Mires and Peat · 2021
Carbon stocks and their spatial distribution in drained and rewetted peatland forests in a low mountain range area, Germany
Krüger, J. P., Dotterweich, M., Seifert-Schäfer, A., Hoffmann, S., Kopf, C., Kneisel, C., Dotzler, S., Nink, S., Stoffels, J., Schüler, G.
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Carbon stocks and their spatial distribution in drained and …
Abstract
Drainage and rewetting of peatlands changes their carbon (C) dynamics. We measured C stocks in the soil and biomass of drained and rewetted peatland forests in the region of the National Park Hunsrück-Hochwald, Germany. A detailed soil map was produced, showing the important soil properties for soil C stocks. Based on the horizon-substrate combination as well as LiDAR data, the spatial distribution of soil and forest C stocks was analysed. Our results show that our peatland sites have shallow soils with a heterogeneous spatial distribution. Mean (± SE) soil C stocks in the monitoring sites are 121(± 8) t ha-1 whereas the forest stores on average 71(± 0.2) t ha-1 of C in the biomass. Tree removal in the drained peatlands reduced the total C stocks by 4,430 t. The quality and longevity of the wood products that arise from tree removal will determine whether or not the harvested portion of the C captured by the trees is sequestered over long timescales. Additionally, the success of rewetting activities and the potential soil carbon sequestration or (non-) soil carbon loss will determine whether these ecosystems are carbon sinks or sources. An extrapolation of our data resulted in estimated C stocks of 171,530 t and 544,282 t for peatland soils and for the spruce forest, respectively, for the whole area of the National Park (about 10,000 ha).
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Drainage and rewetting of peatlands changes their carbon (C) dynamics. We measured C stocks in the soil and biomass of drained and rewetted peatland forests in the region of the National Park Hunsrück-Hochwald, Germany. A detailed soil map was produced, showing the important soil properties for soil C stocks. Based on the horizon-substrate combination as well as LiDAR data, the spatial distribution of soil and forest C stocks was analysed. Our results show that our peatland sites have shallow soils with a heterogeneous spatial distribution. Mean (± SE) soil C stocks in the monitoring sites are 121(± 8) t ha-1 whereas the forest stores on average 71(± 0.2) t ha-1 of C in the biomass. Tree removal in the drained peatlands reduced the total C stocks by 4,430 t. The quality and longevity of the wood products that arise from tree removal will determine whether or not the harvested portion of the C captured by the trees is sequestered over long timescales. Additionally, the success of rewetting activities and the potential soil carbon sequestration or (non-) soil carbon loss will determine whether these ecosystems are carbon sinks or sources. An extrapolation of our data resulted in estimated C stocks of 171,530 t and 544,282 t for peatland soils and for the spruce forest, respectively, for the whole area of the National Park (about 10,000 ha).
Drainage and rewetting of peatlands changes their carbon (C) dynamics. We measured C stocks in the soil and biomass of drained and rewetted peatland forests in the region of the National Park Hunsrück-Hochwald, Germany. A detailed soil map was produced, showing the important soil properties for soil C stocks. Based on the horizon-substrate combination as well as LiDAR data, the spatial distribution of soil and forest C stocks was analysed. Our results show that our peatland sites have shallow soils with a heterogeneous spatial distribution. Mean (± SE) soil C stocks in the monitoring sites are 121(± 8) t ha-1 whereas the forest stores on average 71(± 0.2) t ha-1 of C in the biomass. Tree removal in the drained peatlands reduced the total C stocks by 4,430 t. The quality and longevity of the wood products that arise from tree removal will determine whether or not the harvested portion of the C captured by the trees is sequestered over long timescales. Additionally, the success of rewetting activities and the potential soil carbon sequestration or (non-) soil carbon loss will determine whether these ecosystems are carbon sinks or sources. An extrapolation of our data resulted in estimated C stocks of 171,530 t and 544,282 t for peatland soils and for the spruce forest, respectively, for the whole area of the National Park (about 10,000 ha).