Improved management of farmed peatlands could cut 500m tonnes of CO2

Conservation-managed fen in Anglesey. Credit: Chris Evans - Substantial cuts in global greenhouse gas emissions could be achieved by raising water levels in agricultural peatlands, according to a new study in the journal Nature . Peatlands occupy just three per cent of the world's land surface area but store a similar amount of carbon to all terrestrial vegetation, as well as supporting unique biodiversity. In their natural state, they can mitigate climate change by continuously removing CO2 from the atmosphere and storing it securely under waterlogged conditions for thousands of years. But many peatland areas have been substantially modified by human activity, including drainage for agriculture and forest plantations This results in the release of the equivalent around 1.5 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2) into the atmosphere each year - which equates to three per cent of all global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions caused by human activities. A team of scientists, led by the UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology (UKCEH), and including experts from the University of Birmingham, estimated the potential reduction in emissions by restoring all global agricultural peatlands. However, because large populations rely on these areas for their livelihoods, it may not be realistic to expect all agricultural peatlands to be fully rewetted and returned to their natural condition in the near future.