Farm-Level Effects of Emissions Tax and Adjustable Drainage on Peatlands

Purola, Tuomo; Lehtonen, Heikki

doi:10.1007/s00267-021-01543-1

Cited by 9 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 21 publications

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“…The large C store in peat is exposed and rapidly respired following peat drainage and the lowering of the water table due to increased oxygen diffusion, ultimately increasing decomposition of the peat and loss of CO 2 to the atmosphere (Evans et al., 2021; Lohila et al., 2003). Our results corroborate those of Purola and Lehtonen (2022) and Freeman et al. (2022) who found considerably higher rates of CO 2 emission from peatlands used for crop production compared to mineral soils.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 92%

Maize grown for bioenergy on peat emits twice as much carbon as when grown on mineral soil

Lloyd,

Morrison,

Grayson

et al. 2024

GCB Bioenergy

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The area of land dedicated to growing maize for bioenergy in the United Kingdom is rapidly expanding. To understand how maize production influences soil carbon (C) dynamics, and whether this is influenced by soil type, we measured net ecosystem exchange (NEE) using the eddy covariance technique over the 2021 growing season. We combined the NEE data with C imports and exports to calculate the net ecosystem productivity (NEP) of two maize crops grown for bioenergy in the United Kingdom, one site on mineral soil and the other on lowland agricultural peat. Maize was similarly productive at both sites—gross primary productivity was 1107 g C m−2 at the site with mineral soil and 1407 g C m−2 at the peat site. However, total ecosystem respiration was considerably higher from the peat site (1198 g C m−2) compared with the mineral soil site (678 g C m−2). After accounting for the removal of C in harvested biomass, both sites were net C sources, but C losses were over two times greater from the peat site (NEP = 290 g C m−2) than the mineral site (NEP = 136 g C m−2). While annual crops may be needed to produce bioenergy in the short term, growing maize for bioenergy in the United Kingdom does not appear to be a viable option for C sequestration over the long term, as it leads to high carbon losses from agroecosystems, especially those on organic soils. Instead, growing perennial bioenergy crops on mineral soils with a low organic C content is a more appropriate option.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 92%

Maize grown for bioenergy on peat emits twice as much carbon as when grown on mineral soil

Lloyd,

Morrison,

Grayson

et al. 2024

GCB Bioenergy

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“…To reduce GHG emissions from peatlands, attention must be paid to agricultural lands where drainage has occurred. These degraded peatland restoration strategies are related to the improvement of landowner and farmer knowledge about the effects of drainage, peatland rewetting afforestation of peatlands, and the impacts on peatland hydrology and climate change [63,71,117]. Increased concentrations of DOC in water bodies are often associated with peatland drainage and degraded peatlands.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Rewetting is also reported to cause slight changes in the chemical composition of the peat. The quality and chemical composition of the water used for rewetting affects the efficiency of the rewetting of peatlands [55,71]. When water with high phosphorus concentrations is used for peat rewetting, nutrient leakage and eutrophication risks will increase [70,71].…”

Section: Methods Of Peatland Rewettingmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The quality and chemical composition of the water used for rewetting affects the efficiency of the rewetting of peatlands [55,71]. When water with high phosphorus concentrations is used for peat rewetting, nutrient leakage and eutrophication risks will increase [70,71]. It is possible to use salt water, brackish water, or freshwater from rivers or groundwater [39].…”

Section: Methods Of Peatland Rewettingmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Pros and Cons of Strategies to Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Peatlands: Review of Possibilities

