Russia the largest peatlands country in the world

Reducing GHG emissions by restoring and rewetting peatlands

Nordic Pavilion Hall 2B, Room 65, Blue Zone 2 December 2015 at 12.15 – 13:45 pm

Russia the largest peatlands country in the world – challenges and opportunities

Andrey Sirin Peatland Protection and Restoration Center,

Institute of Forest Science Russian Academy of Sciences

Global peatland distribution

IMCG, 2014 http://www.imcg.net/

• Occur in 180 countries

Peatlands (peat >30 cm) make up over 8% (1.39 10∙ 6 km)and with shallow peat lands (< 30 cm) up to 22% (2.30 10∙ 6 km) of Russia

© «GIS «Peatlands of Russia»

Vompersky, Sirin, Salnikov et al. // Contemporary Problems of Ecology 2011, V.4, N 7.

ГИС «Болота России» Открытые

Редколесные

Лесные

Tree cover of Peatlands in RussiaForests - 17%, sparsely treed - 21%, open - 62%

© GIS «Peatlands of Russia»

Vompersky et al. // Contemporary Problems of Ecology 2011, V.4, N 7.

Forested Sparsely treedTreeless

Carbon store in soil and biomass in different ecosystems of Russia

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Vompersky et al., 1994, Karelin et al., 1994, Chestnykh et al., 2004, Zamolodchikov et al., 2011

BiomassSoil

By courtesy of Dmitry Zamolodchikov

тыс.т/кв.км

< 5

5 - 1010 - 2020 - 40> 40 At least 15% or 21,8 109 tons of peat carbon is

related to permafrost palsa and polygon mires, and to tundra with shallow peat.

Estimates of Carbon Pool in Russian Peatlands and shallow peat lands:113,5 (Vompersky et al., 1994) – 210 G t (Botch et al., 1994) thus Russian Peatlands could

make from 1/4 to 1/2 of World peat carbon.

109 g km2

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Basal age (1), carbon storage (2) and mean annual turnover of soil/peat carbon (3) in mineral soils, shallow peat, and deep peat (Central Forest Biosphere Reserve, Central European Russia).

Рис. 4. Заболоченные леса и редколесья.Доля от общ ей заболоченности:

< 30% .От 30 до 90% .От 90 до 100% . Shallow peat forests and lands in

the boreal zone of Russia

The original and remaining extent of natural peatlands in Europe

Data: H. Joosten and J. Couwenberg

Western European countries have lost over 90% of their natural peatlands. The Netherlands has destroyed 100% of its natural peatlands as a result of agricultural and economic development.

Peatlands in the Central and Eastern European region now occupy a “frontier position”.

The Scale of Disturbances to Peatlands in European Part of Russia

© GIS «Peatlands of Russia»

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нарушено, %

Москва

Peat extraction

Drainage for agriculture

Forest drainage

Disturbed

Figures represent gross emissions; GHG sequestration by peat and vegetation growth not included. Glagolev et al. 2008

Carbon dioxide and methane fluxes from intact and disturbed peatlands (observed from over 70 sites in Tomsk Oblast (southern part of West Siberia).

CO2 Emission

Drained peatlands: emission hot spots

~ 40 x 106 ha drained and degrading (10%)emissions: ~ 2 x 109 t CO2 / yr ~ 6% of total anthropogenic

By Courtesy of Hans Joosten

Initiative mire restoration (in 1990ies)

First built dam was destroyed by local people (“water logging of

hayfields”) in Meschera National Park (2002)

Visiting Center in Meschera Nation Park (2005)

Action Plan for Peatland Conservation and Wise Use in Russia (2002)

Development of the integrated document, endorsed and approved by Federal authorities, focusing on:

• scientific and systematic provision of peatlands conservation and wise use

• measures for securing peatlands conservation and wise use include in: legal, social, economic and management measures

• urgent measures for peatland conservation

Achievements and future tasks were discussed during official workshops in 2005 and 2010, organized by Federal Ministry of Nature Resources and Environment

Peat fires in Central European Russia, August 2002

Virgin raised bog after fire in Kaliningrad Region, August 2002

Peat fires - usual phenomenon of nature for the boreal zone in dry years

Minayeva & Sirin. 2002. Science and Industry of Russia. N 9.

