Recovery of the vegetation of a cutover raised bog in Ireland
                    following rewetting measures

Crowley, William F.; Smith, George F.; Mackin, Francis; Regan, Shane; Valverde, Fernando Fernandez; Eakin, Maurice

doi:10.1353/bae.2021.0011

Cited by 2 publications

(2 citation statements)

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“…Modelled annual values for both CO 2 and CH 4 fluxes are within the range reported by other studies for both peat extraction areas (e.g., Drösler et al, 2014; Swenson et al, 2019; Wilson et al, 2015) and for areas of eroding blanket bog (Artz et al, 2022). The degraded conditions on the margins of Moyarwood are also found extensively on the margins of all raised bogs throughout Republic of Ireland, with most of the EU Natura 2000 network of raised bogs designated for conservation affected to some extent by the indirect drainage caused by peat extraction (Crowley et al, 2021; Regan et al, 2020). However, while accurate estimation of net GHG emissions at the national level from these drained areas remains a huge challenge in the absence of high‐resolution areal estimates of peatland land use categories (Connolly, 2018), their inclusion in GHG inventories could potentially add 600,000 tonnes C year −1 to reported emissions from the Land Use, Land Use Change and Forestry (LULUCF) sector in Ireland (Aitova et al, Submitted).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Carbon and climate implications of rewetting a raised bog in Ireland

Wilson

Mackin²,

Tuovinen

et al. 2022

Global Change Biology

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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 subcentral 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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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Carbon and climate implications of rewetting a raised bog in Ireland

Wilson

Mackin²,

Tuovinen

et al. 2022

Global Change Biology

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“…The success of restoration measures depends on a range of factors, such as depth of drainage, drain spacing, peat properties, peat thickness and restoration method. However, due to the close relationship between topographic parameters and hydrological conditions in peatlands, topography is considered a key factor in controlling restoration success (Graniero and Price 1999 ; van der Schaaf and Schouten 2002 ; Oosterwoud et al 2017 ; Williamson et al 2017 ; Crowley et al 2021 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Application of a GIS-Based Hydrological Model to Predict Surface Wetness of Blanket Bogs

Mackin,

Flynn,

Fernandez-Valverde

2024

Wetlands

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Understanding hydrological processes operating on relatively intact blanket bogs provides a scientific basis for establishing achievable restoration targets for damaged sites. A GIS-based hydrological model, developed to assess restoration potential of Irish raised bogs, was adapted and applied to four relatively intact blanket bogs in Ireland. The Modified Flow Accumulation Capacity (MFAC) model utilised high-resolution topographic data to predict surface wetness, based on climatic conditions, contributing catchment and local surface slope. Modifications to MFAC parameters aimed to account for differences in hydrological processes between raised bogs and blanket bogs. Application of a climatic correction factor accounted for variations in effective rainfall between the four study sites, while monitoring of water table levels indicated a log-linear relationship between MFAC values and summer water table levels and range of water table fluctuations. Deviations from the observed relationship between MFAC and water table levels were associated with hydrological pressures, such as artificial drainage or the occurrence of subsurface macropores (peat pipes), which further lowered summer water tables. Despite being effective as a predictor of relative surface wetness, the relationship between MFAC and ecological variables such as Sphagnum spp. cover proved poor, pointing to the impact of past activities and damage caused by anthropogenic pressures. Findings demonstrated MFAC as an effective tool in predicting surface wetness within blanket bog-covered landscapes, thus proving useful to peatland practitioners in planning and prioritising areas for restoration.

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Recovery of the vegetation of a cutover raised bog in Ireland following rewetting measures

Cited by 2 publications

References 0 publications

Carbon and climate implications of rewetting a raised bog in Ireland

Carbon and climate implications of rewetting a raised bog in Ireland

Application of a GIS-Based Hydrological Model to Predict Surface Wetness of Blanket Bogs

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