Articles | Volume 22, issue 18
https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-22-4627-2025
© Author(s) 2025. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-22-4627-2025
© Author(s) 2025. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Research article
| Highlight paper
| 
15 Sep 2025
Research article | Highlight paper |
| 15 Sep 2025
| 15 Sep 2025
Organic soils can be CO2 sinks in both drained and undrained hemiboreal peatland forests
Latvian State Forest Research Institute (Silava), Salaspils, 2169, Latvia
Raija Laiho
Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke), P.O. Box 2, Helsinki 00791, Finland
Andis Lazdiņš
Latvian State Forest Research Institute (Silava), Salaspils, 2169, Latvia
Thomas Schindler
Department of Geography, University of Tartu, Tartu, 51014, Estonia
Kaido Soosaar
Department of Geography, University of Tartu, Tartu, 51014, Estonia
Jyrki Jauhiainen
Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke), P.O. Box 2, Helsinki 00791, Finland
Arta Bārdule
Latvian State Forest Research Institute (Silava), Salaspils, 2169, Latvia
Muhammad Kamil-Sardar
Department of Geography, University of Tartu, Tartu, 51014, Estonia
Ieva Līcīte
Latvian State Forest Research Institute (Silava), Salaspils, 2169, Latvia
Valters Samariks
Latvian State Forest Research Institute (Silava), Salaspils, 2169, Latvia
Andreas Haberl
Michael Succow Foundation (partner in the Greifswald Mire Centre), 17489 Greifswald, Germany
Hanna Vahter
Department of Geography, University of Tartu, Tartu, 51014, Estonia
Dovilė Čiuldienė
Department of Silviculture and Ecology, Lithuanian Research Centre for Agriculture and Forestry, Kėdainiai distr., 58344, Lithuania
Jani Anttila
Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke), P.O. Box 2, Helsinki 00791, Finland
Kęstutis Armolaitis
Department of Silviculture and Ecology, Lithuanian Research Centre for Agriculture and Forestry, Kėdainiai distr., 58344, Lithuania
Data sets
Appendix: Organic soil carbon balance in drained and undrained hemiboreal forests Aldis Butlers https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.14968843
Co-editor-in-chief
This study challenges the assumption that drained organic soils always lose carbon, showing that flawed methods and inconsistent emission factors may lead to overestimated emissions. These findings are relevant for climate policy and national reporting.
This study challenges the assumption that drained organic soils always lose carbon, showing that...
Short summary
A 2-year study assessed the soil carbon dioxide (CO2) balance of drained and undrained hemiboreal peatland forests across Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. The study sites included a wide variety of nutrient-rich organic soils, ranging from those near the threshold of organic soil definition to deep peat soils. The soils varied in pH, nutrient levels, and C : N ratio, which contributed to the observed behavior of the soils, demonstrating CO2 sink and source dynamics under both drained and undrained conditions.
A 2-year study assessed the soil carbon dioxide (CO2) balance of drained and undrained...
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