Abstract
As a result of several decades of peat extraction, the area of cutaway peatlands in Finland totals ca. 50,000 ha. Furthermore, some 2000 - 3000 ha of peatlands are abandoned annually from active peat extraction. Forestry is considered to be their main after-use option. However, since cutaway peat is generally rich in nitrogen, but poor in phosphorus and potassium, soil amelioration measures are needed for successful vegetation and afforestation. Soil preparations bringing mineral soil into peat surface or recycling of ash containing P and K are alternative ways for soil amelioration. We studied the initial effects of soil preparation and ash fertilization on soil CO2-effluxes and colonisation of cutaway peat by vegetation. Oppositely to the previous studies, this study shows that carbon released from the residual peat may be so high that the ash-fertilized cutaway peatlands still act as sources of carbon even after afforestation. However, even though the CO2-effluxes following ash fertilization or soil preparation may occasionally exceed the carbon sequestration into growing tree stands, afforestation mostly compensates the CO2-effluxes if also we take into consideration the below-ground biomass. In conclusion, our study shows that although ash fertilization enhances the CO2-effluxes into the atmosphere, it has beneficial effects on the environment by enabling rapid colonisation of vegetation on these sites which would remain vegetationless for decades without soil amelioration.
Highlights
The most important producers and users of energy peat within the European Union are Finland, Ireland, Sweden, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia and Scotland
As a result of the peat extraction lasted for many decades, the area of cutaway peatlands totals in Finland ca. 50,000 ha and in Estonia 9400 ha [6]
In this study we examined the short-term effect of ash-fertilization and soil preparation on soil respiration and ground vegetation colonization on a cutaway peatland prepared for short-rotation energy tree plantations
Summary
The most important producers and users of energy peat within the European Union are Finland, Ireland, Sweden, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia and Scotland. Peat has a substantial share, 4% - 7%, of total energy consumption in Finland and Ireland, and 1.2% in Estonia and 0.6% in Sweden [1] [2]. Peat has a considerable effect on regional policy in peat producing countries since it increases local employment and the reliability of the energy supply [1] [3]. Fuel and horticultural peat combined is extracted on ca. 70,000 hectares in Finland [2] and it is estimated that 63,000 ha on new peat harvesting areas are needed by. As a result of the peat extraction lasted for many decades, the area of cutaway peatlands totals in Finland ca.
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