Expert assessment of future vulnerability of the global peatland carbon sink

Julie Loisel; A.V. Gallego-Sala; M.J. Amesbury; G. Magnan; G. Anshari; D. W. Beilman; J. Blewett; J. C. Benevides; P. Camill; D. J. Charman; S. Chawchai; A. Hedgpeth; T. Kleinen; A. Korhola; D. Large; J. Müller; C. A. Mansilla; S. van Bellen; J. B. West; Z. Yu; J. L. Bubier; M. Garneau; T. Moore; A. B. K. Sannel; M. Väliranta; S. Page; M. Bechtold; V. Brovkin; L. E. S. Cole; J. P. Chanton; T. R. Christensen; M. A. Davies; F. De Vleeschouwer; S.A. Finkelstein; S. Frolking; M. Galka; L. Gandois; N. Girkin; .L.I. Harris; A. Heinemeyer; A.M. Hoyt; Miriam C. Jones; F. Joos; S. Juutinen; K. Kaiser; M. Lamentowicz; T. Larmola; M. Leifeld; A. Lohila; A.M. Milner; Kari Minkkinen; P. Moss; B.D.A. Naafs; J. Nichols; J. O'Donnell; R. Payne; M. Philben; S. Pilo; A. Quillet; A.S. Ratnayake; T.P. Roland; S. Sjogersten; O. Sonnentag; G.T. Swindles; W. Swinnen; J. Talbott; C. C. Treat; A.C. Valach; J. Wu

doi:10.1038/s41558-020-00944-0

Expert assessment of future vulnerability of the global peatland carbon sink

Nature Climate Change

By: Julie Loisel, A.V. Gallego-Sala, M.J. Amesbury, G. Magnan, G. Anshari, D. W. Beilman, J. Blewett, J. C. Benevides, P. Camill, D. J. Charman, S. Chawchai, A. Hedgpeth, T. Kleinen, A. Korhola, D. Large, J. Müller, C. A. Mansilla, S. van Bellen, J. B. West, Z. Yu, J. L. Bubier, M. Garneau, T. Moore, A. B. K. Sannel, M. Väliranta, S. Page, M. Bechtold, V. Brovkin, L. E. S. Cole, J. P. Chanton, T. R. Christensen, M. A. Davies, F. De Vleeschouwer, S.A. Finkelstein, S. Frolking, M. Galka, L. Gandois, N. Girkin, .L.I. Harris, A. Heinemeyer, A.M. Hoyt, Miriam C. Jones, F. Joos, S. Juutinen, K. Kaiser, M. Lamentowicz, T. Larmola, M. Leifeld, A. Lohila, A.M. Milner, Kari Minkkinen, P. Moss, B.D.A. Naafs, J. Nichols, J. O'Donnell, R. Payne, M. Philben, S. Pilo, A. Quillet, A.S. Ratnayake, T.P. Roland, S. Sjogersten, O. Sonnentag, G.T. Swindles, W. Swinnen, J. Talbott, C. C. Treat, A.C. Valach, and J. Wu

https://doi.org/10.1038/s41558-020-00944-0

Links

More information: Publisher Index Page (via DOI)
Open Access Version: External Repository
Download citation as: RIS | Dublin Core

Abstract

The carbon balance of peatlands is predicted to shift from a sink to a source this century. However, peatland ecosystems are still omitted from the main Earth system models that are used for future climate change projections, and they are not considered in integrated assessment models that are used in impact and mitigation studies. By using evidence synthesized from the literature and an expert elicitation, we define and quantify the leading drivers of change that have impacted peatland carbon stocks during the Holocene and predict their effect during this century and in the far future. We also identify uncertainties and knowledge gaps in the scientific community and provide insight towards better integration of peatlands into modelling frameworks. Given the importance of the contribution by peatlands to the global carbon cycle, this study shows that peatland science is a critical research area and that we still have a long way to go to fully understand the peatland–carbon–climate nexus.

Additional publication details
Publication type	Article
Publication Subtype	Journal Article
Title	Expert assessment of future vulnerability of the global peatland carbon sink
Series title	Nature Climate Change
DOI	10.1038/s41558-020-00944-0
Volume	11
Year Published	2021
Language	English
Publisher	Nature
Contributing office(s)	Florence Bascom Geoscience Center
Description	8 p.
First page	70
Last page	77
Google Analytic Metrics	Metrics page