A large research team has for the first time measured the climate gas methane emissions from thawed peatlands in Northern Sweden from the air using an aircraft. It turns out that the emissions could be significantly lower than previously feared. The study has been published in the scientific journal Nature Geoscience.
Peatlands cover large areas in the northern parts of the world and store vast amounts of organic material that has been accumulating over thousands of years. When the peatlands thaw, the organic material is decomposed by microorganisms, which can lead to large emissions of the climate gas methane. It has therefore been feared that thawing peatlands could contribute significantly to the ongoing climate change.
However, the new study shows that the methane emissions from thawed peatlands in Northern Sweden could be much lower than previously feared. The research team, led by scientists from Lund University in Sweden, used an aircraft to measure the methane emissions from several peatlands in the area. The measurements showed that the emissions were much lower than what has been estimated based on measurements from ground-based stations.
The researchers believe that the lower emissions are due to the fact that the peatlands in Northern Sweden are still relatively cold, even in summer. This means that the decomposition of the organic material is slower and the production of methane is therefore reduced. However, the researchers warn that the emissions could increase in the future as the climate continues to warm.
"Our study shows that the methane emissions from thawed peatlands in Northern Sweden are lower than previously feared," says Andreas Nilsson, one of the researchers behind the study. "However, we must remember that the climate is changing and that the emissions could increase in the future. It is therefore important to continue monitoring the emissions and to take measures to reduce them."
