Topsoil removal reduced in-situ methane emissions in a temperate rewetted bog grassland by a hundredfold

Huth, Vytas; Günther, Anke; Bartel, A. T.; Höfer, Bernd; Jacobs, Oona; Jantz, Nele; Meister, Mareike; Rosinski, Eva; Urich, Tim; Weil, Micha; Zak, Dominik; Jurasinski, Gerald

doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.137763

Cited by 24 publications

(18 citation statements)

References 42 publications

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“…In addition, very high CH 4 emissions occurred due to partial inundation of the surface depressions in the OS plots, which are on the upper end of the range of emission factors for this peatland category (IPCC 2014). Inundated nutrient‐ and biomass‐rich, degraded topsoil is by far the single‐largest contributor to high CH 4 emissions after rewetting of agriculturally used bogs (Huth et al 2020). Although rare, the combination of high CO 2 and CH 4 emissions also occurred in an inundated nutrient‐rich temperate fen peatland that was previously under intensive grassland use (Hahn‐Schöfl et al 2011; Franz et al 2016).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…PVC collars (0.8 m × 0.8 m × 0.2 m) were inserted permanently into the soil (approximately 10 cm) on 1 June 2017. However, we ensured that in each of the plots with the original surface, at least one collar was placed in a depression and one in the higher areas, so that the maximum variation of surface topography was covered (Huth et al 2020). We measured GHG fluxes biweekly from 24 September 2017 to 25 September 2018 (year 1) and from 25 September 2018 to 25 September 2019 (year 2), totaling 60 field days.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…We estimated annual CH 4 and N 2 O budgets for each collar from all possible combinations of the time series data omitting two measurements (Huth et al 2020). From the resulting distribution of budgets per collar, we calculated the mean ± 1 SD.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…ANNs and half-hourly environmental data were used to calculate 100 time series of half-hourly CO 2 fluxes for each plot and year, from which we calculated the mean annual CO 2 sum AE1 SE. We estimated annual CH 4 and N 2 O budgets for each collar from all possible combinations of the time series data omitting two measurements (Huth et al 2020). From the resulting distribution of budgets per collar, we calculated the mean AE 1 SD.…”

Section: Estimation Of Annual Ghg Budgetsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Rewetting is an effective measure to reduce CO 2 emissions from peatlands (Komulainen et al 1999; Nugent et al 2018). Further, the removal of the uppermost, eutrophic, degraded peat layer (“topsoil removal,” TSR) effectively reduces methane (CH 4 ) emissions after rewetting (Huth et al 2020) because it provides an “ecosystem set‐back” from soils with compromised physical functioning and nutrient status (Brouns et al 2014) to more pristine conditions (Patzelt et al 2001; Emsens et al 2015). Also, the previously cultivated vegetation can effectively be removed by TSR (Klimkowska et al 2010), facilitating the establishment of peat‐forming vegetation (Patzelt et al 2001; Emsens et al 2015).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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The climate benefits of topsoil removal and Sphagnum introduction in raised bog restoration

Huth

Günther

Bartel

et al. 2021

Restoration Ecology

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Many raised bogs in Central Europe are in an unfavorable state: drainage causes high emissions of carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) and nitrous oxide (N 2 O), while rewetting may result in high methane (CH 4 ) emissions. Also, the establishment of typical bog species is often hampered during restoration. Measures like topsoil removal (TSR) or introduction of target vegetation are known to improve restoration success in other systems, but experiences on bogs after long-term agricultural use are scarce and their climate effects including carbon losses from TSR are unknown. In a field trial in north-western Germany, consisting of seven plots (intensive grassland, IG, and six restoration approaches), we explored the effects of rewetting, TSR and Sphagnum introduction on greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. We measured GHG fluxes to obtain two-year GHG budgets and applied a radiative forcing model to assess the time-dependent climate effects. Existing uncertainty of decomposition processes in the translocated topsoil has been incorporated by different topsoil accounting scenarios. According to our data, rewetting alone reduced CO 2 emissions by approximately 75% compared to IG, but substantially increased CH 4 emissions. After TSR and rewetting, on-site CO 2 emissions were close to zero or, with Sphagnum introduction, net negative while CH 4 emissions remained very low. The climatic warming effect of TSR including C export becomes less climate warming than rewetting nutrient-rich peatlands after a few decades. For raised bog restoration, we therefore recommend a TSR sufficient to achieve nutrient-poor and acidic conditions needed for rapid Sphagnum establishment.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Estimation Of Annual Ghg Budgetsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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The climate benefits of topsoil removal and Sphagnum introduction in raised bog restoration

