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Tradeoff of CO2 and CH4 emissions from global peatlands under water-table drawdown

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  • Yuanyuan Huang

    (Laboratoire des Sciences du Climat et de l’Environnement, LSCE/IPSL, CEA-CNRS-UVSQ, Université Paris-Saclay
    CSIRO Oceans and Atmosphere)

  • Phillipe Ciais

    (Laboratoire des Sciences du Climat et de l’Environnement, LSCE/IPSL, CEA-CNRS-UVSQ, Université Paris-Saclay)

  • Yiqi Luo

    (Northern Arizona University)

  • Dan Zhu

    (Laboratoire des Sciences du Climat et de l’Environnement, LSCE/IPSL, CEA-CNRS-UVSQ, Université Paris-Saclay)

  • Yingping Wang

    (CSIRO Oceans and Atmosphere)

  • Chunjing Qiu

    (Laboratoire des Sciences du Climat et de l’Environnement, LSCE/IPSL, CEA-CNRS-UVSQ, Université Paris-Saclay)

  • Daniel S. Goll

    (Laboratoire des Sciences du Climat et de l’Environnement, LSCE/IPSL, CEA-CNRS-UVSQ, Université Paris-Saclay)

  • Bertrand Guenet

    (Laboratoire de Géologie, UMR 8538, Ecole Normale Supérieure, PSL Research University, CNRS, IPSL)

  • David Makowski

    (INRAE, AgroParisTech, University Paris-Saclay, UMR MIA 518)

  • Inge Graaf

    (Chair of Environmental Hydrological Systems, Faculty of Environmental and Natural Resources, University of Freiburg
    Water Systems and Global Change Group, Wageningen University & Research)

  • Jens Leifeld

    (Agroscope, Climate and Agriculture Group)

  • Min Jung Kwon

    (Laboratoire des Sciences du Climat et de l’Environnement, LSCE/IPSL, CEA-CNRS-UVSQ, Université Paris-Saclay)

  • Jing Hu

    (Geosystems Research Institute, Mississippi State University
    Wetland Biogeochemistry Laboratory, Soil and Water Science Department, University of Florida)

  • Laiye Qu

    (State Key Laboratory of Urban and Regional Ecology, Research Center for Eco-environmental Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences
    University of Chinese Academy of Sciences)

Abstract

Water-table drawdown across peatlands increases carbon dioxide (CO2) and reduces methane (CH4) emissions. The net climatic effect remains unclear. Based on global observations from 130 sites, we found a positive (warming) net climate effect of water-table drawdown. Using a machine-learning-based upscaling approach, we predict that peatland water-table drawdown driven by climate drying and human activities will increase CO2 emissions by 1.13 (95% interval: 0.88–1.50) Gt yr−1 and reduce CH4 by 0.26 (0.14–0.52) GtCO2-eq yr−1, resulting in a net increase of greenhouse gas of 0.86 (0.36–1.36) GtCO2-eq yr−1 by the end of the twenty-first century under the RCP8.5 climate scenario. This drops to 0.73 (0.2–1.2) GtCO2-eq yr−1 under RCP2.6. Our results point to an urgent need to preserve pristine and rehabilitate drained peatlands to decelerate the positive feedback among water-table drawdown, increased greenhouse gas emissions and climate warming.

Suggested Citation

  • Yuanyuan Huang & Phillipe Ciais & Yiqi Luo & Dan Zhu & Yingping Wang & Chunjing Qiu & Daniel S. Goll & Bertrand Guenet & David Makowski & Inge Graaf & Jens Leifeld & Min Jung Kwon & Jing Hu & Laiye Qu, 2021. "Tradeoff of CO2 and CH4 emissions from global peatlands under water-table drawdown," Nature Climate Change, Nature, vol. 11(7), pages 618-622, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcli:v:11:y:2021:i:7:d:10.1038_s41558-021-01059-w
    DOI: 10.1038/s41558-021-01059-w
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    Cited by:

    1. Lee, Taewoo & Cha, Hoyeon & Kim, Jee Young & Choi, Hyeseung & Lee, Jaewon & Yun, Seunggwan & Lee, Yoo Kyung & Lee, Jechan & Jung, Ji Young & Kwon, Eilhann E., 2025. "Modifying carbon feedback by transforming arctic soil into biochar," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 216(C).
    2. Gerrit Angst & Kevin E. Mueller & Michael J. Castellano & Cordula Vogel & Martin Wiesmeier & Carsten W. Mueller, 2023. "Unlocking complex soil systems as carbon sinks: multi-pool management as the key," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-8, December.
    3. Zuzanna Lipińska & Roman Cieśliński & Marlena Pawłowska & Izabela Chlost & Łukasz Pietruszyński, 2023. "Human Impact on Water Circulation Patterns in Raised Bogs of the Baltic Type, Northern Poland," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(16), pages 1-25, August.
    4. Carlo Bravo & Rosanna Toniolo & Marco Contin & Maria De Nobili, 2021. "Electrochemical and Structural Modifications of Humic Acids in Aerobically and Anaerobically Incubated Peat," Land, MDPI, vol. 10(11), pages 1-13, November.
    5. Hui Zhang & Minna Väliranta & Graeme T. Swindles & Marco A. Aquino-López & Donal Mullan & Ning Tan & Matthew Amesbury & Kirill V. Babeshko & Kunshan Bao & Anatoly Bobrov & Viktor Chernyshov & Marissa , 2022. "Recent climate change has driven divergent hydrological shifts in high-latitude peatlands," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-7, December.

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