First-ever flux tower on forested peat to measure landscape scale emissions - James Hutton Institute

The South of Scotland has joined a national network of flux towers, with a unique project, involving the Hutton, allowing greenhouse gases to be measured as the land changes from commercial forestry crops to restored peatland.

The 14-metre flux tower is the first-ever installed in the south of Scotland and sits within a commercial forestry crop planted upon deep peat soil.

Critically, the tower will be the first to measure carbon dioxide and methane from the site as the trees grow, reach maturity and are felled, to see how emissions change as the land is restored back to open peatland. The Hutton is leading on the retrieval and analysis of the flux equipment data.

Greenhouse gases have increased in our atmosphere due to human activity since the industrial revolution, causing the climate crisis. Understanding how Scotland’s land stores or releases these gases is key to reducing carbon emissions.

Peatlands are recognised as vital carbon stores and are the largest terrestrial store of carbon in the UK. Information from the flux tower, funded by NatureScot, will help fill critical gaps in the understanding of greenhouse gas emissions from peatlands in different conditions.

Globally, it will put Scotland at the forefront of understanding peatland restoration including how forests impact deep peat, in Scotland. It will also provide critical information for the Scottish Government towards its ambition to reach net zero emissions by 2045.

The new flux tower is a collaboration between NatureScot Peatland ACTION, The James Hutton Institute, The UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, The Crichton Carbon Centre and Forestry and Land Scotland.