from being destroyed for:
- Peat for horticulture
- Drainage and conversion to agriculture
- Forestry
- Land development
By purchasing key mossland sites we can protect them from destruction and restore them to a healthy Living Landscape that will benefit both people and wildlife.
Scheme area: 1,000 hectares
Trust reserves within the scheme
Astley Moss, Heysham Moss, Cadishead Moss and Abram Flash
Current threats to the landscape
Peat extraction, land drainage, habitat fragmentation, development, inappropriate management
This scheme is also...
Helping wildlife adapt to climate change, improving water quality, storing carbon.
To find out more
Email: Info@lancswt.org.uk | Tel: 01772 324129 | Mosslands Living Landscape
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 Adam Cormack.JPG)