Wildfire Damage to Peatlands in the Northern Hemisphere May Result in Higher Levels of Carbon Dioxide

Peatlands are wetland ecosystems that store large amounts of carbon in their organic soils. They cover about 3% of the global land area but store twice as much carbon as the world's forests.

Peatlands play a vital role in climate regulation by sequestering carbon from the atmosphere and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

However, peatlands are threatened by human activities such as drainage, agriculture, forestry, and fire.

These disturbances can alter the hydrology, vegetation, and carbon dynamics of peatlands, leading to increased carbon loss and emissions.

How Wildfire Affects Peatlands

(Photo : ABDUL QODIR/AFP via Getty Images)

Wildfire is a natural disturbance that affects peatlands in boreal and temperate regions of the northern hemisphere, as per Phys.org.

Wildfires can consume both aboveground and belowground biomass, releasing carbon dioxide and other gases into the atmosphere.

The amount of carbon lost during a wildfire depends on several factors, such as fire intensity, duration, frequency, and severity.

Fire severity refers to the degree of organic soil consumption and is influenced by the moisture content and depth of the peat.

Dryer and deeper peat tend to burn more severely and release more carbon than wetter and shallower peat.

Wildfires can also have long-term effects on peatland carbon balance by altering the post-fire recovery of vegetation and soil processes.

Depending on the fire severity and environmental conditions, peatlands can recover their carbon sink function within decades or centuries after a fire, or remain a net source of carbon for longer periods.

The recovery of peatlands after a fire is influenced by factors such as hydrology, vegetation composition, nutrient availability, and climate change.

How Drainage Affects Peatlands

Drainage is a human-induced disturbance that affects peatlands worldwide. Drainage involves lowering the water table of peatlands by digging ditches or installing pipes to remove excess water.

It is often done to convert peatlands to agricultural or forestry land uses or to enhance peat extraction for fuel or horticulture.

Furthermore, drainage has negative impacts on peatland carbon balance by reducing the waterlogged conditions that preserve organic matter and prevent decomposition.

It also increases the oxygen availability and microbial activity in the peat, enhancing the breakdown of organic matter and releasing carbon dioxide.

Drainage also affects the susceptibility of peatlands to the fire by lowering the moisture content and increasing the flammability of the peat.

The critical role of peatlands in the global carbon cycle, recent reports, and literature that may influence policy does not explicitly account for the impacts of fire on peatland emissions estimates.

More data and models are needed to improve the accuracy and reliability of peatland carbon accounting and to inform peatland management and policy.

Moreover, drainage can increase the ignition potential, fire spread rate, fire intensity, and fire severity of peatland fires, leading to higher carbon emissions, and also hinder the post-fire recovery of peatlands by altering the hydrology, vegetation, and nutrient cycling of the ecosystem.

Also Read: 69 Million People Exposed to 'Killer Haze' During Wildfire in Indonesia

The Interaction of Wildfire and Drainage

The interaction of wildfire and drainage can have synergistic effects on peatland carbon loss and emissions, as per Nature.

A recent study published in Nature Climate Change estimated for the first time how degradation, wildfire combustion, and post-fire dynamics influence carbon emissions from non-permafrost peatlands across vast areas of the northern hemisphere.

The study used empirical datasets from natural, degraded, and restored peatlands in boreal and temperate regions to model net ecosystem exchange and methane fluxes, integrating peatland degradation status, wildfire combustion, and post-fire dynamics.

It found that wildfire processes reduced carbon uptake in pristine peatlands by 35% and further enhanced emissions from degraded peatlands by 10%.

The current small net sink is vulnerable to the interactions of peatland degraded area, burn rate, and peat burn severity.

Climate change impacts accelerated carbon losses, where increased burn severity and burn rate reduced the carbon sink by 38% and 65%, respectively, by 2100.

However, the study also demonstrated the potential for active peatland restoration to buffer these impacts.

The Implications for Peatland Conservation

The study highlights the importance of conserving and restoring peatlands as a cost-effective tool to mitigate climate change, as per Mirage.

Peatland conservation involves preventing or minimizing human disturbances such as drainage, agriculture, forestry, and fire that degrade peatlands and increase their carbon emissions.

Peatland restoration involves restoring the hydrology, vegetation, and soil functions of degraded peatlands to enhance their carbon sequestration potential.

Peatland conservation and restoration can also provide multiple co-benefits for biodiversity, water quality, flood regulation, and human well-being.

The study also underscores the need for more research and monitoring of the impacts of fire on peatland emissions estimates.

Despite the critical role of peatlands in the global carbon cycle, recent reports and literature that may influence policy do not explicitly account for the impacts of fire on peatland emissions estimates.

More data and models are needed to improve the accuracy and reliability of peatland carbon accounting and to inform peatland management and policy.