Journal Article
Forest Policy / Biosecurity
Linda Heath; Clark Row; Robert Perschel; Douglas Boucher; Patricia Elias; Katherine Lininger; Calen May-Tobin; Earl Saxon; Steven Ruddell; Sally Collins; Sarah Ruddell; Mo Zhou; Matthew Pelkki; Christopher Galik; Robert Abt; Maria Milanes-Murcia; Helge Eng; Sandy Cantler; Špela Pezdevšek Malovrh; Mersudin Avdibegovic; Donald Hodges; Brett Butler; Paul Catanzaro; John Greene; Jaketon Hewes; Michael Kilgore; David Kittredge; Zhao Ma; Mary Tyrrell; John Barnwell; Kelsey Delaney; David Cleaves; David Cleaves; Shira Yoffe; Chris Swanston; Maria Janowiak; Bill Dunkelberger; Timothy Robards; David Saah; Jay O'Laughlin; Bruce Lippke; Elaine Oneil; Shorna Allred; Ashley Dayer; Richard Stedman; Nianfu Song; Francisco Aguilar; Stephen Shifley; Michael Goerndt; Robert Malmsheimer; James Bowyer; Jeremy Fried; Edmund Gee; Bob Izlar; Reid Miner; Ian Munn; Elaine Oneil; William Stewart; Kelsey Delaney; Robert Malmsheimer; James Bowyer; Jeremy Fried; Edmund Gee; Bob Izlar; Reid Miner; Ian Munn; Elaine Oneil; William Stewart; Kelsey Delaney; Courtney Schultz; Theresa Jedd; Nathan Havill; Bradley Onken; Kurt Gottschalk; Philip Cannon; Robert Hauff; Flint Hughes; Tavita Togia; Aubrey Moore; Roland Quitugua; Deborah McCullough; Therese Poland; Noel Schneeberger; Robert Progar; Janet Valle; George Markin; Joe Milan; Tom Barbouletos; Matt Rinella; Anna Soper; James Kruse; Stephen Enloe; Stephen Pecot; Robert Hauff; Sheri S. Mann; Aubrey Moore; Roland Quitugua; Cas Vanderwoude; Mary Tyrrell; Gillian Paul; Jeffrey Ward; Stella Cousins; Partick Comins; Angela Gupta; Mark Abrahamson; Val Cervenka; Jeff Hahn; Dean Herzfeld; Ken Holman; Gary Johnson; Gary Wyatt; Amy Mayer; Michael Buck; Rachel Neville; Jean Fujikawa; Cynthia King; Robert Hauff; Leyla Kaufman; Mark Wright; Leyla Kaufman; Juliana Yalemar; Mark Wright; John Heissenbuttel; Catherine Parks; Ned Nikolov; Karl Zeller; John Heissenbuttel; John Heissenbuttel; John Heissenbuttel; Jeremy Fried; Theresa Jain; Jonathan Sandquist; Larry Potts; Steven Seybold; Tom Coleman; Ken Werner; Brian Richardson; Francisco Ferreira; George Matusick; Katinka Ruthrof; Giles Hardy
Journal of Forestry · Vol. 109, Issue 8 · pp. 511-523 · 2011
Abstract
7Massive fires in Indonesian peatlands in the 1990s and in eastern Russian peatlands in 2002 and last year have highlighted the need to manage forests overlying peat deposits, as well as converted peat forests and open peatlands. Peat or peaty soils, contain 65% or more of partially decayed vegetation, can burn freely or underground. They cover some 10 percent of worldwide forests and contain 25 percent of all terrestrial carbon. Recent massive greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from fires in forested peat and peatland in Indonesia and in Russia highlight the need for policies to reduce GHG emissions. We discuss major peatland areas and quantify their carbon stocks and potential GHG emissions. Trends show that year-to-year emissions are variable, with huge pulses that are a significant share of global GHG emissions. We group suggested policy options into three approaches. The first approach, which will reduce peat-related product demand, includes a) restricting peat, and products produced on cleared forested peatland, from being labeled or counted in GHG reduction achievements, as renewable (which palm oil currently is considered); b) developing full substitutes for horticultural peat (comprising about half mined peat use); and c) developing renewable power in countries still dependent on peat for power generation. These options reduce the rate of developing newly mined peat/forest areas. Options for a second approach, which treat already drained and cleared forested peatlands, are: d) restoring functioning peat ecosystems by closing drainage ditches, allowing natural rewetting, and “seeding” with peat vegetation fragments, e) requiring current peat operators to restore mined areas right after all peat is removed, and f) converting them to other land uses, despite the acidic conditions of mined peat bogs. These options sharply reduce risks of peat fires. Finally, a third group of policy options reduces ignition risks and limit fire spread: g) developing monitoring, suppression techniques, h) organizing local landowner protection groups and i) improving public fire organizations.