Abandoned peatlands used for milled peat extraction (Vladimir and Moscow Provinces)

Carbon (C) losses after peat extraction and agriculture (Taldom testing area, Moscow Region)

Abandoned peat cutting

Abandoned hayfield

Intact peatbog

Long-term apparent rate of carbon accumulation (LORCA) for studied non-drained peatland - 0.14-0.17 Mg C ha-1year-1.

C losses during site preparation and peat extraction: • from biomass removal during site preparation up to 20 Mg ha-1 • during peat extraction 25-32 Mg C ha-1year-1.

C losses from abandoned peat extraction site:• with CO2 emissions - 1.6-4.7 Mg C ha-1, depending on weather conditions of the year, • C lost with peat decomposition over 10 years comparable with annual rate of milled peat extraction.

C losses from abandoned hayfield:• with CO2 emissions at minimum 0.8 Mg C ha-1 • 4 times lower as compared with abandoned peat extraction site.C losses through CO2 emissions from abandoned peatlands one order of magnitude higher than the LORCA. • C loss with water and wind erosion not considered• CO2 and N2O fluxes not considered

Suvorov et al.Agrochemistry, N 11. 2015.

Periods of peatland active growth in Northern Eurasia Klimanov & Sirin, TRAS / Earth Sc. Sec., V. 355, No.5.

State Report on Climate peculiarities for territory of Russian Federation for 2013 year. – Moscow, 2014.

Mean annual air temperatures (оС), 1936-2013 гг.

Аномалии рассчитаны как отклонения от среднего за 1961-1990 гг. Показаны: 11- летнее скользящее среднее, линейный тренд за 1976-2013 гг. 95%-й доверительной полосой.

European Part of Russia

Mean monthly precipitation (mm/month) for 1936-2013 yrs.

Аномалии рассчитаны как отклонения от среднего за 1961-1990 гг. Сглаженная кривая соответствует 11-летнему скользящему осреднению. Линейный тренд показан за 1976-2013 гг. с 95%-й доверительной полосой.


European Part of Russia

• Сильный ветер• Сильные осадки • Метель• Пыльная буря• Смерч• Сильный мороз• Аномально холодная погода• Сильная жара• Аномально жаркая погода• Град• Гололедные явления • Налипание мокрого снега• Заморозки • Туман• КМЯ

Meteorological Hazards

Опасные гидрометеорологические(вкл. гидрологические иагрометеорологические) явления, которые нанесли значительный ущерб экономике и населению (всего и непредусмотренные).

2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 20131090 923 972 760 987 963


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Peat fires in Meschera National Park (Vladimir Oblast, Russia) in 1991-2010

During 2003 – 2010 over 2000 ha from 7500 ha of abandoned milled extracted peatlands were rewetted

Number of Peat Fires

Burned Area, ha

Sirin et al. 2011. Science in Russia. N 2.

Abandoned peat excavated site with dry periodically burning bare peat surface 4 years after re-wetting,

Meschera National Park, Vladimir Province

Forest-peat fires 2010 Photo: NASA, 9 August, 2010

Moscow, August 01, 2010

+36°C

Площадь выработанных месторождений

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Moscow Oblast has the largest areas of abandoned peatlands, partially excavated by milled extraction

© «Проект по сохранению торфяных болот России»

Area of peatlands drained for peat extraction by excavation and milled methods

ha

Moscow Oblast: Total area: 44 379 km2

Distance: W-E – 320 km, N-S – 305 kmPopulation: 7,048 mln. People + Moscow City 12,108 mln.

The Netherlands – 41 526 km2

Peatland area: 250 000 ha about 6% of MO; Total number > 1700 (area from 2.5 to 26000 ha)

Moscow Oblast

2010 2011 2012 2013 TotalObjects 9 34 21 14 78

Area, ha 4995 21497 31004 14609 72105

Moscow Oblast Re-wetted

Rewetting done in Moscow Oblast in 2010-2013 yearsShatura Region, June 2013

To support these activities the project “Restoring Peatlands in Russia - for fire prevention and climate change mitigation” was initiated jointly conducted by the Ministry of Nature Resources and Environment of the Russian Federation, Moscow Province Government, Wetlands International, the Michael Succow Foundation, Greifswald University and the Institute of Forest Science, Russian Academy of Sciences. This project is part of the International Climate Initiative (ICI) funded by the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMU) through KfW Entwicklungsbank.

