The role of waterborne carbon in the greenhouse gas balance of drained and re-wetted peatlands

Evans, C. D.; Renou‐Wilson, Florence; Strack, Maria

doi:10.1007/s00027-015-0447-y

Cited by 103 publications

(126 citation statements)

References 96 publications

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“…While some of the windborne POC is likely to be deposited within the extraction field itself, a proportion undoubtedly leaves the peatland, although there are currently few data available to quantify losses from either wind or water erosion or the extent to which POC is converted to CO 2 (IPCC, 2014). In addition, high losses of DOC from drained peatlands have been reported (Evans et al, 2015, and references therein). Although a Tier 1 EF value for DOC is provided in the IPCC Wetlands Supplement, disaggregated by climate zone, with the assumption that 90 % of the exported DOC is converted to CO 2 , there is an obvious need to quantify these losses on a regional basis given the high precipitation loads experienced by the ROI and the UK and the associated differences in peat type (Evans et al, 2015).…”

Section: Information Gapsmentioning

confidence: 97%

“…In addition, high losses of DOC from drained peatlands have been reported (Evans et al, 2015, and references therein). Although a Tier 1 EF value for DOC is provided in the IPCC Wetlands Supplement, disaggregated by climate zone, with the assumption that 90 % of the exported DOC is converted to CO 2 , there is an obvious need to quantify these losses on a regional basis given the high precipitation loads experienced by the ROI and the UK and the associated differences in peat type (Evans et al, 2015). Emissions from burning are not currently reported in either the ROI or UK inventory reports.…”

Section: Information Gapsmentioning

confidence: 97%

“…In general, a lowering of the water table leads to increased CO 2 emissions Salm et al, 2012;Haddaway et al, 2014) as the aerobic layer is deepened and mineralisation rates are accentuated. Concurrently, CH 4 emissions (with the exception of emissions from ditches) may decrease or cease Turetsky et al, 2014), waterborne C exports may increase (Strack et al, 2008;Evans et al, 2015) and there may be a heightened risk of C loss through fire . In the case of peat extraction, C cycling may be further altered by the removal of vegetation (Waddington and Price, 2000), and losses of windblown particulate organic carbon (POC) may be exacerbated from the bare peat surfaces (Lindsay, 2010).…”

Section: Wilson Et Al: Derivation Of Greenhouse Gas Emission Factmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The IPCC Wetlands Supplement provides Tier 1 EFs for CH 4 emissions from both peat extraction areas and from ditches. The value for the latter is particularly high (542 kg CH 4 ha −1 yr −1 expressed per unit area of ditch surface) and indicates the importance of this pathway in the full GHG balance (Evans et al, 2015). Similarly, N 2 O emissions have been shown to be significant from drained peatlands (Regina et al, 1996); yet despite this, there are only a small number of published studies and more research is critical in order to provide regionally specific EFs.…”

Section: Information Gapsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Derivation of greenhouse gas emission factors for peatlands managed for extraction in the Republic of Ireland and the United Kingdom

Wilson¹,

Dixon

Artz

et al. 2015

Biogeosciences

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Abstract. Drained peatlands are significant hotspots of carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) emissions and may also be more vulnerable to fire with its associated gaseous emissions. Under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the Kyoto Protocol, greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from peatlands managed for extraction are reported on an annual basis. However, the Tier 1 (default) emission factors (EFs) provided in the IPCC 2013 Wetlands Supplement for this land use category may not be representative in all cases and countries are encouraged to move to highertier reporting levels with reduced uncertainty levels based on country-or regional-specific data. In this study, we quantified (1) CO 2 -C emissions from nine peat extraction sites in the Republic of Ireland and the United Kingdom, which were initially disaggregated by land use type (industrial versus domestic peat extraction), and (2) a range of GHGs that are released to the atmosphere with the burning of peat. Drainagerelated methane (CH 4 ) and nitrous oxide (N 2 O) emissions as well as CO 2 -C emissions associated with the off-site decomposition of horticultural peat were not included here. Our results show that net CO 2 -C emissions were strongly controlled by soil temperature at the industrial sites (bare peat) and by soil temperature and leaf area index at the vegetated domestic sites. Our derived EFs of 1.70 (±0.47) and 1.64 (±0.44) t CO 2 -C ha −1 yr −1 for the industrial and domestic sites respectively are considerably lower than the Tier 1 EF (2.8 ± 1.7 t CO 2 -C ha −1 yr −1 ) provided in the Wetlands Supplement. We propose that the difference between our derived values and the Wetlands Supplement value is due to differences in peat quality and, consequently, decomposition rates. Emissions from burning of the peat (g kg −1 dry fuel burned) were estimated to be approximately 1346 CO 2 , 8.35 methane (CH 4 ), 218 carbon monoxide (CO), 1.53 ethane (C 2 H 6 ), 1.74 ethylene (C 2 H 4 ), 0.60 methanol (CH 3 OH), 2.21 hydrogen cyanide (HCN) and 0.73 ammonia (NH 3 ), and this emphasises the importance of understanding the full suite of trace gas emissions from biomass burning. Our results highlight the importance of generating reliable Tier 2 values for different regions and land use categories. Furthermore, given that the IPCC Tier 1 EF was only based on 20 sites (all from Canada and Fennoscandia), we suggest that data from another 9 sites significantly expand the global data set, as well as adding a new region.

