This presentation displays the strong links between peatlands, climate change and biodiversity. Peatland degradation is a disaster for both the local and global climate as well as biodiversity.
4. Mineral Soil River River Peat swamp forest Organic matter Peat: organic matter accumulated over thousands of years storing carbon in thick layers Peatlands are wetlands where waterlogging delays decay, and dead plant materials form an organic soil: peat soil What are peatlands? A peat bog is rain water fed
17. Drainage leads to subsidence - CO2 emissions CO 2 CO 2 CO 2 CO 2 CO 2 Drained peatlands are also extra fire prone Clay / sand Peat dome Stream channel Stream channel
21. Hotspots of CO 2 emissions from drained peat Annual global peatland emissions 2 Giga ton CO2 Russia160 Mt EU 174 Mt 115 Mt Central Asia USA 72 Mt 1 Gt SE Asia
This picture shows the location of a peat dome in the flood plain in between two lowland rivers. A substantial part of the peat dome is located above river water surface. These forms of peatlands are called bogs, they are oligotrophic (poor in nutrients) and rain water fed. The peat lies like a gigantic drop a water on the lowland plain, held together by the dead organic material and protected by a blanket of living forest that maintains a humid micro-climate and prevents direct solar impact.
Drainage - aeration of the peat soil – aerobic decomposition of peat (carbon content of 60kg/m3) – sustained release of CO2 and subsidence of peat dome – flooding downstream Loss of carbon sink capacity, at least 40Mt/yr due to present loss of peatswamp forests
First click: Some relatively minor emissions are derived from peatlands in arctic and sub-arctic zones Second click: More substantial emissions are derived from peatlands in the temperate zones and tropical zones of the Americas Third click: The most substantial emissions, covering over 70% of global peat-based emissions are from SE Asia.
Water management should be optimised to ensure the highest possible water levels are maintained. Whereas optimised water levels may have some impact on palm oil productivity, it will benefit long-term sustainability of the plantation, decreasing risks of enhanced flooding through peat soil subsidence. A optimal balance needs to be found between short-term productivity and long-term sustainability.