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The installation of drainage ditches and removal of vegetation in preparation for vacuum harvesting alters the carbon dynamics of peatlands. However, we lack the measurements to understand the spatial distribution and environmental and substrate quality controls of carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4) emissions, as well as how these factors change over the 20–30 year extraction period. For three summers, we measured CO2 and CH4 emissions using the closed chamber method at three actively extracted peatlands near Drayton Valley, Alberta, ranging from 2 to 28 years since the start of extraction. Measurements were made in the ditches, and on segments of peat (fields) between adjacent ditches. Field emissions did not change with distance from ditches, likely due to the observed homogeneity of volumetric water content (VWC) and temperature across the fields. Understanding carbon dynamics in the ditches will be important, as they emitted on average two and 10 times, respectively, the amount of CO2 and CH4 per square meter of the fields. We found moderate to weak relationships between carbon emissions and soil temperature, VWC and ditch water level, though ditch emissions were significantly reduced when there was standing water present. Altering conventional site management, such as increasing ditch spacing, could substantially reduce CH4 emissions from the managed area. Emissions did not decrease with time since start of extraction. We suggest that Canadian emission factor calculations for land‐based emissions consider both peat quality variations among sites, and a site's extraction duration, which has been important in other studies. Plain Language Summary: Peat extraction for use in horticulture growing media contributes to peatland disturbance in Canada. In preparation for extraction, drainage ditches are dug to dry out the surface peat, and the vegetation is removed. These actions shift these sites from net stores of carbon, to net emitters, including the release of carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4), two powerful greenhouse gases. Few studies have quantified carbon emissions during the extraction period. To address this, we measured CO2 and CH4 emissions from actively extracted sites in Alberta, Canada for three summers, focusing on the spatial distribution and environmental controls of the emissions. We found that the drainage ditches were hotspots of emissions, emitting two and 10 times, respectively, the amount of CO2 and CH4 per meter squared of the non‐ditch portion of the site. We also found that emissions from the peat fields did not change with distance from the drainage ditches. More research is needed to better understand these water‐carbon interactions. Our work can support management practices that reduce these carbon emissions to help create a more sustainable industry. For example, we found that reducing the number of drainage ditches at a site could substantially reduce total methane emissions. Key Points: Drainage ditches emitted on average two and 10 times the amount of carbon dioxide and methane per square meter compared to the fieldsIncreasing drainage ditch spacing should be considered as a management strategy to substantially reduce CH4 emissionsLimited spatial variability in field carbon emissions, with no observed change with distance from the drainage ditches [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When extracting peat for horticultural use, drainage ditches are prepared, a peatland's vegetation is removed, and peat is harvested. These land-use changes dramatically alter the carbon, water, and energy exchanges of the peatland and convert it from a moderate sink to a large source of CO2. We adapted the CoupModel to simulate the soil CO2 emission and its associated abiotic drivers for an ongoing horticultural peat extraction site, located in Riviére-du-loup (RdL), Quebec Canada. The model outputs were first evaluated against three years (2019–2021) of manual chamber measurements of CO2 flux, and soil moisture, soil temperature profiles, and water table depth data. The model was then used to assess the sensitivity of key parameters and changes in climate forcing. CoupModel reproduced the measured soil moisture and temperature profile and showed high agreement with the water table depth and soil CO2 emissions data. Sensitivity analysis showed the importance of soil moisture availability at the soil surface on soil thermal and hydrological conditions, thus soil respiration. The simulated CO2 emission over the three evaluation years was about 168 and 151 g C m−2 y−1 when extended with seven-year of climate data. Emission factors of CO2 generated by CoupModel are lower than the default IPCC Tier 1 emission factor for peatland managed for horticultural extractions in temperate/boreal climate. Results from this modeling work can be used for IPCC Tier 3 emission reporting for the horticultural peat extraction industry, addressing land-use change issues of peatlands, and suggesting climate-smart management practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Paris Climate Change Agreement and the European Union (EU) Green Deal transitional assistance policy use the Just Transition (JT) process to support the business sectors most affected by actions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The purpose of JT is to ensure social and economic justice in the implementation of climate change mitigation policy. The EU countries that have utilised significant amounts of energy peat, such as Finland and Ireland, will potentially seek JT support for the peat industry. We studied the attitudes of Finnish peat entrepreneurs towards JT by investigating the forms of support they would prefer during the green transition. The data were descriptive, collected by questionnaire, and analysed using Spearman’s correlation coefficients. The results show that the preference of entrepreneurs is for direct financial support. Our analyses also suggest that low education level, high age and negative attitude towards the current energy policy can reduce the ability of entrepreneurs to adapt to the current climate change policy. We propose that support should be targeted especially at older entrepreneurs lacking higher-level education, who could be at high risk of being left out of the JT process.

