Peatlands cover <3% of the world’s land surface but account for >33% of soil carbon – that’s a fact with which to amaze your dinner guests (when you are allowed to have them again).
This paper reviews studies of the impacts of road and track building through peatlands – this sort of thing: see here, here, here, here and many more.
In the UK, forestry, agriculture, sporting interests and wind farms are the main threats to peatland integrity
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0012825221000271?via%3Dihub
The paper has some interesting images of the impacts of tracks on peatlands in the north of England but the discussion ranges much more widely in geographic terms. It’s not surprising tht peatlands in the north of England get a mention as the paper is a collaboration between Prof Holden’s team in the Geography Department in Leeds and Natural England.
It’s all very carefully worded but, surprise surprise, building tracks across peatlands is more likely to harm than help them (who knew?)! And the impacts of tracks may last for many years after the tracks themselves are removed. This has implications for whether statutory agencies should consent such tracks on ‘protected’ peatland areas even if such tracks are ‘temporary’.
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A good paper, very informative and still this wretched Government does not ban the use of peat.