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Section: Information Gapsmentioning

confidence: 97%

Section: Information Gapsmentioning

confidence: 97%

Section: Wilson Et Al: Derivation Of Greenhouse Gas Emission Factmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Information Gapsmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

Derivation of greenhouse gas emission factors for peatlands managed for extraction in the Republic of Ireland and the United Kingdom

Wilson¹,

Dixon

Artz

et al. 2015

Biogeosciences

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“…Draining wetlands decreases CO 2 uptake and increases rates of microbial decomposition and CO 2 release (Mietten et al 2017). Soil C is also lost by peat extraction, drainage and other disturbance (Laıne et al 2014;Evans et al 2015;Page and Baird 2016). The hydrologic changes can be so large that they result in massive losses of C to the atmosphere, such as occurred during the fires in tropical peatlands in Southeast Asia (Page et al 2002).…”

Section: Part 1: Wetlands In a Changing Climate: The Sciencementioning

confidence: 99%

Wetlands In a Changing Climate: Science, Policy and Management

Moomaw

Chmura

Davies³

et al. 2018

Wetlands

299

142

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Part 1 of this review synthesizes recent research on status and climate vulnerability of freshwater and saltwater wetlands, and their contribution to addressing climate change (carbon cycle, adaptation, resilience). Peatlands and vegetated coastal wetlands are among the most carbon rich sinks on the planet sequestering approximately as much carbon as do global forest ecosystems. Estimates of the consequences of rising temperature on current wetland carbon storage and future carbon sequestration potential are summarized. We also demonstrate the need to prevent drying of wetlands and thawing of permafrost by disturbances and rising temperatures to protect wetland carbon stores and climate adaptation/resiliency ecosystem services. Preventing further wetland loss is found to be important in limiting future emissions to meet climate goals, but is seldom considered. In Part 2, the paper explores the policy and management realm from international to national, subnational and local levels to identify strategies and policies reflecting an integrated understanding of both wetland and climate change science. Specific recommendations are made to capture synergies between wetlands and carbon cycle management, adaptation and resiliency to further enable researchers, policy makers and practitioners to protect wetland carbon and climate adaptation/resiliency ecosystem services.

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Lateral expansion and carbon exchange of a boreal peatland in Finland resulting in 7000 years of positive radiative forcing

et al. 2017

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Data on past peatland growth patterns, vegetation development, and carbon (C) dynamics during the various Holocene climate phases may help us to understand possible future climate‐peatland feedback mechanisms. In this study, we analyzed and radiocarbon dated several peat cores from Kalevansuo, a drained bog in southern Finland. We investigated peatland succession and C dynamics throughout the Holocene. These data were used to reconstruct the long‐term atmospheric radiative forcing, i.e., climate impact of the peatland since initiation. Kalevansuo peat records revealed a general development from fen to bog, typical for the southern boreal zone, but the timing of ombrotrophication varied in different parts of the peatland. Peat accumulation patterns and lateral expansion through paludification were influenced by fires and climate conditions. Long‐term C accumulation rates were overall lower than the average values found from literature. We suggest the low accumulation rates are due to repeated burning of the peat surface. Drainage for forestry resulted in a nearly complete replacement of typical bog mosses by forest species within 40 years after drainage. The radiative forcing reconstruction suggested positive values (warming) for the first ~7000 years following initiation. The change from positive to negative forcing was triggered by an expansion of bog vegetation cover and later by drainage. The strong relationship between peatland area and peat type with radiative forcing suggests a possible feedback for future changing climate, as high‐latitude peatlands may experience prominent regime shifts, such as fen to bog transitions.

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The role of waterborne carbon in the greenhouse gas balance of drained and re-wetted peatlands

Cited by 103 publications

References 96 publications

Derivation of greenhouse gas emission factors for peatlands managed for extraction in the Republic of Ireland and the United Kingdom

Derivation of greenhouse gas emission factors for peatlands managed for extraction in the Republic of Ireland and the United Kingdom

Wetlands In a Changing Climate: Science, Policy and Management

Lateral expansion and carbon exchange of a boreal peatland in Finland resulting in 7000 years of positive radiative forcing

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