European Union and national carbon neutrality targets entail the release of hundreds of hectares of cutaway peatlands annually from energy peat extraction in Finland, creating opportunities to reclaim them as reindeer (Rangifer tarandus tarandus) summer pastures and support an important local traditional livelihood hampered by intensive land use. To our knowledge, this is the first study to test whether reindeer summer pastures can be reclaimed. In 2017, we established a field experiment to investigate whether machinery transplanting of native plant species and sowing of seed mixtures promoted the establishment of forage plants preferred by reindeer. The transplanted species were Eriophorum vaginatum, Equisetum fluviatile, and Menyanthes trifoliata. Two tested seed mixtures contained different varieties of Phleum pratense which were surveyed. Plant cover and biomass growth, and growth‐influencing factors like peat properties and water level, were surveyed during 2018–2020. Eriophorum vaginatum tolerated transplanting well, doubling its cover during the study. Equisetum fluviatile was slower to establish. Mechanical transplanting of M. trifoliata failed; manual planting was promising. Sowing seed mixtures provided forage more quickly, generating larger cover than the transplanted natural plants. However, transplanting and sowing face problems. Transplanting is expensive and technically demanding, and removing plants from their growing sites may harm the surrounding vegetation. Meanwhile, the required regular maintenance of P. pratense is costly. Although the short monitoring period limits conclusions, our results suggest that a suitable combination of transplanting, sowing, and natural succession may be a solution for reclaiming former reindeer summer pastures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The exploitation of peatlands in Estonia, which began in the 17th century, has degraded them to a great extent. Consequently, cutover and drained peatlands have become the sources of CO 2. Global warming has led to a need for policies focusing on the protection and restoration of drained and degraded peatlands. Hence, to compare the effect/progress of restoration with the past pristine ecosystem baseline before the peatland was destroyed by cutting, we examined a peat core from North Estonia using chronology based on 14C by analyzing several proxies in high resolution including testate amoebae, plant macrofossils, pollen, non-pollen palynomorphs, and diatoms. The results revealed a striking ecological contrast between the pristine (ca. 2 kyrs) and restored state (currently) of the peatland. The pristine state was characterized by a domination of Sphagnum fuscum / rubellum and Archerella flavum , suggesting that extraction area of Hara peatland was a wet and stable ombrotrophic bog. As a result of peat exploitation, deposits comprising the last ca. 2 kyrs were cut. In turn an important feature of the restored section of the peat core was the domination of a green algae (Chlorophyta) and Eriophorum vaginatum as well as testate amoebae species Arcella discoides , which is considered an indicator of hydrological instability. The main difference between the predisturbed and restored parts of the peat core section was that a minor cover of peat-forming Sphagnum and mixotrophic testate amoebae was present in the top inundated part. We state that a healthy raised bog—the target of restoration—should consist abundant mixotrophic testate amoebae such as Archerella flavum and Hyalosphenia papilio which are good indicators of a well-functioning Sphagnum bog ecosystem even if the Sphagnum species differ from the reconstructed ecological baseline conditions. Our study highlights the extensive damage caused to the peat-forming ombrotrophic peatland by extraction and how difficult, challenging, and time-consuming is the process of ecological restoration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Paris Climate Change Agreement and the European Union (EU) Green Deal transitional assistance policy use the Just Transition (JT) process to support the business sectors most affected by actions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The purpose of JT is to ensure social and economic justice in the implementation of climate change mitigation policy. The EU countries that have utilised significant amounts of energy peat, such as Finland and Ireland, will potentially seek JT support for the peat industry. We studied the attitudes of Finnish peat entrepreneurs towards JT by investigating the forms of support they would prefer during the green transition. The data were descriptive, collected by questionnaire, and analysed using Spearman's correlation coefficients. The results show that the preference of entrepreneurs is for direct financial support. Our analyses also suggest that low education level, high age and negative attitude towards the current energy policy can reduce the ability of entrepreneurs to adapt to the current climate change policy. We propose that support should be targeted especially at older entrepreneurs lacking higher-level education, who could be at high risk of being left out of the JT process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Peatlands, in their pristine state, are important long-term sinks of carbon. The extraction of peat for horticultural purposes or for biofuel however, may lead to a shift in the carbon dynamics. Additionally, the change in environmental conditions after extraction could allow for invasive species to establish and spread across the peatland. While the benefits and advantages of various restoration management practices have been identified, there has been less attention paid to the carbon exchange from unrestored peatlands at the ecosystem level. This study analyzed the carbon dioxide (CO 2) fluxes from a post-extraction, unrestored peatland in Eastern Québec at both the plant community level, using chamber methods, and at the ecosystem level, using eddy covariance techniques for two successive years. Methane flux at the plant community level was also measured. The site is an overall source of CO 2 , releasing a cumulative annual total of 173 and 259 g C m−2 for 2014 and 2015, respectively and a small source of methane, releasing an average annual cumulative total of 1 g C m−2. Results from this study will help managers assess the importance of post-extraction peatland restoration, by comparing the differences in CO 2 exchange between restored and unrestored peatlands. