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Cited by 90Peatlands and Wetlands EcologyFire effects on ecosystemsClimate change and permafrost

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Mitigating wildfire carbon loss in managed northern peatlands through restoration

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Granath, Gustaf, Moore, Paul A., Lukenbach, Maxwell C., Waddington, James M.·2016·Scientific Reports
DOI 10.1038/srep28498PMC PMC4921962
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Abstract

Northern peatlands can emit large amounts of carbon and harmful smoke pollution during a wildfire. Of particular concern are drained and mined peatlands, where management practices destabilize an array of ecohydrological feedbacks, moss traits and peat properties that moderate water and carbon losses in natural peatlands. Our results demonstrate that drained and mined peatlands in Canada and northern Europe can experience catastrophic deep burns (>200 t C ha−1 emitted) under current weather conditions. Furthermore, climate change will cause greater water losses in these peatlands and subject even deeper peat layers to wildfire combustion. However, the rewetting of drained peatlands and the restoration of mined peatlands can effectively lower the risk of these deep burns, especially if a new peat moss layer successfully establishes and raises peat moisture content. We argue that restoration efforts are a necessary measure to mitigate the risk of carbon loss in managed peatlands under climate change.

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Figure 1 Absolute difference of average annual maximum water deficit, in mm, for North America (left) and Europe (right) between the periods 1981–2000 and 2041–2060 for the RCP 8.5 emission scenario generated from Canadian Regional Climate Model (CRCM 4, Canadian Centre for Climate Modelling and Analysis, Environment Canada; URL: http://www.cccma.ec.gc.ca/data/canrcm/CanRCM4/index_cordex.shtml; accessed: Oct.16, 2015). Red colour indicates less water available in 2041–2060. Resolution 0.44 × 0.44 grid spacing. Map was generated using Matlab R2010a v.7.1. software.
Figure 1 Absolute difference of average annual maximum water deficit, in mm, for North America (left) and Europe (right) between the periods 1981–2000 and 2041–2060 for the RCP 8.5 emission scenario generated from Canadian Regional Climate Model (CRCM 4, Canadian Centre for Climate Modelling and Analysis, Environment Canada; URL: http://www.cccma.ec.gc.ca/data/canrcm/CanRCM4/index_cordex.shtml; accessed: Oct.16, 2015). Red colour indicates less water available in 2041–2060. Resolution 0.44 × 0.44 grid spacing. Map was generated using Matlab R2010a v.7.1. software.CC BY · PubMed Central
Figure 2 Mean bulk density (ρb) profiles for five areas in Finland and five peatlands in Canada. Natural and drained profiles were obtained from each peatland except for two peatlands in Canada where only a drained profile is included. The mined and the restored peat profiles furthest to the right below 20 cm are from the same site. The two climate types (Dfb = warm summer continental or hemiboreal, Dfc = continental subarctic or boreal) are according to the Köoppen-Geiger climate type.
Figure 2 Mean bulk density (ρb) profiles for five areas in Finland and five peatlands in Canada. Natural and drained profiles were obtained from each peatland except for two peatlands in Canada where only a drained profile is included. The mined and the restored peat profiles furthest to the right below 20 cm are from the same site. The two climate types (Dfb = warm summer continental or hemiboreal, Dfc = continental subarctic or boreal) are according to the Köoppen-Geiger climate type.CC BY · PubMed Central
Figure 3 Lower panel shows the distribution of maximum cumulative water deficit for continental (C, red) and maritime (M, blue) climate locations in North America (NA) (NA-M Saint Charles de Bellechasse, QC; NA-C Athabasca, AB) and Europe (EU) (EU-C Moscow, RU; EU-M Fajemyr, SE) under an historical (H: 1981–2000) and future (F: 2041–2060) climate change scenario (CRCM4, RCP8.5). Upper panel shows the simulated effect of peatland management on maximum water table (WT) drawdown based on average water deficit and idealized specific yield profiles for a maritime and continental bog with an average spring water table position at the surface. Specific yield (Sy) is the depth of water that must be added to or removed from a soil column in order to cause a unit rise or fall in the WT. Specific yield is directly linked to peat bulk density (ρb) through pore space and moisture retention characteristics. Restored points with and without a black dot correspond to a restored Sphagnum/peat layer of 28 and 12 cm, respectively (maritime 28 cm restored omitted for clarity). The grayscale represents the change in WT position and the distance between points within the same climate zone illustrate the effect of the management practices on WT change.
