Priority research questions in global peatland science

Milner, Alice M.; McKeown, Michelle M.; Ruwaimana, Monika; Gallego-Sala, Angela; Loisel, Julie; Menges, Johanna; Roland, Thomas P.; Ahiable, Crystal A.E.; Akwany, Leonard O.; Alarcon-Prado, Paola; Anshari, Gusti; Alappat, Linto; Baird, Andy J.; Bąk, Mariusz; Bambuta Boole, Jean Jacques; Batten, Stephanie E.; Beaudoin, Yannick; Bechtold, Michel; Bu, Zhao-Jun; Budisusanti, Sri Parwati Murwani; Benavides, Juan C.; Chawchai, Sakonvan; Chimner, Rodney A.; Cobb, Alexander R.; Cole, Lydia E.S.; Connolly, John; Calvo Vargas, Janet Coral; Courtney-Mustaphi, Colin J.; Davidson, Scott J.; de la Peña, Angeles; Duley, Emma; Elshehawi, Samer; Espinoza León, Ingrid; Finkelstein, Sarah A.; Garneau, Michelle; Girkin, Nicholas T.; Glen, Erin; Grover, Samantha; Grundling, Piet-Louis; Handley, Josephine N.; Helfter, Carole; Hergoualc’h, Kristell; Hoyt, Alison M.; Huang, Xianyu; Imani, Gerard; James, Alexander; Kabonyi Nzabandora, Chantal; Kagaba Kairumba, Carol; Kansiime, Frank; Kolka, Randall K.; Koren, Gerbrand; Korhola, Atte; Krisnawati, Haruni; Kumar, Ritesh; Lamentowicz, Mariusz; Lång, Kristiina; Larmola, Tuula; Lewis, Simon L.; Lopez, Omar R.; López-Blanco, Efrén; Lupascu, Massimo; Maldonado-Fonken, Mónica; Marchant, Robert; Marcisz, Katarzyna; Mazei, Natalia G.; Mazei, Yuri A.; Mbasi, Michel; Melling, Lulie; Miles, Lera; Montanarella, Luca; Moss, Patrick T.; Murgía-Flores, Fabiola; NGuyen, Minh-Ky; Novita, Nisa; Oliver, Dylan J.S.; Orijemie, Emuobosa Akpo; Osaki, Mitsuru; Page, Susan E.; Pancost, Richard D.; Pandey, Shilpa; Püschel Hoeneisen, Nichole; Quintana Zagaceta, Christian H.; Ratnayake, Amila S.; Reed, Mark S.; Rochefort, Line; Saavedra, Bárbara; Samuel, Japheth; Scheel, Patrick; Schutten, Hans; Siegert, Florian; Signori-Müller, Caroline; Strack, Maria; Stolle, Fred; Swindles, Graeme T.; Tanneberger, Franziska; Turetsky, Merritt R.; Urciuolo, Adriana B.; Väliranta, Minna; Verstraeten, Gert; Warren, Matthew; Webster, Kara L.; Whinam, Jennie; Young, Dylan M.; Yu, Zicheng; Zhang, Hui

Milner, Alice M. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6882-3992; McKeown, Michelle M.; Ruwaimana, Monika; Gallego-Sala, Angela ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7483-7773; Loisel, Julie ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8861-4618; Menges, Johanna; Roland, Thomas P. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9237-1364; Ahiable, Crystal A.E.; Akwany, Leonard O.; Alarcon-Prado, Paola; Anshari, Gusti; Alappat, Linto; Baird, Andy J.; Bąk, Mariusz ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5812-1943; Bambuta Boole, Jean Jacques; Batten, Stephanie E.; Beaudoin, Yannick; Bechtold, Michel ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8042-9792; Bu, Zhao-Jun; Budisusanti, Sri Parwati Murwani; Benavides, Juan C. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9694-2195; Chawchai, Sakonvan ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0527-9381; Chimner, Rodney A. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6515-851X; Cobb, Alexander R. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3128-3002; Cole, Lydia E.S. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3198-6311; Connolly, John; Calvo Vargas, Janet Coral; Courtney-Mustaphi, Colin J.; Davidson, Scott J.; de la Peña, Angeles; Duley, Emma; Elshehawi, Samer; Espinoza León, Ingrid; Finkelstein, Sarah A.; Garneau, Michelle ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1956-9243; Girkin, Nicholas T. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7562-5775; Glen, Erin; Grover, Samantha; Grundling, Piet-Louis; Handley, Josephine N.; Helfter, Carole ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5773-4652; Hergoualc’h, Kristell ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3181-2338; Hoyt, Alison M.; Huang, Xianyu ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6175-9158; Imani, Gerard; James, Alexander; Kabonyi Nzabandora, Chantal; Kagaba Kairumba, Carol; Kansiime, Frank; Kolka, Randall K.; Koren, Gerbrand ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2275-0713; Korhola, Atte; Krisnawati, Haruni; Kumar, Ritesh ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5731-0734; Lamentowicz, Mariusz; Lång, Kristiina ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9080-7956; Larmola, Tuula; Lewis, Simon L. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8066-6851; Lopez, Omar R.; López-Blanco, Efrén ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3796-8408; Lupascu, Massimo; Maldonado-Fonken, Mónica ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6735-5856; Marchant, Robert; Marcisz, Katarzyna ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2655-9729; Mazei, Natalia G.; Mazei, Yuri A.; Mbasi, Michel; Melling, Lulie; Miles, Lera ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0377-5904; Montanarella, Luca; Moss, Patrick T.; Murgía-Flores, Fabiola; NGuyen, Minh-Ky ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5104-5936; Novita, Nisa; Oliver, Dylan J.S. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0008-8869-1796; Orijemie, Emuobosa Akpo; Osaki, Mitsuru; Page, Susan E.; Pancost, Richard D.; Pandey, Shilpa; Püschel Hoeneisen, Nichole; Quintana Zagaceta, Christian H.; Ratnayake, Amila S. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7871-2401; Reed, Mark S.; Rochefort, Line ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8450-0376; Saavedra, Bárbara; Samuel, Japheth; Scheel, Patrick; Schutten, Hans; Siegert, Florian; Signori-Müller, Caroline ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1047-1896; Strack, Maria ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8996-7271; Stolle, Fred; Swindles, Graeme T.; Tanneberger, Franziska ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4184-9671; Turetsky, Merritt R. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0155-8666; Urciuolo, Adriana B.; Väliranta, Minna ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0129-7240; Verstraeten, Gert ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6529-7381; Warren, Matthew ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6021-4818; Webster, Kara L.; Whinam, Jennie ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1050-6289; Young, Dylan M.; Yu, Zicheng; Zhang, Hui ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3758-5722. 2026 Priority research questions in global peatland science. Communications Earth & Environment, 7, 349. 11, pp. 10.1038/s43247-026-03321-5

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Abstract

Peatlands are among Earth’s largest terrestrial carbon stores and are crucial for climate regulation, biodiversity conservation, and water security. Yet peatlands worldwide are deteriorating under pressures from climate change and human disturbance. Strategic, globally coordinated research is urgently needed to protect, restore and manage peatlands so they can continue to deliver essential ecosystem services. To meet this challenge, here we present a global research prioritisation for peatland science, based on a two-stage online survey and expert voting exercise involving 467 participants from 54 countries. We identify 50 priority research questions spanning carbon dynamics, climate impacts, restoration and management, technological innovation, and community and policy engagement. These questions provide a community-informed agenda to guide peatland research over the next decade. Addressing them will help close critical knowledge gaps, strengthen evidence-based decision making, and support the role of peatlands in achieving global climate and biodiversity goals.

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