Restoration of former wetlands in the Netherlands; effect on the balance between CO 2 sink and CH 4 source

Abstract Drained coastal peatlands are a source of greenhouse gas (GHG) through abundant CO 2 release caused by aerobic peat degradation. Published rates of CO 2 fixation and CH 4 release for natural peatlands suggest that areas of peat formation are a (small) net source of GHG emission because the radiative effect of emitted CH 4 exceeds the CO 2 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 CH 4 release is much smaller than the... Mehr ...