Bog in Ireland comes from peat, and it is also used for fuel in Finland, Scotland, Germany, and Russia. Russia is the leading exporter of peat for fuel, at more than 90 million metric tons per year. Ireland's "Bord na Móna" ("peat board") was one of the first companies to mechanically harvest peat, which is being phased out. The other major use of dried peat is as a soil amendment (sold as "moss peat" or "sphagnum peat") to increase the soil's capacity to retain moisture and enrich the soil. It is also used as a mulch. Some distilleries, notably in the
Blawhorn Moss National Nature Reserve area by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, and is also designated as both a Special Area of Conservation and a Site of Special Scientific Interest. The reserve is owned and managed by Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH). Blawhorn Moss provides an important habitat for wildlife and supports many of the plant species representative of bog habitat. A number of sphagnum mosses grow here, as well as heather, crowberry, hare’s-tail cotton grass and common cotton grass. A variety of bird species breed on the moss, including red grouse, snipe, curlew and redshank. Stonechat, skylark and meadow pipit are also regularly