Peatland core domain sets: building consensus on what should be measured in research and monitoring
It is often difficult to compile and synthesise evidence across multiple studies to inform policy and practice because different outcomes have been measured in different ways or datasets and models have not been fully or consistently reported. In the case of peatlands, a critical terrestrial carbon...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
International Mire Conservation Group and International Peatland Society
2022-09-01
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| Series: | Mires and Peat |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://mires-and-peat.net/media/map28/map28_26.pdf |
| _version_ | 1827880088947916800 |
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| author | Mark S. Reed Dylan M. Young Nigel G. Taylor Roxane Andersen Nicholle G.A. Bell Hinsby Cadillo-Quiroz Matthew Grainger Andreas Heinemeyer Kristell Hergoualc’h Adam M. Gerrand Johannes Kieft Haruni Krisnawati Erik A. Lilleskov Gabriela Lopez-Gonzalez Lulie Melling Hannah Rudman, Sophie Sjogersten Jonathan S. Walker Gavin Stewart |
| author_facet | Mark S. Reed Dylan M. Young Nigel G. Taylor Roxane Andersen Nicholle G.A. Bell Hinsby Cadillo-Quiroz Matthew Grainger Andreas Heinemeyer Kristell Hergoualc’h Adam M. Gerrand Johannes Kieft Haruni Krisnawati Erik A. Lilleskov Gabriela Lopez-Gonzalez Lulie Melling Hannah Rudman, Sophie Sjogersten Jonathan S. Walker Gavin Stewart |
| author_sort | Mark S. Reed |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | It is often difficult to compile and synthesise evidence across multiple studies to inform policy and practice because different outcomes have been measured in different ways or datasets and models have not been fully or consistently reported. In the case of peatlands, a critical terrestrial carbon store, this lack of consistency hampers the evidence-based decisions in policy and practice that are needed to support effective restoration and conservation. This study adapted methods pioneered in the medical community to reach consensus over peatland outcomes that could be consistently measured and reported to improve the synthesis of data and reduce research waste. Here we report on a methodological framework for identifying, evaluating and prioritising the outcomes that should be measured. We discuss the subsequent steps to standardise methods for measuring and reporting outcomes in peatland research and monitoring. The framework was used to identify and prioritise sets of key variables (known as core domain sets) for UK blanket and raised bogs, and for tropical peat swamps. Peatland experts took part in a structured elicitation and prioritisation process, comprising two workshops and questionnaires, that focused on climate (32 and 18 unique outcomes for UK and tropical peats, respectively), hydrology (26 UK and 16 tropical outcomes), biodiversity (8 UK and 22 tropical outcomes) and fire-related outcomes (13, for tropical peatlands only). Future research is needed to tackle the challenges of standardising methods for data collection, management, analysis, reporting and re-use, and to extend the approach to other types of peatland. The process reported here is a first step towards creating datasets that can be synthesised to inform evidence-based policy and practice, and contribute towards the conservation, restoration and sustainable management of this globally significant carbon store. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-12T18:16:02Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-40155f274ded49db8a5e44db4894c0b7 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1819-754X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-12T18:16:02Z |
| publishDate | 2022-09-01 |
| publisher | International Mire Conservation Group and International Peatland Society |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Mires and Peat |
| spelling | doaj.art-40155f274ded49db8a5e44db4894c0b72023-08-02T09:08:17ZengInternational Mire Conservation Group and International Peatland SocietyMires and Peat1819-754X2022-09-01282612110.19189/MaP.2021.OMB.StA.2340Peatland core domain sets: building consensus on what should be measured in research and monitoringMark S. Reed0Dylan M. Young1Nigel G. Taylor2Roxane Andersen3Nicholle G.A. Bell4Hinsby Cadillo-Quiroz5Matthew Grainger6Andreas Heinemeyer7Kristell Hergoualc’h8Adam M. Gerrand9Johannes Kieft10Haruni Krisnawati 11Erik A. Lilleskov12Gabriela Lopez-Gonzalez13Lulie Melling14Hannah Rudman,15Sophie Sjogersten16Jonathan S. Walker17Gavin Stewart18Thriving Natural Capital Challenge Centre, Scotland’s Rural College, Edinburgh, UKSchool of