Scotland has many different habitat types including locks, glens and bogs, with bogs accounting for a large proportion of Scotland's natural habitats.
Peat is defined as the product of the fossilisation of plant debris by microorganisms (bacteria, arthropods, fungi, microfauna) in moist, oxygen-poor environments over a period of time varying from 1,000 to 7,000 years. These environments are called "peatlands".
Birds of European importance such as the black-throated diver, the redshank, the short-eared owl and the common sandpiper can be found here, as well as other wild animals (roe deer and common hare). Plants such as the drosera are among the species that depend on this habitat.
Peatlands are huge stores of carbon, but as a result of the exploitation and degradation of much of Scotland's peatlands, they emit millions of tonnes of harmful CO2 into the air each year. As such, the Scottish Government has been funding peatland restoration projects since 2012, initially through NatureScot.
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