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Jurasinski G, Barthelmes A, Byrne KA, Chojnicki BH, Christiansen JR, Decleer K, Fritz C, Günther AB, Huth V, Joosten H, Juszczak R, Juutinen S, Kasimir Å, Klemedtsson L, Koebsch F, Kotowski W, Kull A, Lamentowicz M, Lindgren A, Lindsay R, Linkevičienė R, Lohila A, Mander Ü, Manton M, Minkkinen K, Peters J, Renou-Wilson F, Sendžikaitė J, Šimanauskienė R, Taminskas J, Tanneberger F, Tegetmeyer C, van Diggelen R, Vasander H, Wilson D, Zableckis N, Zak DH, Couwenberg J. Active afforestation of drained peatlands is not a viable option under the EU Nature Restoration Law. AMBIO 2024; 53:970-983. [PMID: 38696060 PMCID: PMC11101405 DOI: 10.1007/s13280-024-02016-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2023] [Revised: 01/31/2024] [Accepted: 03/25/2024] [Indexed: 05/18/2024]
Abstract
The EU Nature Restoration Law (NRL) is critical for the restoration of degraded ecosystems and active afforestation of degraded peatlands has been suggested as a restoration measure under the NRL. Here, we discuss the current state of scientific evidence on the climate mitigation effects of peatlands under forestry. Afforestation of drained peatlands without restoring their hydrology does not fully restore ecosystem functions. Evidence on long-term climate benefits is lacking and it is unclear whether CO2 sequestration of forest on drained peatland can offset the carbon loss from the peat over the long-term. While afforestation may offer short-term gains in certain cases, it compromises the sustainability of peatland carbon storage. Thus, active afforestation of drained peatlands is not a viable option for climate mitigation under the EU Nature Restoration Law and might even impede future rewetting/restoration efforts. Instead, restoring hydrological conditions through rewetting is crucial for effective peatland restoration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gerald Jurasinski
- Institute of Botany and Landscape Ecology, University of Greifswald, Partner in the Greifswald Mire Centre, Greifswald, Germany.
- Laboratory of Flora and Geobotany, Institute of Botany, Nature Research Centre, Vilnius, Lithuania.
| | - Alexandra Barthelmes
- Institute of Botany and Landscape Ecology, University of Greifswald, Partner in the Greifswald Mire Centre, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Kenneth A Byrne
- Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science and Engineering, University of Limerick, Limerick, Ireland
| | - Bogdan H Chojnicki
- Laboratory of Bioclimatology, Poznan University of Life Sciences, Poznan, Poland
| | - Jesper Riis Christiansen
- Department of Geoscience and Natural Resource Management, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Kris Decleer
- Research Institute for Nature and Forest, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Christian Fritz
- Department of Aquatic Biology and Environmental Sciences, RIBES, Radboud University Nijmegen, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Anke Beate Günther
- Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, University of Rostock, Rostock, Germany
| | - Vytas Huth
- Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, University of Rostock, Rostock, Germany
| | - Hans Joosten
- Institute of Botany and Landscape Ecology, University of Greifswald, Partner in the Greifswald Mire Centre, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Radosław Juszczak
- Laboratory of Bioclimatology, Poznan University of Life Sciences, Poznan, Poland
| | - Sari Juutinen
- Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Åsa Kasimir
- Department of Earth Sciences, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Leif Klemedtsson
- Department of Earth Sciences, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Franziska Koebsch
- Faculty of Forest Sciences and Forest Ecology, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Wiktor Kotowski
- Department of Plant Ecology and Environmental Conservation, University If Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Ain Kull
- Institute of Ecology and Earth Sciences, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia
| | - Mariusz Lamentowicz
- Climate Change Ecology Research Unit, Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznań, Poland
| | - Amelie Lindgren
- Department of Earth Sciences, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Richard Lindsay
- Sustainability Research Institute, University of East London, London, UK
| | - Rita Linkevičienė
- Laboratory of Climate and Water Research, Nature Research Centre, Vilnius, Lithuania
| | - Annalea Lohila
- Institute for Atmospheric and Earth System Research, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Ülo Mander
- Institute of Ecology and Earth Sciences, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia
| | - Michael Manton
- Bioeconomy Research Institute, Vytautas Magnus University, Akademija, Lithuania
| | - Kari Minkkinen
- Department of Forest Sciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Jan Peters
- Michael Succow Foundation, Partner in the Greifswald Mire Centre, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Florence Renou-Wilson
- School of Biology and Environmental Science, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Jūratė Sendžikaitė
- Foundation for Peatland Restoration and Conservation, Vilnius, Lithuania
- Institute of Geosciences, Faculty of Chemistry and Geosciences, Vilnius University, Vilnius, Lithuania
| | - Rasa Šimanauskienė
- Laboratory of Climate and Water Research, Nature Research Centre, Vilnius, Lithuania
- Foundation for Peatland Restoration and Conservation, Vilnius, Lithuania
| | - Julius Taminskas
- Laboratory of Climate and Water Research, Nature Research Centre, Vilnius, Lithuania
| | - Franziska Tanneberger
