scholarly journals Prompt rewetting of drained peatlands reduces climate warming despite methane emissions

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anke Günther ◽  
Alexandra Barthelmes ◽  
Vytas Huth ◽  
Hans Joosten ◽  
Gerald Jurasinski ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Radiative Forcing ◽  
Climate Change Mitigation ◽  
Carbon Stocks ◽  
Time Dependent ◽  
Climatic Effects ◽  
Mitigation Potential ◽  
Peatland Rewetting ◽  
Change Mitigation

AbstractPeatlands are strategic areas for climate change mitigation because of their matchless carbon stocks. Drained peatlands release this carbon to the atmosphere as carbon dioxide (CO2). Peatland rewetting effectively stops these CO2 emissions, but also re-establishes the emission of methane (CH4).Essentially, management must choose between CO2 emissions from drained or CH4 emissions from rewetted peatland. This choice must consider radiative effects and atmospheric lifetimes of both gases, with CO2 being a weak but persistent and CH4 a strong but short-lived greenhouse gas. The resulting climatic effects are, thus, strongly time-dependent. We used a radiative forcing model to compare forcing dynamics of global scenarios for future peatland management using areal data from the Global Peatland Database. Our results show that CH4 radiative forcing does not undermine the climate change mitigation potential of peatland rewetting. Instead, postponing rewetting increases the long-term warming effect of continued CO2 emissions. Warnings against CH4 emissions from rewetted peatlands are therefore unjustified and counterproductive.

scholarly journals Long-term climate change mitigation potential with organic matter management on grasslands

2015 ◽  
Vol 25 (2) ◽  
pp. 531-545 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rebecca Ryals ◽  
Melannie D. Hartman ◽  
William J. Parton ◽  
Marcia S. DeLonge ◽  
Whendee L. Silver
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Organic Matter ◽  
Climate Change Mitigation ◽  
Mitigation Potential ◽  
Organic Matter Management ◽  
Change Mitigation

On the climate change mitigation potential of CO2 conversion to fuels

2017 ◽  
Vol 10 (12) ◽  
pp. 2491-2499 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Carlos Abanades ◽  
Edward S. Rubin ◽  
Marco Mazzotti ◽  
Howard J. Herzog
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Climate Change Mitigation ◽  
Liquid Fuels ◽  
Climate Mitigation ◽  
Co2 Conversion ◽  
Mitigation Potential ◽  
Alternative Systems ◽  
Change Mitigation

Proposed utilization schemes producing liquid fuels from captured CO2 offer fewer climate mitigation benefits at higher costs than alternative systems.

scholarly journals The Use of Homegarden Agroforestry Systems for Climate Change Mitigation in Lowlands of Southern Tigray, Northern Ethiopia

2019 ◽  
pp. 1-13
Author(s):  
Gebru Eyasu Siyum ◽  
Tuemay Tassew
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Species Diversity ◽  
Climate Change Mitigation ◽  
Woody Species ◽  
Agroforestry Systems ◽  
Carbon Stocks ◽  
Land Uses ◽  
Woody Species Diversity ◽  
Soil Carbon Stocks ◽  
Change Mitigation

Mitigation of climate change is one of the major environmental challenges facing the globe. In this context, homegarden agroforestry systems (HGAFs) have large potential for climate change mitigation. Therefore, this study was initiated to estimate the biomass and soil carbon stocks of HGAFs in relation to adjacent Natural Forest (NF). It also analyzed the relationship between woody species diversity, evenness and richness with biomass and soil carbon stocks. Three sites were purposely selected on the basis of the presence of HGAFs and NF adjacent to each other. Random sampling was used to select representative homegardens from the study population. In NF, a systematic sampling technique was employed. A total of 60 plots with a size of 10 m x 20 m were used to collect vegetation and soil data in both land uses. Soil samples were collected from each plot of the samples laid for vegetation sampling. Accordingly, 120 composite and 120 undisturbed soil samples from 0-30 cm and 30-60 cm soil depths were collected for soil organic carbon (SOC) and bulk density analysis respectively. Biomass estimation for each woody species was analyzed by using appropriate allometric equations. The result showed that the total amount of carbon stocks was 148.32±35.76 tons ha-1 and 157.27±51.61 tons ha-1 in HGAFs and adjacent NF respectively which did not vary significantly between the two studied land uses (P > 0.05). The finding also shows a positive but non-significant (P>0.05) relationship between carbon stocks and woody species diversity, richness, and evenness. Specifically, in NF lands, woody species diversity with SOC (r=0.36) and in HGAFs species richness with biomass carbon (r=0.39) was correlated positively and significantly (P=0.05). We concluded that HGAFs have the same potential as the NF for carbon stock accumulation and to counteract the loss of biomass.

scholarly journals Result-oriented Agri-Environmental Climate Schemes as a means of promoting climate change mitigation in olive growing

2018 ◽  
Vol 47 (2) ◽  
pp. 141-149 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sergio Colombo ◽  
Beatriz Rocamora-Montiel
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Soil Carbon ◽  
Climate Change Mitigation ◽  
Farming Systems ◽  
Environmental Implications ◽  
Mitigation Potential ◽  
Hybrid Governance ◽  
Legislative Framework ◽  
Change Mitigation ◽  
Oriented Approach

The climate change mitigation potential of olive farming has been widely acknowledged. It has particular relevance in regions such as Andalusia (southern Spain) where olive growing is a key land use activity with significant social, economic and environmental implications. This potential of olive farming, however, is not adequately embodied in current Agri-Environmental Climate Schemes (AECS), which often fail to deliver the expected outcomes. The present article proposes an alternative strategy based on a result-oriented approach to AECS for enhancing soil carbon sequestration in Andalusian olive growing. After reviewing the current legal and institutional situation which forbids the wide application of result-oriented agri-environmental schemes, we suggest the use of alternative territorial governance arrangements, such as hybrid governance structures (HGS), as a framework to support the implementation of a result-oriented approach in the specific case of olive growing. Results indicate that the application of HGS can provide valuable benefits in terms of soil carbon storage. The information provided may be useful in the proposed new legislative framework, at both European and regional level, to promote more sustainable farming systems.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document