As well as humans, our planet is home to millions of species of animals, flora and fauna. It also hosts an array of amazing habitats which can be found both on land and in the sea. All of this combined makes up nature all around us here on Earth.
Our diverse habitats which support a rich variety of wildlife include forests, peatlands, bogs and salt marshes as well as wetlands, deserts and swamps, grasslands and sand dunes, underwater seagrass meadows and kelp forests to name a few. It’s likely that we may never visit some of these places, yet they all play a hugely important role in the lives of humans and their health is vital for our survival too.
This is because alongside supporting species, many of nature’s habitats also have the ability to help lessen the impact of climate change, but these very habitats and the species which they support are now being impacted by climate change too. Experts have highlighted that climate change and the loss of nature are problems which are linked and which must be tackled together.
The UK has committed to becoming nature positive by 2030. This means reversing the current decline of biodiversity so that ecosystems can once again thrive.
Peatlands are one of the most valuable ecosystems on Earth – although they occupy just 3% of the Earth’s land surface, they are of enormous importance to the stability and general wellbeing of our environment.
Peatlands support a range of specialised plants and animals and also act as a major store of soil carbon. Peatlands also provide a range of other ecosystem services, such as water purification, flood alleviation, recreational opportunities and contain a historical archive.
Interesting fact – peatlands store more carbon than all other vegetation types in the world combined.
Read more articles below on the ways in which nature is being impacted by human behaviour and climate change, and the steps we can all take to help make things better.
Northern Ireland has a long history of finding amazing ways to use seaweed. However, we now understand how important seaweed is in ecological terms and how it can help in the fight against climate change.
7 Fun facts about fungi! Fungus, plural fungi, is any member of the group of about 144,000 known eukaryotic organisms of the kingdom Fungi, which includes yeasts, rusts, smuts, mildews, molds, and mushrooms.
They are found in just about any habitat but most live on the land, mainly in soil or on plant material, and they come in all shapes and sizes. Some also live in the sea or in fresh water.
The waters around NI are full of a rich array of marine wildlife including dolphins, sharks, seals, jellyfish and much more. We have eleven species of sharks and two species
Twelve years ago the fragile sand dune ecosystems within Bann Estuary in Co Londonderry were assessed as being under serious threat, with many hectares of the site invaded and enclosed by large thickets of non-native Sea Buckthorn.
Learn about the restoration of degraded blanket bog on Cuilcagh Mountain in Co Fermanagh.
Source to Tap is an innovative, exciting, cross-border partnership project with the objective of developing sustainable solutions for the protection of rivers and lakes on the River Derg and River Erne, which are the main sources of our shared drinking water.