Huth

Günther

Bartel

et al. 2021

Restoration Ecology

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Modelling the performance of bunds and ditch dams in the hydrological restoration of tropical peatlands

Putra

Baird

Holden

2022

Hydrological Processes

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Many tropical peatlands are subjected to artificial drainage that leads to degradation.Hence, hydrological restoration has recently been prioritized. Nevertheless, as field monitoring data are limited, little is known about how restoration measures, such as ditch dams and bunds, can regulate tropical peatland water tables. We used a hydrodynamic model -DigiBog_Hydroto simulate the effectiveness of ditch dams and bunds across three El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) scenarios, which are El Niño, La Niña and Neutral, in three typical sites. The sites were moderately degraded (Mod-Dgr) and severely degraded (Sev-Dgr) peatland plots (each 0.2 km 2 ), representing typical peatland conditions in Sebangau National Park, Kalimantan, Indonesia. Our fine-scale (1 m Â 1 m spatial resolution) modelling revealed that in the dry season of any ENSO scenario, the significant effects of ditch-dams alone on peatland water-level were limited to lateral distances of 26 m (in Mod-Dgr) and 12 m (in Sev-Dgr) from the ditch. In the dry season of an El Niño year, the combination of ditch dams and bunds helped maintain water levels up to 72 cm (in Mod-Dgr) and 69 cm (in Sev-Dgr) higher than in the no-restoration condition. During the extremedry period of an El Niño year, the bunds reduced the number of days when the water table was deeper than 40 cm in Mod-Dgr and in Sev-Dgr by 50% and 73%, respectively. We suggest that bunds used in combination with ditch dams are a practical restoration measure for tropical peatlands, providing critical extra water storage and helping maintain water tables near the peatland surface in dry periods. We also demonstrate how fine-scale hydrodynamic modelling is beneficial for planning and assessment of restoration measures in tropical peatlands.

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Saving soil carbon, greenhouse gas emissions, biodiversity and the economy: paludiculture as sustainable land use option in German fen peatlands

2022

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Peatlands in the European Union are largely drained for agriculture and emit 25% of the total agricultural greenhouse gas emissions. Drainage-based peatland use has also negative impacts on water quality, drinking water provision and biodiversity. Consequently, key EU environmental policy objectives include the rewetting of all drained peatlands as an essential nature-based solution. Rewetting of peatlands can be combined with site-adapted land use, so-called paludiculture. Paludiculture produces biomass from wet and rewetted peatlands under conditions that maintain the peat body, facilitate peat accumulation and can provide many of the ecosystem services associated with natural, undrained peatlands. The biomass can be used for a wide range of traditional and innovative food, feed, fibre and fuel products. Based on examples in Germany, we have analysed emerging paludiculture options for temperate Europe with respect to greenhouse gas fluxes, biodiversity and indicative business economics. Best estimates of site emission factors vary between 0 and 8 t CO2eq ha−1 y−1. Suitability maps for four peatland-rich federal states (76% of total German peatland area) indicate that most of the drained, agriculturally used peatland area could be used for paludiculture, about one-third of the fen area for any paludiculture type. Fen-specific biodiversity benefits from rewetting and paludiculture, if compared to the drained state. Under favourable conditions, paludiculture can be economically viable, but costs and revenues vary considerably. Key recommendations for large-scale implementation are providing planning security by paludiculture spatial planning, establishing best practice sites and strengthening research into crops, water tables and management options.

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Topsoil removal reduced in-situ methane emissions in a temperate rewetted bog grassland by a hundredfold

Cited by 24 publications

References 42 publications

The climate benefits of topsoil removal and Sphagnum introduction in raised bog restoration

The climate benefits of topsoil removal and Sphagnum introduction in raised bog restoration

Modelling the performance of bunds and ditch dams in the hydrological restoration of tropical peatlands

Saving soil carbon, greenhouse gas emissions, biodiversity and the economy: paludiculture as sustainable land use option in German fen peatlands

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