Peatland Ecology Research Group (PERG)

What Peatland Ecology Research Group (PERG) does

Peatland Ecology Research Group (PERG), legally known as Groupe de recherche en écologie des tourbières (GRET), is an academic research group operating within Université Laval in Quebec City, Canada, founded in 1992 by Line Rochefort. The group's mission is to develop knowledge on peatlands, wetlands, and their ecological restoration to guide societal choices regarding responsible management through education and research. PERG's core offering is the Moss Layer Transfer Technique (MLTT), an 8-step proprietary restoration methodology developed in collaboration with the Canadian Sphagnum Peat Moss Association (CSPMA) for restoring Sphagnum-dominated peatlands after horticultural extraction; MLTT has been applied across North America, South America, Japan, Australia, and Europe. Supporting outputs include the foundational Quinty & Rochefort Peatland Restoration Guide, 726 total publications, the Sphagnum farming research program, the Wetland Mitigation Bibliography (over 1,200 documents), and Ramsar Policy Brief No. 5.

PERG does not operate a commercial business model. Revenue (in the form of research funding) flows from NSERC grants, the Partnership Research Chair funded by CSPMA and member companies (Sun Gro Horticulture, Premier Horticulture, ASB Greenworld, Aurora Peat Products, and others), and project-specific partnerships with Ducks Unlimited Canada, the Government of Manitoba, and Premier Tech. The group serves three primary segments: the academic research community (153 graduates and current students), the Canadian peat horticultural industry seeking sustainable extraction and restoration practices, and government environmental agencies requiring expertise in wetland protection and climate mitigation. The go-to-market is event-driven, centered on the annual Peatland Science Symposium (31st edition in 2026), biennial technology transfer workshops, and the Écho tourbières newsletter, with technical outputs disseminated through academic publications rather than commercial distribution channels.

Name

Peatland Ecology Research Group (PERG)

Legal name

Groupe de recherche en écologie des tourbières (GRET)

Website

https://gret-perg.ulaval.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

1992

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Peatland Ecology Research Group (PERG) is an academic research group at Université Laval, founded in 1992, that develops the Moss Layer Transfer Technique and other restoration methodologies for degraded peatlands, serving the Canadian horticultural peat industry, academic researchers, and government environmental agencies.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Environmental Research Services

NAICS

Support Activities for Forestry (11531)

SIC

Forestry (800)

akta.pro primary industry

Site Assessment, Planning & Permitting (Reforestation Plans) (AFAMACAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Brownfield Redevelopment & Land Reclamation (Cleanup for Reuse, Risk-Based Closure) (EUAIALAI), Forest Residue & Slash Recovery for Biomass (AFAMAGAC)

Keywords

• Peatland restoration research
• Wetland ecology studies
• Sphagnum moss research
• Ecosystem restoration science
• Carbon sequestration research

Headquarters

HQ city

Quebec City

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Research Funding and Grants: NSERC Alliance Grant 'Nature-based solutions: Restoration of peatlands for biodiversity recovery and climate change mitigation' with cash investment of nearly $2.8 million, involving Ducks Unlimited Canada and Government of Manitoba.
2. Partnership Research Chair Funding: Five-year Partnership Research Chair in Ecosystem Restoration funded by Canadian Sphagnum Peat Moss Association (CSPMA) and member companies, plus additional companies including Sun Gro Horticulture Ltd, Premier Horticulture Ltd, and others.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

PERG develops and transfers peatland restoration methodologies, with the Moss Layer Transfer Technique (MLTT) as its flagship approach, supporting the recovery of Sphagnum-dominated bogs after horticultural peat extraction. The group delivers applied research, field protocols, training, and post-restoration monitoring services to industry partners, government agencies, and academic collaborators. Its work spans donor-site selection, plant fragment transfer, hydrological rehabilitation, and long-term ecological monitoring of restored sites.

Product overview

Peatland Ecology Research Group (PERG) is an academic research group at Université Laval (Quebec, Canada) founded in 1992, focused on developing knowledge about peatlands, wetlands, and their ecological restoration. Rather than commercial technology products, PERG's offerings consist of scientifically-validated restoration methodologies (notably the Moss Layer Transfer Technique), technical publications and guides, research resources including annotated bibliographies, and policy briefs. Their core offering is the MLTT—an 8-step restoration protocol for Sphagnum-dominated peatlands—which is complemented by supporting resources such as the Peatland Restoration Guide, Sphagnum farming research programs, and specialized bibliographies. These research outputs guide industry and government stakeholders in responsible peatland management.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Moss Layer Transfer Technique (MLTT) Restoration Methodology Proprietary peatland restoration methodology developed and continuously refined by PERG, used to restore harvested Sphagnum-dominated bogs to functional ecosystems. Includes donor-site identification, plant fragment transfer, hydrological rehabilitation, and post-restoration monitoring protocols. Sold/licensed to peat harvesting companies and conservation agencies.
• Applied Peatland Research Services Contract and grant-based research services covering peatland ecology, hydrology, carbon dynamics, and biodiversity assessment for industry partners and government agencies.
• Sphagnum Cultivation Research Research and field protocols for Sphagnum biomass cultivation, supporting sustainable growing media production and peatland conservation.
• Peatland Restoration Training and Workshops Hands-on training and workshops covering the MLTT methodology, Sphagnum cultivation, and post-restoration monitoring, delivered to industry practitioners and government staff.