German-Russian technical cooperation coordinated by the German Ministry of Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety and the Ministry of Nature Resources and Environment of the Russian Federation. 2010 a high level bilateral decision was made to draw on expertise available in Germany for peatland rewetting and develop a joint Russian-German project with German investment for technical expertise and Russian investment into implementation.

Project “Restoring Peatlands in Russia – for fire prevention and climate change mitigation” financed under the International Climate Initiative (ICI) by the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and

Nuclear Safety (BMU) and facilitated through German Bank KfW (Project number 11 III 040 RUS K Restoring Peatlands).

In partnership with Ministry of Natural Resources and Ecology of Russian Federation and Moscow Oblast Government

Restoring peatlands of Russia for fire prevention and GHG reduction

InventoryRewetting

MonitoringCapacity building

AdvocacyEconomic incentives

Reduction:RestorationMonitoringAccounting

2011_07_24 2013_08_06

Examples of land/vegetation changes after rewetting applied by Moscow Oblast during 2010-2013 years

(2011 image already include effect of 2010 rewetting; Spot 5 data for 2010 do not exist)

Fire-hazardous land/vegetation classes: brown – bare peat, yellow – dry grass communities;Not fire-hazardous land/vegetation classes: blue – open water, blue-green – hydrophilic vegetation;

Spot 5_10 m

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Draft map of peat fires in 2010

Based on Map of Peatlands Map of Moscow Oblast and on-line map of Forest-Peat (August 2010, SRDC Scanex) http://www.scanex.ru/ru/news/News_Preview.asp?

id=n2205174

Only 10 cm of peat loss after burning (biomass is not considered) CO2 emission over 350 t per ha;

> 16 см > 16 cm

Makarov et al. 2014

37

IPCC 2006 Guidelines for National Greenhouse Gas InventoriesProvides general guidance for different land categories including pastures and wetlands

IPCC 2014, 2013 Supplement to the 2006 IPCC Guidelines for National Greenhouse Gas Inventories: WetlandsProvides more specific guidance for wetlands (with special attention to peatlands)

Reduction from decomposition:0.7 – 1.0 t CO2eq. per ha and yearTotal: 50 000 – 70 000 tCO2eq. per year (for 73 000 ha)

Reduction from fires: 3.5 t CO2eq. per ha per yearTotal: ~ 250 000 t CO2e per year

Combined emission reduction: 4.5 t CO2eq. per ha and year Total: ~ 300,000 t CO2e per year

ResultsRestoring peatlands of Russia for fire prevention and GHG reduction

Starting activities on peatland restoration: • peatlands on permafrost (Komi and Nenetsk Autonomous Okrug)• peatlands in steppe and forest steppe regions (Republic of

Bashkortostan)

Peatlands – most vulnerable to climate change

• Peatlands in steppe and forest-steppe

• Permafrost peatlands

• Mountain peatlands

• Floodplain peatlands

• Drained and abandoned

Biodiversity Conservation of Natural Ecosystems in Russia,

2004Adopted by CBD COP 10 (2008)www.geonet.org

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Southern Russia – peatlands in forest steppe and steppe regions

MAPPED PEATLANDS OF SOME SUBJECTS OF RUSSIAN FEDERATION RELATED TO FOREST-STEPPE AND STEPPE REGIONS

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Greenhouse gases (CO2, CH4,) flux measurements on different drained

and wet peatlands in forest steppe in Republic of Bashkortostan (Southern

European Russia)

Data obtained by Clima East Pilots clearly indicate that through peatland protection and restoration we can mitigate loss of soil carbon and mitigate climate change CO2 Balance vs GWL

Northern Russia – permafrost peatlands

Testing restoration experiments of permafrost peatlands in Nenets Autonomous Region (Northern European Russia)

Keeping water in

Surface erosion prevention

Enhancing organic accumulation

Thank you for attention