What are peatland areas, function as carbon sinks?

Peatlands are found in all climatic zones and continents and cover 4.23 million km2, corresponding to 2.84% of the Earth's land area. Peatlands include landscapes that still actively accumulate peat (bogs), others that no longer accumulate and do not support major peat-forming plants (e.g., Sphagnum sp.), and peatlands used for economic uses such as agriculture, forestry and digging for energy & heat generation, horticulture and other uses.

Approximately 84% of the world's peatlands are considered to be in a natural or near-natural state. Drained peatlands make up about 16% of the world's peatlands or 0.5% of the Earth's land area. Due to the process of peat accumulation, peatlands are carbon-rich ecosystems that store and sequester more carbon than any other type of terrestrial ecosystem, thus exceeding even the world's above-ground carbon stocks from forest ecosystems.

When peatlands are drained, the carbon in the organic matter contained in the peat dries out and gradually oxidizes to CO2, and is permanently lost from the system. Over time, this process also results in soil compaction and subsidence, making it difficult to restore proper hydrology without water table management.

Peat bogs are ecosystems characterized by the accumulation of organic matter derived from decomposing plant material under permanent water saturation. They have been defined to include areas of land with a naturally accumulated layer of peat, formed from dead and decaying carbon-rich plant material under waterlogged, low-oxygen conditions, generally comprising at least 30% dry mass of dead organic material and more than 30 cm deep.

They can develop under a wide range of vegetation types in fresh and salt water, including sphagnum, sedges, reedbeds, and shrubs and trees in moist forests and mangroves. At the ecosystem level, the shape, size and type of peatlands are determined by climate and geomorphology, as well as the quantity and quality of water.

Peatlands are widespread throughout the world, although there are significant data gaps. Many are threatened by drainage and land conversion with loss of biodiversity and valuable ecosystem services. They are important for carbon storage and provide opportunities for climate change mitigation.

What are peatland areas?

Peatlands are a type of carbon-rich wetlands that are divided into bogs and swamps. The amount and chemical composition of the water entering the system determines the type of peat bogs and bogs, such as acidic sphagnum bogs, large sedge marshes, and alkaline swamps.

Peat bogs in the northern hemisphere tend to have vegetation such as mosses, reeds, and shrubs. In the tropics, they tend to be forested.

How are peatlands formed?

Peat soil (or simply peat) forms in an environment where there is a lot of water, low pH, low oxygen supply, and low nutrient content. All of this comes together to slow down the decomposition of plants, and as a result, causes a buildup of partially decomposed plant debris.

To prevent this almost irreversible loss, regeneration measures have been taken on around 30% of the remaining Swiss peatlands over the last three decades. To date, regeneration projects have been mainly financed by the Swiss federal government and the cantons.

As part of its sustainability efforts for the 2019 Annual Meeting, the World Economic Forum also supported the restoration of 2.5 hectares of three different peat bogs in the Engadin region of Graubünden, two of which are now complete. Recognizing that an event like Davos by nature consumes finite resources and generates emissions, the Forum wanted to take responsibility for both. In addition to measuring and compensating for these, the Forum also sought to create a positive legacy within the region that hosts the Annual Meeting.

Why is it so important?

Peat bogs, in addition to being carbon storage, fulfil the role of sinks. This means that they consume more CO2 than they emit, however, this advantage they have can turn into the opposite as a result of the imbalance in these ecosystems.

The doctor in conservation biology, Carolina León Valdebenito, together with a group of researchers from the Center for Research in Natural Resources and Sustainability (CIRENYS) of the Bernardo O'Higgins University, explains that this type of wetland accumulates organic matter that is saturated with water, so there is no oxygen and that is where the large carbon reservoirs remain stagnant. 

• Have one of the most carbon-rich ecosystems on the planet
• Have a net cooling effect on climate
• Reduce flood risk by slowing water flow from the uplands
• Provide floodplains in the lowland
• Provide fresh water sources and nesting grounds for wildlife
• Are a habitat for rare flora and fauna

However, "if there is any alteration of that ecosystem, mainly hydrological, that is, if you make channels, drain them and remove the water, what is generated is that this matter that is semi-decomposed begins to oxidize and decompose, then there it changes that role of guardian of carbon and begins to emit carbon and goes from sink to emitter", explains the scientist.

Additionally, the doctor in conservation biology states that peat bogs are relevant for the conservation of biodiversity, since they are the refuge of different species, in addition to regulating hydrological cycles and, as the website details, they are paleoenvironmental and archaeological archives.

However, the expert emphasizes that peat bogs, despite the fact that they store a large amount of CO2, are not the best landscapes to fix carbon from the atmosphere.

"Peat bogs are not the best carbon fixers. They photosynthesise and there is fixation, but it is not comparable to, for example, what a forest is fixing. The important thing about peat bogs is that they have a lot of accumulated carbon and the main contribution to mitigating climate change is that we do not degrade it, to release that carbon", he points out.

Support usto keep independent environmental journalism alive in India.

Keep Reading

MP farmers battle stray animals, sleepless nights to protect crops

Indore’s Pipliyahana Lake struggles to survive, even after conservation measures

Costliest water from Narmada is putting financial burden on Indore

Changing weather pattern impacts soybean crops in Dewas region of MP

Follow Ground Report on X, Instagram and Facebook for environmental and underreported stories from the margins. Give us feedback on our email id [email protected]. 

Don't forget to Subscribe to our weekly newsletter, Join our community on WhatsApp, Follow our Youtube Channel for video stories.