- Institute of Botany and Landscape Ecology, University of Greifswald, Partner in the Greifswald Mire Centre, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Cosima Tegetmeyer
- Institute of Botany and Landscape Ecology, University of Greifswald, Partner in the Greifswald Mire Centre, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Rudy van Diggelen
- Geobiology Research Group, Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, Antwerpen, Belgium
| | - Harri Vasander
- Department of Forest Sciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | | | - Nerijus Zableckis
- Foundation for Peatland Restoration and Conservation, Vilnius, Lithuania
| | - Dominik H Zak
- Institute of Ecoscience, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
- Leibniz-Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - John Couwenberg
- Institute of Botany and Landscape Ecology, University of Greifswald, Partner in the Greifswald Mire Centre, Greifswald, Germany
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Gios E, Verbruggen E, Audet J, Burns R, Butterbach-Bahl K, Espenberg M, Fritz C, Glatzel S, Jurasinski G, Larmola T, Mander Ü, Nielsen C, Rodriguez AF, Scheer C, Zak D, Silvennoinen HM. Unraveling microbial processes involved in carbon and nitrogen cycling and greenhouse gas emissions in rewetted peatlands by molecular biology. BIOGEOCHEMISTRY 2024; 167:609-629. [PMID: 38707517 PMCID: PMC11068585 DOI: 10.1007/s10533-024-01122-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2023] [Accepted: 01/22/2024] [Indexed: 05/07/2024]
Abstract
Restoration of drained peatlands through rewetting has recently emerged as a prevailing strategy to mitigate excessive greenhouse gas emissions and re-establish the vital carbon sequestration capacity of peatlands. Rewetting can help to restore vegetation communities and biodiversity, while still allowing for extensive agricultural management such as paludiculture. Belowground processes governing carbon fluxes and greenhouse gas dynamics are mediated by a complex network of microbial communities and processes. Our understanding of this complexity and its multi-factorial controls in rewetted peatlands is limited. Here, we summarize the research regarding the role of soil microbial communities and functions in driving carbon and nutrient cycling in rewetted peatlands including the use of molecular biology techniques in understanding biogeochemical processes linked to greenhouse gas fluxes. We emphasize that rapidly advancing molecular biology approaches, such as high-throughput sequencing, are powerful tools helping to elucidate the dynamics of key biogeochemical processes when combined with isotope tracing and greenhouse gas measuring techniques. Insights gained from the gathered studies can help inform efficient monitoring practices for rewetted peatlands and the development of climate-smart restoration and management strategies. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10533-024-01122-6.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emilie Gios
- NINA, Norwegian Institute for Nature Research, PO Box 5685, Torgarden, NO-7485 Trondheim, Norway
| | - Erik Verbruggen
- Plants and Ecosystems Research Group, Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, Wilrijk, 2610 Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Joachim Audet
- Department of Ecoscience, Aarhus University, C.F. Møllers Allé, 8000 Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Rachel Burns
- Department of Geosciences and Natural Resource Management, University of Copenhagen, 1350 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Klaus Butterbach-Bahl
- Institute of Meteorology and Climate Research, Atmospheric Environmental Research, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, 82467 Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany
- Department of Agroecology, Pioneer Center for Research in Sustainable Agricultural Futures (Land-CRAFT), Aarhus University, 8000 Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Mikk Espenberg
- Department of Geography, Institute of Ecology and Earth Sciences, University of Tartu, 46 St., Vanemuise, 51003 Tartu, Estonia
| | - Christian Fritz
- Aquatic Ecology and Environmental Biology, Radboud Institute for Biological and Environmental Sciences (RIBES), Radboud University, Heyendaalseweg 135, 6525 AJ Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Stephan Glatzel
- Department of Geography and Regional Research, University of Vienna, Althanstraße 14, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Gerald Jurasinski
- Faculty of Agriculture and Environment, Landscape Ecology and Site Evaluation, University of Rostock, Justus-von-Liebig-Weg 6, 18059 Rostock, Germany
- Department of Maritime Systems, Faculty of Interdisciplinary Research, University of Rostock, Albert- Einstein-Straße 3, 18059 Rostock, Germany
| | - Tuula Larmola
- Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke), 00790 Helsinki, Finland
| | - Ülo Mander
- Department of Geography, Institute of Ecology and Earth Sciences, University of Tartu, 46 St., Vanemuise, 51003 Tartu, Estonia
| | - Claudia Nielsen
- Department of Agroecology, Faculty of Technical Sciences, Aarhus University, Blichers Alle 20, 8830 Tjele, Denmark
- CBIO, Centre for Circular Bioeconomy, Aarhus University, 8830 Tjele, Denmark
| | - Andres F. Rodriguez
- Department of Agroecology, Faculty of Technical Sciences, Aarhus University, Blichers Alle 20, 8830 Tjele, Denmark
| | - Clemens Scheer
- Institute of Meteorology and Climate Research, Atmospheric Environmental Research, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, 82467 Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany
| | - Dominik Zak
- Department of Ecoscience, Aarhus University, C.F. Møllers Allé, 8000 Aarhus, Denmark
- Department of Ecohydrology and Biogeochemistry, Leibniz-Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries, Müggelseedamm 301, 12587 Berlin, Germany
