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Can carbon offsetting pay for upland ecological restoration?
Fred Worrall1, Martin G Evans, Aletta Bonn
1Department of Earth Sciences, Science Laboratories, South Road, Durham, DH1 3LE, UK. fred.worrall@durham.ac.uk
The Science of the Total Environment
|October 13, 2009
Summary
Upland peat soils store significant carbon. Management changes can enhance this carbon sink, potentially creating profitable carbon offsetting opportunities in the UK. Further research is needed to optimize interventions.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Science
- Soil Science
- Climate Change Research
Background:
- Upland peat soils are critical terrestrial carbon reservoirs with potential for both carbon sequestration and release.
- Current UK upland peat management rarely prioritizes carbon stewardship, despite the potential for economic benefits through carbon trading schemes.
- Altering management practices offers an opportunity to enhance carbon storage in these vital ecosystems.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and apply a model for calculating carbon fluxes in peat soils, considering all uptake and release pathways.
- To assess the impact of common management interventions on carbon storage in UK upland peat soils.
- To evaluate the economic viability of carbon offsetting through improved peatland management.
Main Methods:
- Development of a comprehensive model for peat soil carbon flux calculation, including fluvial and gaseous pathways.
- Application of the model to 550 km2 of upland peat soils in the Peak District over a decade (1997-2006).
- Simulation of various management interventions to quantify their effect on carbon sequestration.
Main Results:
- The studied region was estimated to be a net carbon sink of -62 kilotonnes CO2 equivalent annually.
- Targeted management interventions could increase the total regional sink to -160 kilotonnes CO2 equivalent per year.
- Economic analysis indicated that 51% of targeted areas could become profitable through carbon offsetting within 30 years, contingent on carbon prices.
Conclusions:
- Management interventions in UK upland peat soils can significantly enhance carbon sequestration.
- Carbon offsetting presents a potential economic incentive for peatland management and restoration.
- The profitability of carbon offsetting is highly sensitive to the market price of carbon and specific management outcomes.
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