Figure 3 Lower panel shows the distribution of maximum cumulative water deficit for continental (C, red) and maritime (M, blue) climate locations in North America (NA) (NA-M Saint Charles de Bellechasse, QC; NA-C Athabasca, AB) and Europe (EU) (EU-C Moscow, RU; EU-M Fajemyr, SE) under an historical (H: 1981–2000) and future (F: 2041–2060) climate change scenario (CRCM4, RCP8.5). Upper panel shows the simulated effect of peatland management on maximum water table (WT) drawdown based on average water deficit and idealized specific yield profiles for a maritime and continental bog with an average spring water table position at the surface. Specific yield (Sy) is the depth of water that must be added to or removed from a soil column in order to cause a unit rise or fall in the WT. Specific yield is directly linked to peat bulk density (ρb) through pore space and moisture retention characteristics. Restored points with and without a black dot correspond to a restored Sphagnum/peat layer of 28 and 12 cm, respectively (maritime 28 cm restored omitted for clarity). The grayscale represents the change in WT position and the distance between points within the same climate zone illustrate the effect of the management practices on WT change.CC BY · PubMed Central
Figure 4 Combustion risk, expressed as the quotient between energy release (Hcomb) and energy required for ignition (Hign) between successive 5 cm peat layers, for various peatland types at water table (WT) depths of: (i) 40 cm, which is a typical WT in drained peatlands; (ii) 80 cm, which is a more extreme scenario supported by the difference in WT decline in drained peatlands between wetter and drier climatic zones; and (iii) 25 cm, which represents a rewetting scenario close to natural conditions. An Hcomb/Hign quotient <1 indicates that the combustion risk is zero (i.e. downward smouldering propagation ceases), but a more realistic cut-off is between 1–1.5.
Figure 4 Combustion risk, expressed as the quotient between energy release (Hcomb) and energy required for ignition (Hign) between successive 5 cm peat layers, for various peatland types at water table (WT) depths of: (i) 40 cm, which is a typical WT in drained peatlands; (ii) 80 cm, which is a more extreme scenario supported by the difference in WT decline in drained peatlands between wetter and drier climatic zones; and (iii) 25 cm, which represents a rewetting scenario close to natural conditions. An Hcomb/Hign quotient <1 indicates that the combustion risk is zero (i.e. downward smouldering propagation ceases), but a more realistic cut-off is between 1–1.5.CC BY · PubMed Central
Figure 5 The effect of drainage, mining, rewetting and restoration on relative bulk density and gravimetric water content in peatlands. (a–c) Illustrate the impact of mining (drainage with the top peat layer removed) on a natural peatland and the response of restoration (rewetting and the establishment of a Sphagnum moss layer). (d–f) Illustrate the impact of drainage for forestry on a natural peatland and the response of tree removal and rewetting. These scenarios do not include non-Sphagnum dominated peatlands such as rich fens but see text for discussion.
Figure 5 The effect of drainage, mining, rewetting and restoration on relative bulk density and gravimetric water content in peatlands. (a–c) Illustrate the impact of mining (drainage with the top peat layer removed) on a natural peatland and the response of restoration (rewetting and the establishment of a Sphagnum moss layer). (d–f) Illustrate the impact of drainage for forestry on a natural peatland and the response of tree removal and rewetting. These scenarios do not include non-Sphagnum dominated peatlands such as rich fens but see text for discussion.CC BY · PubMed Central

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Metadata

Authors
Granath, G., Moore, P. A., Lukenbach, M. C., & Waddington, J. M.
Affiliations
  • Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SE)
  • McMaster University (CA)
Corresponding author
Granath, Gustaf
ORCID
Venue
Scientific Reports
Publisher
Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Published
2016-06-27
Volume
6
Issue
1
Pages
28498-28498
ISSN
2045-2322 (ISSN-L)
DOI
10.1038/srep28498
PMC
PMC4921962
OpenAlex
W2471374840
Cited by
90
References
2
Citations by year
2026: 8 · 2025: 3 · 2024: 11 · 2023: 13 · 2022: 13 · 2021: 24 · 2020: 9 · 2019: 3 · 2018: 4 · 2017: 1 · 2016: 1
FWCI
2.62
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
Locations
  • Scientific Reports (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Funders
Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada
Topics
  • Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Ecology › Peatlands and Wetlands Ecology
  • Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Global and Planetary Change › Fire effects on ecosystems
  • Physical Sciences › Earth and Planetary Sciences › Atmospheric Science › Climate change and permafrost
Keywords
northern peatlands, drained peatlands, peatland restoration, rewetting, peat moss, peat moisture content, ecohydrological feedbacks, climate change impacts, smoke pollution, CO2 emissions

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