Climate change mitigation potential of restoration of boreal peatlands drained for forestry can be adjusted by site selection and restoration measures

Abstract

Peatland restoration is seen as a key nature-based solution to tackle climate change and biodiversity loss. In Europe, nearly 50% of peatlands have been drained during the last decades, which have shifted their soils to carbon dioxide (CO2) sources. Soils of forestry-drained peatlands are known to vary from CO2 sources to small sinks depending on their fertility and wetness. When peatlands are restored, it can be expected that rates of CO2 and methane exchange will vary depending on site fertility and wetness. We generated seven restoration pathways with different starting and end points and assessed the climate impacts of them. The GHG emission coefficients were compiled from literature, and radiative forcing was calculated for a 500-year time period since restoration. All seven restoration pathways improved carbon sink capacity; however, the climate impact differed from cooling to warming. The highest cooling impact occurred in a pathway leading from nutrient-rich drained peatlands toward tree-covered spruce or pine mires. Warming impacts occurred in a pathway leading from nutrient-poor drained peatlands toward open peatlands. The results of this study can be used to help identify peatland sites and restoration targets to maximize climate change mitigation from restoration. In practice, however, restoration has to fulfill other targets, such as biodiversity safeguarding, improvement of hydrological conditions, and socio-economic aspects. Fulfilling all targets simultaneously requires compromises on all targets.