Restoration of former wetlands in the Netherlands; effect on the balance between CO2 sink and CH4 source

Abstract

Drained coastal peatlands are a source of greenhouse gas (GHG) through abundant CO2 release caused by aerobic peat degradation. Published rates of CO2 fixation and CH4 release for natural peatlands suggest that areas of peat formation are a (small) net source of GHG emission because the radiative effect of emitted CH4 exceeds the CO2 uptake by the vegetation. It is shown here that wetland restoration of reclaimed peat areas in the western Netherlands leads to a reduction of GHG emission because the expected increase in anaerobically generated CH4 release is much smaller than the decrease in aerobically produced CO2.