Prompt active restoration of peatlands substantially reduces climate impact
Restoration of peatlands after peat extraction could be a benefit to the climate system. However a multi-year ecosystem-scale assessment of net carbon (C) sequestration is needed. We investigate the climate impact of active peatland restoration (rewetting and revegetating) using a chronosequence of...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
IOP Publishing
2019-01-01
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| Series: | Environmental Research Letters |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/ab56e6 |
| Summary: | Restoration of peatlands after peat extraction could be a benefit to the climate system. However a multi-year ecosystem-scale assessment of net carbon (C) sequestration is needed. We investigate the climate impact of active peatland restoration (rewetting and revegetating) using a chronosequence of C gas exchange measurements across post-extraction Canadian peatlands. An atmospheric perturbation model computed the instantaneous change in radiative forcing of CO _2 and CH _4 emissions/uptake over 500 years. We found that using emission factors specific to an active restoration technique resulted in a radiative forcing reduction of 89% within 20 years compared to IPCC Tier 1 emission factors based on a wide range of rewetting activities. Immediate active restoration achieved a neutral climate impact (excluding C losses in the removed peat) about 155 years earlier than did a 20 year delay in restoration. A management plan that includes prompt active restoration is key to utilizing peatland restoration as a climate change mitigation strategy. |
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| ISSN: | 1748-9326 |