Spruce forest on drained peat – clear-cut winter 2019, half replanted and half rewetted into meadow

• We have used the CoupModel to investigate effects on GHG emissions as well as on economy of 80 years of peatland use for four scenarios (1) business as usual – Norway spruce with average soil water table depth (WTD) of -40 cm; (2) willow plantation with WTD at -20 cm; (3) reed canary grass production with WTD at -10 cm; and (4) a fully rewetted peatland with no harvested product. Total soil GHG emissions for the scenarios were (including litter and peat respiration CO2 emissions as well as N2O and CH4) on average 33, 19, 15, and 11 Mg CO2eq ha-1 yr-1. No peat was lost for the wet peatland. GHG emissions were at a minimum at WTD -10 cm. Economy was analyzed by a cost – benefit analysis (CBA) where scenario (1) with spruce included gain from sold products like timber, pulpwood and energy biomass, and scenarios (2) and (3) gains from energy biomass. Gains over the 80 years resulted also from stored C in biomass and litter as well as biodiversity for scenario (4). Costs included management and soil emissions. The CBA showed on average the best result for the rewetted peatland (4) while spruce (1) production’s economic benefit was the lowest. We are now about to clear-cut the mature spruce forest at Skogaryd research station, on which the model was calibrated. Half the area will then still be drained and planted with spruce and the other half rewetted to a wet meadow by building a dam. Collection of ecosystem and flux data has been extensive for more than a decennia and will continue. Researchers are invited for investigations following the changes taking place after the clear cut. We will present projected losses to air and water estimated by the CoupModel.

Subject headings

NATURVETENSKAP  -- Geovetenskap och miljövetenskap (hsv//swe)

NATURAL SCIENCES  -- Earth and Related Environmental Sciences (hsv//eng)

Publication and Content Type

vet (subject category)

kon (subject category)