Shane Regan-Research Fellow in Environmental Engineering, Trinity College Dublin

    • Shane Regan-Research Fellow in Environmental Engineering, Trinity College Dublin's presentations

    Dr Shane Regan is a Research Fellow in environmental engineering at Trinity College Dublin and a Consultant Hydrologist with over ten years’ experience of climate and hydrological monitoring and assessment. His research is mainly focused on understanding the eco-hydrological and carbon flux dynamics of wetlands, particularly peatlands, and applying this information to restoration design and conservation management.

    Talk:Ireland’s peatland environments: carbon threats and opportunities

     

    Up to 20% of Irelands landmass is covered by peatland. While it is known that peat organic soil is the country’s largest and most significant carbon stock, relatively little is known about how much carbon is stored in these systems. Moreover, even less is known about how much carbon is currently being emitted due to drainage and land degradation. This talk discusses how much carbon is currently estimated to being lost from peatland environments in Ireland, and how carbon sequestration functions may be restored following damage. This presents an opportunity for Ireland to reduce its national carbon emissions by restoring damaged peatlands to conditions resembling their once natural state.