Many countries consider or have already planned to convert low lying farmland into wetlands and thereby save CO2 emissions.
Many countries consider or have already planned to convert low lying farmland into wetlands and thereby save CO2 emissions. The idea is that oxygen-depleted soil in wetlands emits less greenhouse gas than oxygenated cultivated land, thus benefitting the climate.
But such conversions could come with a surprisingly high price for the climate, biologists from SDU warn:
– There is a risk that new wetlands will end up emitting more greenhouse gasses than they take up, says Erik Kristensen, professor of ecology at the University of Southern Denmark.
The problem is specifically tied to freshwater lakes with standing water. When the flooded area is just kept moist, like a bog, the methane emissions go down significantly.
Read more at: University of Southern Denmark
Infographic (Photo Credit: Nina Bjørnskov/SDU)