Geography, University of Leeds, UKDepartment of Zoology, University of Cambridge, UKEnvironmental Research Institute, University of Highlands and Islands, Thurso, UKJoseph Black Building, University of Edinburgh, UKSchool of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe AZ, USANorwegian Institute for Nature Research, Trondheim, NorwayDepartment of Environment and Geography, Stockholm Environment Institute, University of York, UKCentre for International Forestry Research (CIFOR), La Molina, Lima, PeruUnited Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, Jakarta, IndonesiaUnited Nations Environment Programme, Jakarta, IndonesiaResearch Centre for Ecology and Ethnobiology, National Research and Innovation Agency, Bogor, IndonesiaUSDA Forest Service, Northern Research Station, Houghton, Michigan, USASchool of Geography, University of Leeds, UKSarawak Tropical Peat Research Institute (Sarawak TROPI), Kota Samarahan, MalaysiaThriving Natural Capital Challenge Centre, Scotland’s Rural College, Edinburgh, UKSchool of Biosciences, University of Nottingham Sutton Bonington Campus, Loughborough, UKCollege of Science, Swansea University, Swansea, UKSchool of Natural and Environmental Sciences, Newcastle University, UKIt is often difficult to compile and synthesise evidence across multiple studies to inform policy and practice because different outcomes have been measured in different ways or datasets and models have not been fully or consistently reported. In the case of peatlands, a critical terrestrial carbon store, this lack of consistency hampers the evidence-based decisions in policy and practice that are needed to support effective restoration and conservation. This study adapted methods pioneered in the medical community to reach consensus over peatland outcomes that could be consistently measured and reported to improve the synthesis of data and reduce research waste. Here we report on a methodological framework for identifying, evaluating and prioritising the outcomes that should be measured. We discuss the subsequent steps to standardise methods for measuring and reporting outcomes in peatland research and monitoring. The framework was used to identify and prioritise sets of key variables (known as core domain sets) for UK blanket and raised bogs, and for tropical peat swamps. Peatland experts took part in a structured elicitation and prioritisation process, comprising two workshops and questionnaires, that focused on climate (32 and 18 unique outcomes for UK and tropical peats, respectively), hydrology (26 UK and 16 tropical outcomes), biodiversity (8 UK and 22 tropical outcomes) and fire-related outcomes (13, for tropical peatlands only). Future research is needed to tackle the challenges of standardising methods for data collection, management, analysis, reporting and re-use, and to extend the approach to other types of peatland. The process reported here is a first step towards creating datasets that can be synthesised to inform evidence-based policy and practice, and contribute towards the conservation, restoration and sustainable management of this globally significant carbon store.http://mires-and-peat.net/media/map28/map28_26.pdfevidence-based policy and practiceevidence synthesisoutcomesstandardisation |
| spellingShingle | Mark S. Reed Dylan M. Young Nigel G. Taylor Roxane Andersen Nicholle G.A. Bell Hinsby Cadillo-Quiroz Matthew Grainger Andreas Heinemeyer Kristell Hergoualc’h Adam M. Gerrand Johannes Kieft Haruni Krisnawati Erik A. Lilleskov Gabriela Lopez-Gonzalez Lulie Melling Hannah Rudman, Sophie Sjogersten Jonathan S. Walker Gavin Stewart Peatland core domain sets: building consensus on what should be measured in research and monitoring Mires and Peat evidence-based policy and practice evidence synthesis outcomes standardisation |
| title | Peatland core domain sets: building consensus on what should be measured in research and monitoring |
| title_full | Peatland core domain sets: building consensus on what should be measured in research and monitoring |
| title_fullStr | Peatland core domain sets: building consensus on what should be measured in research and monitoring |
| title_full_unstemmed | Peatland core domain sets: building consensus on what should be measured in research and monitoring |
| title_short | Peatland core domain sets: building consensus on what should be measured in research and monitoring |
| title_sort | peatland core domain sets building consensus on what should be measured in research and monitoring |
| topic | evidence-based policy and practice evidence synthesis outcomes standardisation |
| url | http://mires-and-peat.net/media/map28/map28_26.pdf |
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