The findings that “paludiculture” sites can boost birdlife add to previous research showing raising water levels on lowland peat for wet farming reduces the carbon emissions from drained peatlands and slows erosion. It found bird numbers were three times higher on the wetland farming sites than on the grassland areas, and comparable to numbers in the natural wetlands. The study also showed that, alongside typical grassland species, some wetland specialists – birds that only live and thrive on wetland habitat – were found in the paludiculture sites. Wetland farming could allow farmers to grow commercial crops while supporting nature, researchers say ( Josh Copping/RSPB/PA)And some birds which are listed for conservation concern on a European or global level were also found in the wetland farming sites, including amber-listed Eurasian oystercatchers, amber-listed meadow pipits, and Eurasian coots. Some 90% of the UK’s lowland peat has been drained for agriculture since the 1600s, the RSPB said, but it contributes 4% of the country’s carbon emissions.

Source: The Times March 12, 2026 11:32 UTC