Rewetting strategies to reduce nitrous oxide emissions from European peatlands
Haojie Liu, N. Wrage, Bernd Lennartz
Abstract
Abstract Nitrous oxide (N 2 O) is approximately 265 times more potent than carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) in atmospheric warming. Degraded peatlands are important sources of N 2 O. The more a peat soil is degraded, the higher the N 2 O-N emissions from peat. In this study, soil bulk density was used as a proxy for peat degradation to predict N 2 O-N emissions. Here we report that the annual N 2 O-N emissions from European managed peatlands (EU-28) sum up to approximately 145 Gg N year −1 . From the viewpoint of greenhouse gas emissions, highly degraded agriculturally used peatlands should be rewetted first to optimally reduce cumulative N 2 O-N emissions. Compared to a business-as-usual scenario (no peatland rewetting), rewetting of all drained European peatlands until 2050 using the suggested strategy reduces the cumulative N 2 O-N emissions by 70%. In conclusion, the status of peat degradation should be made a pivotal criterion in prioritising peatlands for restoration.