Mass Balances of a Drained and a Rewetted Peatland: on Former Losses and Recent Gains
Drained peatlands are important sources of greenhouse gases and are rewetted to curb these emissions. We study one drained and one rewetted fen in terms of losses—and, after rewetting—gains of organic matter (OM), carbon (C), and peat thickness. We determined bulk density (BD) an...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2020-03-01
|
| Series: | Soil Systems |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2571-8789/4/1/16 |
| _version_ | 1819276759701389312 |
|---|---|
| author | Almut Mrotzek Dierk Michaelis Anke Günther Nicole Wrage-Mönnig John Couwenberg |
| author_facet | Almut Mrotzek Dierk Michaelis Anke Günther Nicole Wrage-Mönnig John Couwenberg |
| author_sort | Almut Mrotzek |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Drained peatlands are important sources of greenhouse gases and are rewetted to curb these emissions. We study one drained and one rewetted fen in terms of losses—and, after rewetting—gains of organic matter (OM), carbon (C), and peat thickness. We determined bulk density (BD) and ash/OM (and C/OM) ratios for 0.5 cm thick contiguous slices from peat monoliths to calculate losses. Whereas one site has lost 28.5 kg OM m<sup>−2</sup> corresponding to annual emissions of ~10 t CO<sub>2</sub> ha<sup>−1</sup> a<sup>−1</sup> over 50 years of effective drainage, the other site has lost 102 kg OM m<sup>−2</sup>, corresponding to an annual loss of ~30 t CO<sub>2</sub> ha<sup>−1</sup> a<sup>−1</sup> for 30 years of intensive drainage and 6 t CO<sub>2</sub> ha<sup>−1</sup> a<sup>−1</sup> during ~225 years of weak drainage before that. Height losses ranged from 43 to 162 cm. In the 20 years after rewetting, 2.12 kg C m<sup>−2</sup> was accumulated, equaling an average annual uptake of ~0.4 kg CO<sub>2</sub> m<sup>−2</sup> a<sup>−1</sup>. The results indicate that rewetting can lead to carbon accumulation in fens. This sink function is only small compared with the high emissions that are avoided through rewetting. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-23T23:45:20Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-b76597a88b3240ffb6e2c1f2e33e473e |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2571-8789 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-23T23:45:20Z |
| publishDate | 2020-03-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Soil Systems |
| spelling | doaj.art-b76597a88b3240ffb6e2c1f2e33e473e2022-12-21T17:25:32ZengMDPI AGSoil Systems2571-87892020-03-01411610.3390/soilsystems4010016soilsystems4010016Mass Balances of a Drained and a Rewetted Peatland: on Former Losses and Recent GainsAlmut Mrotzek0Dierk Michaelis1Anke Günther2Nicole Wrage-Mönnig3John Couwenberg4Peatland Studies and Palaeoecology, Institute of Botany and Landscape Ecology, University of Greifswald, partner in the Greifswald Mire Centre, Soldmannstr. 15, 17487 Greifswald, GermanyPeatland Studies and Palaeoecology, Institute of Botany and Landscape Ecology, University of Greifswald, partner in the Greifswald Mire Centre, Soldmannstr. 15, 17487 Greifswald, GermanyLandscape Ecology and Site Evaluation, Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, University of Rostock, J.-v.-Liebig-Weg 6, 18051 Rostock, GermanyGrassland and Fodder Sciences, Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, University of Rostock, J.-v.-Liebig-Weg 6, 18051 Rostock, GermanyPeatland Studies and Palaeoecology, Institute of Botany and Landscape Ecology, University of Greifswald, partner in the Greifswald Mire Centre, Soldmannstr. 15, 17487 Greifswald, GermanyDrained peatlands are important sources of greenhouse gases and are rewetted to curb these emissions. We study one drained and one rewetted fen in terms of losses—and, after rewetting—gains of organic matter (OM), carbon (C), and peat thickness. We determined bulk density (BD) and ash/OM (and C/OM) ratios for 0.5 cm thick contiguous slices from peat monoliths to calculate losses. Whereas one site has lost 28.5 kg OM m<sup>−2</sup> corresponding to annual emissions of ~10 t CO<sub>2</sub> ha<sup>−1</sup> a<sup>−1</sup> over 50 years of effective drainage, the other site has lost 102 kg OM m<sup>−2</sup>, corresponding to an annual loss of ~30 t CO<sub>2</sub> ha<sup>−1</sup> a<sup>−1</sup> for 30 years of intensive drainage and 6 t CO<sub>2</sub> ha<sup>−1</sup> a<sup>−1</sup> during ~225 years of weak drainage before that. Height losses ranged from 43 to 162 cm. In the 20 years after rewetting, 2.12 kg C m<sup>−2</sup> was accumulated, equaling an average annual uptake of ~0.4 kg CO<sub>2</sub> m<sup>−2</sup> a<sup>−1</sup>. The results indicate that rewetting can lead to carbon accumulation in fens. This sink function is only small compared with the high emissions that are avoided through rewetting.https://www.mdpi.com/2571-8789/4/1/16fen rewettingcarbon storagecarbon lossthickness lossorganic matter losspercolation fenclimate change mitigationpeat |
| spellingShingle | Almut Mrotzek Dierk Michaelis Anke Günther Nicole Wrage-Mönnig John Couwenberg Mass Balances of a Drained and a Rewetted Peatland: on Former Losses and Recent Gains Soil Systems fen rewetting carbon storage carbon loss thickness loss organic matter loss percolation fen climate change mitigation peat |
| title | Mass Balances of a Drained and a Rewetted Peatland: on Former Losses and Recent Gains |
| title_full | Mass Balances of a Drained and a Rewetted Peatland: on Former Losses and Recent Gains |
| title_fullStr | Mass Balances of a Drained and a Rewetted Peatland: on Former Losses and Recent Gains |
| title_full_unstemmed | Mass Balances of a Drained and a Rewetted Peatland: on Former Losses and Recent Gains |
| title_short | Mass Balances of a Drained and a Rewetted Peatland: on Former Losses and Recent Gains |
| title_sort | mass balances of a drained and a rewetted peatland on former losses and recent gains |
| topic | fen rewetting carbon storage carbon loss thickness loss organic matter loss percolation fen climate change mitigation peat |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2571-8789/4/1/16 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT almutmrotzek massbalancesofadrainedandarewettedpeatlandonformerlossesandrecentgains AT dierkmichaelis massbalancesofadrainedandarewettedpeatlandonformerlossesandrecentgains AT ankegunther massbalancesofadrainedandarewettedpeatlandonformerlossesandrecentgains AT nicolewragemonnig massbalancesofadrainedandarewettedpeatlandonformerlossesandrecentgains AT johncouwenberg massbalancesofadrainedandarewettedpeatlandonformerlossesandrecentgains |