Balode,

Bumbiere,

Sosars

et al. 2024

Applied Sciences

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Peatlands can become valuable resources and greenhouse gas sinks through the use of different management practices. Peatlands provide carbon sequestration; however, they are also among the greatest greenhouse gas emissions sources. The estimated annual carbon dioxide equivalent emissions from peat worldwide are 220 million tons. Novel strategies, methods, and technologies must be developed to enhance the sustainable use of peatlands and achieve climate targets by 2050, as set forth by the European Commission. There is no consensus in the scientific literature on which strategies included in the policy documents are more fruitful for reducing emissions. There are uncertainties and knowledge gaps in the literature that summarise the cons and benefits of each strategy regarding the potential of GHG emission reduction. Currently, peat is undervalued as a resource in the bioeconomy and innovation—a way that could save costs in peatland management. This review paper aims to analyse existing and potential strategies to minimise greenhouse gas emissions from peatlands. Studies show significant debates in the literature on whether the rewetting of peatlands and afforestation of previously drained peatlands can be defined as restoration. A more effective management of peatland restoration should involve combining restoration methods. The rewetting of peatlands should be realised in combination with top-soil removal to minimise methane emissions. The rewetting of peatlands should be used only in combination with revegetation after rewetting. One of the promising solutions for methane emission reduction could be paludiculture using sphagnum species. Products from paludiculture biomass can reduce GHG emissions and store long-term emissions in products. Paludiculture can also be the solution for further income for landowners and innovative products using the biomass of harvested paludiculture plants.

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“…At the same time, 3.8% of managed land among the interviewed farmers is on organic soils. Agricultural production on organic soils results in net GHG emissions and causes a loss of soil carbon (Buschmann et al, 2020;Purola and Lehtonen, 2022;Qiu et al, 2021;Stainforth and Bowyer, 2020), yet there is a lack of knowledge about organic soils in the farming community. One farmer stated: "There is a lack of knowledge surrounding what in Latvia constitutes as organic soil according to the current soil classification", while another said: "It is difficult to grow anything on drained organic soils, because organic soils are unable to maintain the moisture that the plant needs (…) in hot summers it becomes dusty, but when organic soil is wet, it attracts frost in the spring".…”

Section: Carbon Regulationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Can farmers meet all the societal demands with the available natural resources?

Valujeva¹

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Propositions1. Not every field has an equal right to be cultivated.(this thesis) 2. Cooperation and understanding of desired outcomes between actors form the basis for sustainability. (this thesis) 3. The impact of the EU Green Deal may diverge amongst Member States, despite its common objectives. 4. In research experiencing is as important as reporting. 5. Knowing how to search and whom to ask is a skill in itself. 6. Working with stakeholders problems and solutions in science is like combining flavours, structures, and textures in baking.Propositions belonging to the thesis, entitledCan farmers meet all the societal demands with the available natural resources?14 Chapter 1This, in turn, complicates the achievement of socio-economic targets. Following the EU's abolition of the milk quota in 2015, Irish farmers had the opportunity to increase their production without market constrains for the first time over 30 years. In Latvia, the Bioeconomy Strategy has set targets to 1) increase added value from traditional bioeconomy sectors, namely agriculture and forestry, from EUR 2.33 billion in 2016 to EUR 3.8 billion in 2030; 2) to increase the value of exported goods from EUR 4.26 billion in 2016 to at least EUR 9 billion in 2030; and 3) to ensure that employment is provided for 128,000 inhabitants (LIBRA2030, 2017). MEETING MULTIPLE OBJECTIVES: EXISTING RESEARCHAssessments of ecosystem services provided by land resources are very complex, as the evaluation of the land-based ecosystem services provided depends on the scientific field represented by the researcher, the researcher's understanding of the definitions and the available data (Bouma, 2014;Calzolari et al., 2016;Haygarth and Ritz, 2009). On the other hand, the demand for land-based ecosystem services is created by society, state policy planning documents and international agreements. Assessment of land-based ecosystem services requires the involvement of a diverse team of scientists, as soil resources are heterogeneous, and yields within a single farm can differ greatly due to different on-site variables, micro-topography and soil heterogeneity. The FLM approach was developed to provide a framework for the assessment of the land-based ecosystem services provided by farmland and the demand for those resources. The framework was first applied to land management in Ireland with the aim to meet clearly defined objectives of agricultural growth and the environment (

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Farm-Level Effects of Emissions Tax and Adjustable Drainage on Peatlands

Cited by 9 publications

References 21 publications

Maize grown for bioenergy on peat emits twice as much carbon as when grown on mineral soil

Maize grown for bioenergy on peat emits twice as much carbon as when grown on mineral soil

Pros and Cons of Strategies to Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Peatlands: Review of Possibilities

Can farmers meet all the societal demands with the available natural resources?

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