| | - Hanna M. Silvennoinen
- NINA, Norwegian Institute for Nature Research, PO Box 5685, Torgarden, NO-7485 Trondheim, Norway
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Pacheco-Cancino PA, Carrillo-López RF, Sepulveda-Jauregui A, Somos-Valenzuela MA. Sphagnum mosses, the impact of disturbances and anthropogenic management actions on their ecological role in CO 2 fluxes generated in peatland ecosystems. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2024; 30:e16972. [PMID: 37882506 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.16972] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2023] [Revised: 09/10/2023] [Accepted: 09/12/2023] [Indexed: 10/27/2023]
Abstract
Mosses of the genus Sphagnum are the dominant vegetation in most pristine peatlands in temperate and high-latitude regions. They play a crucial role in carbon sequestration, being responsible for ca. 50% of carbon accumulation through their active participation in peat formation. They have a significant influence on the dynamics of CO2 emissions due to an efficient maximum potential photosynthetic rate, lower respiration rates, and the production of a recalcitrant litter whose decomposition is gradual. However, various anthropogenic disturbances and land use management actions that favor its reestablishment have the potential to modify the dynamics of these CO2 emissions. Therefore, the objective of this review is to discuss the role of Sphagnum in CO2 emissions generated in peatland ecosystems, and to understand the impacts of anthropogenic practices favorable and detrimental to Sphagnum on these emissions. Based on our review, increased Sphagnum cover reduces CO2 emissions and fosters C sequestration, but drainage transforms peatlands dominated by Sphagnum into a persistent source of CO2 due to lower gross primary productivity of the moss and increased respiration rates. Sites with moss removal used as donor material for peatland restoration emit twice as much CO2 as adjacent undisturbed natural sites, and those with commercial Sphagnum extraction generate almost neutral CO2 emissions, yet both can recover their sink status in the short term. The reintroduction of fragments and natural recolonization of Sphagnum in transitional peatlands, can reduce emissions, recover, or increase the CO2 sink function in the short and medium term. Furthermore, Sphagnum paludiculture is seen as a sustainable alternative for the use of transitional peatlands, allowing moss production strips to become CO2 sink, however, it is necessary to quantify the emissions of all the components of the field of production (ditches, causeway), and the biomass harvested from the moss to establish a final closing balance of C.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patricio A Pacheco-Cancino
- Department of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources, Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Universidad de La Frontera, Temuco, Región de La Araucanía, Chile
- Doctorate in Agri-Food and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Universidad de La Frontera, Temuco, Región de La Araucanía, Chile
| | - Rubén F Carrillo-López
- Department of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources, Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Universidad de La Frontera, Temuco, Región de La Araucanía, Chile
| | - Armando Sepulveda-Jauregui
- Gaia Antarctic Research Center (CIGA), Universidad de Magallanes, Punta Arenas, Región de Magallanes y Antartica Chilena, Chile
- Network for Extreme Environment Research (NEXER), Universidad de Magallanes, Punta Arenas, Región de Magallanes y Antartica Chilena, Chile
| | - Marcelo A Somos-Valenzuela
- Department of Forest Sciences, Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Science, Universidad de La Frontera, Temuco, Región de La Araucanía, Chile
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Ingle R, Habib W, Connolly J, McCorry M, Barry S, Saunders M. Upscaling methane fluxes from peatlands across a drainage gradient in Ireland using PlanetScope imagery and machine learning tools. Sci Rep 2023; 13:11997. [PMID: 37491422 PMCID: PMC10368722 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-38470-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2023] [Accepted: 07/08/2023] [Indexed: 07/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Wetlands are one of the major contributors of methane (CH4) emissions to the atmosphere and the intensity of emissions is driven by local environmental variables and spatial heterogeneity. Peatlands are a major wetland class and there are numerous studies that provide estimates of methane emissions at chamber or eddy covariance scales, but these are not often aggregated to the site/ecosystem scale. This study provides a robust approach to map dominant vegetation communities and to use these areas to upscale methane fluxes from chamber to site scale using a simple weighted-area approach. The proposed methodology was tested at three peatlands in Ireland over a duration of 2 years. The annual vegetation maps showed an accuracy ranging from 83 to 99% for near-natural to degraded sites respectively. The upscaled fluxes were highest (2.25 and 3.80 gC m-2 y-1) at the near-natural site and the rehabilitation (0.17 and 0.31 gC m-2 y-1), degraded (0.15 and 0.27 gC m-2 y-1) site emissions were close to net-zero throughout the study duration. Overall, the easy to implement methodology proposed in this study can be applied across various landuse types to assess the impact of peatland rehabilitation on methane emissions by mapping ecological change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruchita Ingle
- School of Natural Sciences, Botany Discipline, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland.
