CLAD: Carbon Landscapes And Drainage

该项目旨在改善对英国部分地区的了解和管理，这些地区储存着大量的碳，即泥炭地。泥炭的碳含量约为其重量的45%-60%。按照目前的速度，英国泥炭地的碳排放量大约相当于英国未来35年化石燃料燃烧产生的碳排放量。碳储存在未完全分解的植物残骸中的泥炭中，但一些碳以各种方式损失，包括二氧化碳和甲烷气体。很大一部分碳也会以溶解的有机碳的形式流失，这些碳被排入小溪和河流，使泥炭水呈现出独特的棕色。被侵蚀的泥炭可以流失到河流中的颗粒物中。溶解碳和颗粒碳都可以在水中分解并以二氧化碳的形式释放，这意味着这些水体可能是大气中二氧化碳的重要来源。众所周知，人类对泥炭地的干扰，例如砍伐森林，会显著增加碳流失到河流的速度。目前，英国的泥炭地被管理用于审美、娱乐和商业活动，例如，许多泥炭地地区与世隔绝的多风环境为风电场开发提供了合适的位置。这种类型的开发可能是近代史上最重要的、大规模的人类对泥炭地的干扰。虽然从长远来看，这种损失会被非化石燃料能源发电所节省的二氧化碳抵消，但从短期来看，挖掘安装涡轮机所需的洞穴、修建通道和开垦森林都可能导致排水系统碳流失量的增加。排水系统的这些损失在环境上是否可以接受，目前还不是负责批准和监督发展的人的考虑因素。鉴于泥炭地作为“碳景观”的重要性，令人惊讶的是，泥炭地最重要的功能之一--碳储存--却没有得到管理。我们预计，这一点以及界定生态上可接受的碳流的必要性将在未来几年发生变化，并将通过立法，要求将其纳入管理计划和开发泥炭地所需的环境影响评估。一种很容易评估泥炭地碳损失的方法是监测泥炭地排水系统中溶解碳和颗粒碳的输出。研究人员非常了解碳是如何从泥炭地流失到河流的，而本次竞标的PI也非常了解风电场如何影响集水区的排水。但对于那些对泥炭地负有责任的人来说，这些信息还没有被综合起来。我们建议通过建立知识交流网络来改变这种情况，将风电场干扰对碳景观，特别是排水系统的影响作为学习工具。我们将建立一个在泥炭地管理、研发方面感兴趣的利益相关者网络。这将使泥炭地碳损失研究前沿的学者与关心泥炭地内部日常活动的管理人员和开发商之间交流知识。我们将举办研讨会，演示和教授通过水上路径监测泥炭地碳损失的最新技术。我们将提供借调服务，允许与关注碳景观和排水系统碳管理的专业人士进行积极互动。我们将利用集体网络知识制定一套关于排水系统泥炭地管理的指导方针。该项目将是向专业管理人员和研究人员提供根据当前最佳实践管理泥炭地碳循环所需的最新理解、技术和工具的重要一步。

This project aims to improve understanding and management of parts of the U.K. which store significant amounts of carbon, peatlands. Peat contains about 45-60% of its weight as carbon. UK peatlands contain about as much carbon as is produced by fossil fuel burning in the UK for the next 35 years at current rates. Carbon is stored in peat in the remains of plants which do not fully decompose, but some is lost in a variety of ways including as carbon dioxide and methane gas. A significant proportion of carbon is also lost as dissolved organic carbon, which is flushed into streams and rivers giving peaty water its distinctive brown colour. Eroding peat can be lost to the rivers are particulate matter. Both dissolved and particulate carbon can be broken down in the water and released as carbon dioxide, meaning that these water bodies can be significant sources of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere. It is known that human disturbance to peatlands e.g. clear felling of forestry, can significantly increase the rate at which carbon is lost to the rivers. Currently peatlands in the UK are managed for aesthetic, recreational, and commercial activities e.g. the isolated and windy environment found in many peatland areas offers a suitable location for windfarm developments. This type of development is probably the most important, large-scale, human disturbance to peatlands in recent history. Although in the longer terms, this loss is offset by the carbon dioxide saved in non-fossil fuel energy generation, in the short term digging the holes needed to place the turbines, building access roads and the clearance of forestry can all lead to increases in the amounts of carbon lost to drainage systems. Whether these losses to drainage systems are environmentally acceptable or not is not currently a consideration of those responsible for approving and overseeing the development. Given their importance as 'carbon landscapes', it is surprising that peatlands are not managed for one of their most important functions, carbon storage. We expect this, and the need to defined an ecologically acceptable carbon flow, to change in the coming years and legislation to be passed which will require this to be included in management plans and the environmental impact assessments required for developments on peatlands. One way in which it is easy to assess loss of carbon from peatlands is by monitoring export of dissolved and particulate carbon in the peatland drainage systems. Researchers know quite a lot about how carbon is lost from peatlands to rivers, and the PIs of this bid, know quite a lot about how windfarms impact on catchment drainage. But this information has not yet been synthesised for those with a responsibility for peatlands. We propose to change this through setting up on a knowledge exchange network, using as a learning vehicle, consideration of the impact of windfarm disturbance on carbon landscapes, particularly drainage systems. We will set up a network of stakeholders with interests in peatland management, research and development. This will allow the exchange of knowledge between academics on the cutting edge of research into carbon losses from peatlands and managers and developers concerned with the day-to-day activities pursued within them. We will run workshops to demonstrate and teach the latest techniques for monitoring carbon losses from peatlands via aquatic pathways. We will offer t for secondment, allowing responsive interaction with professionals concerned with carbon management in carbon landscapes and drainage systems. We will harness collective network knowledge to produce a set of guidelines concerning the management of peatlands on drainage systems. This project will be a significant step towards arming professional managers and researchers with the up-to-date understanding, techniques and tools needed to manage the peatland carbon cycle according to current best practise.