Quantifying ecosystem services of rewetted peatlands − the MoorFutures methodologies

Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

Authors

  • Franziska Tanneberger
  • Augustin Berghöfer
  • Kristina Brust
  • Jenny Hammerich
  • Bettina Holsten
  • Hans Joosten
  • Dierk Michaelis
  • Fiedje Moritz
  • Felix Reichelt
  • Achim Schäfer
  • Aaron Scheid
  • Michael Trepel
  • Andreas Wahren
  • John Couwenberg

In 2011, MoorFutures® were introduced as the first standard for generating credits from peatland rewetting. We developed methodologies to quantify ecosystem services before and after rewetting with a focus on greenhouse gas emissions, water quality, evaporative cooling and mire-typical biodiversity. Both standard and premium approaches to assess these services were developed, and tested in the rewetted polder Kieve (NE-Germany). The standard approaches are default tier 1 estimation procedures, which require little time and few, mainly vegetation data. Based on the Greenhouse gas Emission Site Type (GEST) approach, emissions decreased from 1,306 t CO2e in the baseline scenario to 532 t CO2e in the project scenario, whereas 5 years after rewetting they were assessed to be 543 t CO2e per year. Nitrate release assessed via Nitrogen Emission Site Types (NEST) was estimated to decrease from 1,088 kg N (baseline) to 359 kg N (project), and appeared to be 309 kg N per year 5 years after rewetting. The heat flux − determined with Evapotranspiration Energy Site Types (EEST) – decreased from 6,691 kW (baseline) to 1,926 kW (project), and was 2,250 kW per year 5 years after rewetting. Mire-specific biodiversity was estimated to increase from very low (baseline) to high (project), but was only low 5 years after rewetting. The premium approaches allow quantifying a particular ecosystem service with higher accuracy by measuring or modelling. The approaches presented here have been elaborated for North-Germany but can be adapted for other regions. We encourage scientists to use our research as a model for assessing peatland ecosystem services including biodiversity in other geographical regions. Using vegetation mapping and indicator values derived from meta-analyses is a cost-efficient and robust approach to inform payment for ecosystem services schemes and to support conservation planning at regional to global scales.

Original languageEnglish
Article number112048
JournalEcological Indicators
Volume163
Number of pages10
ISSN1470-160X
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 01.06.2024

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2024 The Author(s)

    Research areas

  • Bioindication, Greenhouse gas emission, Organic soil, Peatland restoration, Proxy
  • Engineering

Recently viewed

Publications

  1. Climate change as an element of sustainability communication
  2. The magnitude of correlation between deadlift 1RM and jumping performance is sports dependent
  3. How action-oriented entrepreneurship training transforms university students into entrepreneurs: Insights from a qualitative study
  4. Bush encroachment control and risk management in semi-arid rangelands
  5. Use of Recurrence Quantification Analysis to Examine Associations Between Changes in Text Structure Across an Expressive Writing Intervention and Reductions in Distress Symptoms in Women With Breast Cancer
  6. A transfer operator based numerical investigation of coherent structures in three-dimensional Southern ocean circulation
  7. Quality and time-related indicators in inceptive plans
  8. Erkenntnistheorie
  9. Integration of risk-oriented environmental management information systems and resource planning systems
  10. Degrees of Integration
  11. From 'one right way' to 'one ruinous way'? Discursive shifts in 'There is no alternative'
  12. Developing Carbon Accounting: Between driving Carbon Reductions and Complying with a Carbon Reporting Standard
  13. Teaching the Teachers about Language Support Strategies
  14. Analysis of ammonia losses after field application of biogas slurries by an empirical model
  15. Groundwater intrusion into leaky sewer systems
  16. Effect of Sn additions on the age hardening response, microstructures and corrosion resistance of Mg-0.8Ca (wt%) alloys
  17. Sustainable Development Discourse – Challenges for Universities
  18. Incremental contribution of pollination and other ecosystem services to agricultural productivity
  19. Gender differences on general knowledge tests
  20. Interlanguage pragmatics: From use to acquisition to second language pedagogy
  21. Anstand
  22. A Sampling Framework for Uncertainty in Individual Environmental Decisions
  23. Article 15 Scope of the Law Applicable
  24. Inventory of biodegradation data of ionic liquids
  25. Communication spaces - memory spaces. Articles on transcultural encounter in Africa
  26. Active First Movers vs. Late Free-Riders? An Empirical Analysis of UN PRI Signatories' Commitment
  27. Towards an Intra- and Interorganizational Perspective
  28. Introduction: Art Alone Can Do Nothing
  29. Diversity lost