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purification efficiency of a treatment wetland for a peat extraction area in Northern Finland was studied March–October 2012. The focus was on the snowmelt season, with inflow and outflow sampled twice a day. All samples were analysed for stable isotopes of water and various water quality parameters. The wetland inflow and outflow were continuously monitored which in combination of precipitation and evaporation data allowed to study the effect of direct precipitation (dilution) and evaporation (enrichment) on the wetland water balance and water quality. The evaporated water volume was approximately 20% of the inflow on days with small inflows, whereas the proportion of precipitation was more variable. Negative correlations between hydraulic load and water quality at the outlet were found, whereas evaporation, precipitation from/to wetland had a negligible impact on outlet water quality. The observation year was rainier than normal, which complicated application of isotope techniques as the evaporation signal was weak. However, the heavy rain provided ample data on wetland performance under different flow conditions. The wetland reduced concentrations of e.g. suspended solids, phosphate-phosphorus, ammonium and iron, but reduction rate of other dissolved nutrients and organic carbon was low or negative. The observed retention of suspended solids load (28% during snowmelt, 61% during the whole observation period) shows that treatment wetlands can reduce the environmental impact of peat extraction areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Peatlands in anthropogenically transformed landscapes play an important role in biodiversity conservation. Most Baltic raised bogs have been completely destroyed by drainage and peat extraction. Collembolan and plant assemblages from an old peat mine (post-excavation pits and dykes overgrown by pine trees) were compared to those of intact ombrotrophic raised bog habitats (open bog and bog-pine forest) 70 years after excavation cessation. The plant cover and collembolan structure in regenerating pits were similar to those of the assemblages in natural open raised bogs. Rare tyrphobiont and tyrphofilous Collembola species occurred in both habitats. The assemblages in open bog habitats differed significantly from those in natural pine bog forest and dykes overgrown by pine trees. The assemblages of the natural open raised bog and pine bog forest were the most diverse and included numerous highly specialized Collembola species. The assemblages occurring on wooded dykes were significantly different from those at other peatland sites and were more similar to those of upland pine forests. The analysis of environmental factors (determined by moss Ellenberg numbers) showed that moisture was the most important factor affecting Collembola occurrence in natural and disturbed habitats. The occurrence of moss species also had a significant influence on the species composition of the collembolan assemblages. Our study revealed that seventy years of spontaneous ecosystem regeneration after peat excavation have led to habitat restoration for peat bog mesofauna. These results have important implications for conservation and restoration planning in disturbed peatlands. • The Collembola response to peat extraction and natural regeneration was assessed. • Seven decades of succession have led to habitat restoration for peat bog mesofauna. • The Collembola of regenerating pits were similar to those of the natural raised bog. • Moisture and moss species composition are crucial for bog collembolan assemblages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

1. Peatlands have suffered great losses following drainage for agriculture, forestry, urbanisation, or peat mining, near inhabited areas. We evaluated the faunal and vegetation patterns after restoration of a peatland formerly mined for peat. We assessed whether bog pools created during restoration are similar to natural bog pools in terms of water chemistry, vegetation structure and composition, as well as amphibian and arthropod occurrence patterns. 2. Both avian species richness and peatland vegetation cover at the site increased following restoration. Within bog pools, however, the vegetation composition differed between natural and man-made pools. The cover of low shrubs, Sphagnum moss, submerged, emergent and floating vegetation in man-made pools was lower than in natural pools, whereas pH was higher than in typical bog pools. Dominant plant species also differed between man-made and natural pools. 3. Amphibian tadpoles, juveniles and adults occurred more often in man-made pools than natural bog pools. Although some arthropods, including Coleoptera bog specialists, readily colonised the pools, their abundance was two to 26 times lower than in natural bog pools. Plant introduction in bog pools, at the stocking densities we applied, had no effect on the occurrence of most groups. 4. We conclude that our restoration efforts were partially successful. Peatland-wide vegetation patterns following restoration mimicked those of natural peatlands, but 4 years were not sufficient for man-made pools to fully emulate the characteristics of natural bog pools. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]