Quantifiable outcome

• Moss Layer Transfer Technique now applied in North America, South America, Japan, Australia, and Europe
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Can-PeatcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 18 February 2026Annual joint Peatland Science Symposium co-organized since 1994, marking the 31st edition in 2026. Joint research collaboration on peatland science and carbon dynamics with University of Waterloo.
• Université LavalcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Home institution providing the Envirotron Pavilion headquarters and administrative support for PERG. Co-organizer of symposium venue hosting.
• Canadian Sphagnum Peat Moss Association (CSPMA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 13 June 2024Five-year Partnership Research Chair in Ecosystem Restoration created with CSPMA and its member companies including Theriault and Hachey Peat Moss Ltd, ASB Greenworld Ltd, Aurora Peat Products ULC, and others. The chair advances ecological restoration research for peatlands, agricultural peatlands, and northern sites.
• Ducks Unlimited CanadacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024NSERC Alliance Grant partner for the research program 'Nature-based solutions: Restoration of peatlands for biodiversity recovery and climate change mitigation' with additional funding partnership.
• Government of ManitobacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024NSERC Alliance Grant co-funder for peatland restoration research program alongside Ducks Unlimited Canada.
• Premier Tech Producteurs et ConsommateurscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Saturn Project collaboration studying the effects of the new acrotelm harvesting method developed by Premier Tech on vegetation preservation, wildlife, peat decomposition, and carbon stock protection.
• University of Eastern FinlandminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024International research collaboration since early 2000s with Professor Eeva-Stiina Tuittila (postdoctoral fellow in Line Rochefort's lab 2001-2002). Collaboration recognized through honorary doctorate for Line Rochefort.
• Bangor University (UK)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024International collaboration on Saturn Project with doctoral student Takara Simpson Jenkins and research professional Dan Aberg assessing soil enzymatic activity after acrotelm harvesting.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Ducks Unlimited Canada: Co-funder of PERG's NSERC Alliance Grant and direct partner on peatland restoration projects in Canada. Ducks Unlimited Canada operates the same habitat restoration mission at a larger scale, making it the closest programmatic peer in Canadian wetland restoration.
• Can-Peat (University of Waterloo): Canadian peatland research consortium led by Maria Strack at the University of Waterloo; co-organizes the annual symposium with PERG. Directly comparable as a peatland science peer in Canada with complementary expertise in carbon dynamics.
• Moors for the Future Partnership: UK-based partnership that restores degraded blanket bog peatlands using techniques directly comparable to MLTT. Operates as a research-to-implementation organization with industry and government funding, paralleling PERG's industry-academic model.
• Greifswald Mire Centre: German research centre specializing in peatland conservation, rewetting, and restoration science. Comparable to PERG in its scientific mission, publication output, and global policy engagement on peatlands.
• IUCN UK Peatland Programme: Coordinates peatland science, policy, and restoration across the UK; conducts research and convenes stakeholders analogous to PERG. Directly comparable as a peatland-focused convening and research body with cross-border influence.

Broad incumbents

• Sun Gro Horticulture: Major North American peat-based horticultural substrate producer and CSPMA member contributing to PERG's Partnership Research Chair. Comparable as a peat industry incumbent funding restoration science to sustain its license to operate.
• Premier Tech: Industry partner on PERG's Saturn Project studying acrotelm harvesting. A global leader in Sphagnum-based growing media, making it the most commercially significant peer bridging horticulture and peatland science.

Regional players

• Yorkshire Peat Partnership: Restores degraded peatlands across northern England using methods parallel to MLTT. Functions as a regional implementation and research arm, comparable to PERG's applied restoration projects in Quebec.

Emerging players

• Bangor University (School of Natural Sciences): UK university collaborating with PERG on the Saturn Project, contributing doctoral and post-doctoral researchers. Comparable as an international peatland research collaborator with overlapping faculty expertise.
• University of Eastern Finland (Peatland and Forest Ecology research): Long-standing collaborator with PERG (Eeva-Stiina Tuittila was a postdoc in Rochefort's lab). Comparable as a European academic peatland research group with overlapping methods and a strong publication record.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/PERG_GRET
• Facebookfacebook.com/gret.perg
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/gret-perg

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Peatland Ecology Research Group (PERG)