- Water Systems and Global Change Group, Wageningen University, Wageningen, The Netherlands.
| | - Wahaj Habib
- School of Natural Sciences, Geography Discipline, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - John Connolly
- School of Natural Sciences, Geography Discipline, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | | | | | - Matthew Saunders
- School of Natural Sciences, Botany Discipline, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
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Wilson D, Mackin F, Tuovinen J, Moser G, Farrell C, Renou‐Wilson F. Carbon and climate implications of rewetting a raised bog in Ireland. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2022; 28:6349-6365. [PMID: 35904068 PMCID: PMC9804235 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.16359] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2022] [Accepted: 07/13/2022] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
Peatland rewetting has been proposed as a vital climate change mitigation tool to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and to generate suitable conditions for the return of carbon (C) sequestration. In this study, we present annual C balances for a 5-year period at a rewetted peatland in Ireland (rewetted at the start of the study) and compare the results with an adjacent drained area (represents business-as-usual). Hydrological modelling of the 230-hectare site was carried out to determine the likely ecotopes (vegetation communities) that will develop post-rewetting and was used to inform a radiative forcing modelling exercise to determine the climate impacts of rewetting this peatland under five high-priority scenarios (SSP1-1.9, SS1-2.6, SSP2-4.5, SSP3-7.0 and SSP5-8.5). The drained area (marginal ecotope) was a net C source throughout the study and emitted 157 ± 25.5 g C m-2 year-1 . In contrast, the rewetted area (sub-central ecotope) was a net C sink of 78.0 ± 37.6 g C m-2 year-1 , despite relatively large annual methane emissions post-rewetting (average 19.3 ± 5.2 g C m-2 year-1 ). Hydrological modelling predicted the development of three key ecotopes at the site, with the sub-central ecotope predicted to cover 24% of the site, the sub-marginal predicted to cover 59% and the marginal predicted to cover 16%. Using these areal estimates, our radiative forcing modelling projects that under the SSP1-1.9 scenario, the site will have a warming effect on the climate until 2085 but will then have a strong cooling impact. In contrast, our modelling exercise shows that the site will never have a cooling impact under the SSP5-8.5 scenario. Our results confirm the importance of rapid rewetting of drained peatland sites to (a) achieve strong C emissions reductions, (b) establish optimal conditions for C sequestration and (c) set the site on a climate cooling trajectory.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Wilson
- Earthy Matters Environmental ConsultantsDonegalIreland
| | | | | | - Gerald Moser
- Institute for Plant EcologyJustus Liebig University GiessenRostockGermany
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Monteverde S, Healy M, O'Leary D, Daly E, Callery O. Management and rehabilitation of peatlands: The role of water chemistry, hydrology, policy, and emerging monitoring methods to ensure informed decision making. ECOL INFORM 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoinf.2022.101638] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
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Schwieger S, Kreyling J, Peters B, Gillert A, Freiherr von Lukas U, Jurasinski G, Köhn D, Blume‐Werry G. Rewetting prolongs root growing season in minerotrophic peatlands and mitigates negative drought effects. J Appl Ecol 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2664.14222] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Schwieger
- Experimental Plant Ecology Institute of Botany and Landscape Ecology, Greifswald University Greifswald Germany
- Department of Ecology and Environmental Sciences Umeå University Umeå Sweden
| | - Juergen Kreyling
- Experimental Plant Ecology Institute of Botany and Landscape Ecology, Greifswald University Greifswald Germany
| | - Bo Peters
- Experimental Plant Ecology Institute of Botany and Landscape Ecology, Greifswald University Greifswald Germany
| | - Alexander Gillert
- Fraunhofer Institute for Computer Graphics Research IGD Rostock Germany
| | | | - Gerald Jurasinski
- Faculty of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences University of Rostock Rostock Germany
| | - Daniel Köhn
- Faculty of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences University of Rostock Rostock Germany
| | - Gesche Blume‐Werry
- Experimental Plant Ecology Institute of Botany and Landscape Ecology, Greifswald University Greifswald Germany
- Department of Ecology and Environmental Sciences Umeå University Umeå Sweden
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