Date/Time
Date(s) - Tue 8 April
11:00 - 11:30
Details
Natural peatlands are large carbon stores that have accumulated over thousands of years because waterlogged conditions have slowed decomposition. These soils can be highly productive when drained for agriculture, but the land surface subsides, and accelerated decomposition results in CO2 and N2O emissions. In NZ, this decomposition produces about 7% of national net greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions with some uncertainty as there are very few NZ-specific measurements. Unabated these emissions will continue for hundreds of years as these peatlands are often many metres deep.
Reducing GHG emissions from drained peat soils has become a global priority, increasingly embedded in policy but also driven by industry seeking to reduce their Scope 3 emission liabilities. NZs Climate Change Commission and Emissions Reduction Plan have both identified rewetting of peatlands as a pathway for reducing NZs emissions. While we know that emissions are high from drained peats there is limited data on New Zealand specific emissions and the size of possible reductions from different mitigation approaches to guide regional and national level responses.
To fill knowledge gaps, the presenters are undertaking research to improve emission estimates and test mitigation options through measurements and modelling. Mitigation options being considered range from raising water tables under current land use to alternative productive land uses and exploration of restoration opportunities, particularly where productivity is low. Additional work is focused on improving the quality of spatial activity data (e.g. area, nutrient status) and examining the vulnerability of current land use and modelling future land use scenarios. Further work is needed to better understand implications of mitigation options from an economic, social, and cultural perspective.
Reflecting their long-standing partnership in this research, this Link Online will be presented jointly by Manaaki Whenua and University of Waikato. Jack Pronger and Louis Schipper will provide an overview of peatland GHG research in NZ with linkages to international collaborators and likely future directions. It could be of interest a wide range of stakeholders with an interest in drained peatlands spanning landowners, managers, iwi, industry and regional and central government.
Presented by Manaaki Whenua Landcare Research Senior Researcher – Soil Scientist Jack Pronger and Professor Louis Schipper, University of Waikato