Peatlands and Climate Change (Editor: Maria Strack)
Scientific Facts and Figures for Decision-Makers
International Peatland Society, Jyväskylä, December 2023

414 pages, full colour, A5
ISBN 978-952-99401-8-9

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About the book

In their natural state, peatlands take up and store carbon in their soils and hold it there for millennia. Therefore, peatlands represent the largest terrestrial store of organic carbon. However, natural and anthropogenic disturbance has the potential to release this peatland carbon store, contributing to substantial greenhouse gas emissions. As the planet faces the threat of human-caused climate warming, the role that peatlands play in climate regulation has gained international recognition. Conservation and restoration of peatlands are now often called on as nature-based climate solutions.

To better understand the interactions among intact, disturbed, and restored peatlands and the climate system, a growing body of research has been completed over the past few decades. In 2008, the International Peatland Society launched the first edition of the book “Peatlands and Climate Change”, compiling the state of the science on peatland carbon storage and greenhouse gas exchange at that time.

This second edition represents a fully updated text on the current breadth of knowledge, including methods for peatland management to protect carbon stocks and reduce future greenhouse gas emissions. This is presented alongside details about international agreements and organizations that inform peatland management and aim to incorporate peatlands in climate change actions and strategies.

Together this information will provide readers with a strong basis for understanding the interactions between peatlands and climate and the pathways forward for peatland management on a warming planet.

CONTENTS

Acknowledgements
Executive summary for policymakers
Peat and peatlands
Long-term peat development and accumulation
Peatlands, greenhouse gas exchange and climate change
Climate impacts of anthropogenic disturbances: Understudied anthropogenic disturbances and peatland carbon cycling
Climate impact of peatland agriculture
The impacts of forestry on peatland carbon stocks, greenhouse gas dynamics, and climate
Climate impact of peat extraction for fuel and horticultural use
Peatland restoration, rewetting and greenhouse gas balances
Peat and peatlands in international agencies, agreements, conventions, and programs
Looking to the future - managing peatlands under a changing climate
About the IPS
Financial contributions

Authors

Rebekka Artz
Nicole Balliston
Brynhildur Bjarnadottir
Kenneth A. Byrne
Sakonvan Chawchai
Nicholas Clarke
John Couwenberg
Scott J. Davidson
Sarah A. Finkelstein
Angela Gallego-Sala
Tasha-Leigh Gauthier
Bernd Hofer
Vytas Huth
Järvi Järveoja
Jyrki Jauhiainen
Sabine Jordan
Gerald Jurasinski
Sylvain Jutras
Åsa Kasimir
Benoit Lafleur
Anna Laine-Petäjäkangas
Maija Lampela
Andis Lazdiņš
Jens Leifeld
Massimo Lupascu
Liisa Maanavilja
Ülo Mander
Colin P.R. McCarter
Kari Minkkinen
Sini Niinistö
Alice Noble
Felix Nwaishi
Paavo Ojanen
Mike Peacock
Anna-Helena Purre
Tracy Rankin
Florence Renou-Wilson
J.O. Rieley
Nigel Roulet
Bambang Setiadi
Narasinha Shurpali
Andrey Sirin
Thomas J. Sloan
Maria Strack
Erin Swails
Muh Taufik
Carl Trettin
Merritt Turetsky
J. Michael Waddington
Lahiru Wijedasa
Sophie L. Wilkinson
David Wilson
Raphael Wust

In memory of Bambang Setiadi and Andrey Sirin who passed away in 2023.

Funding

The editing, printing and publishing of the book was supported by a crowdfunding campaign. If you find the book useful, you can still contribute via:

https://holvi.com/shop/peatlands/section/donations-to-climate-change-book-2023 (internationally) and
https://mesenaatti.me/3141/suot-ja-ilmastonmuutos-kirja-2023 (Finland only, except Åland, pienkeräyslupa RA/2023/1464)

Thank you very much!