How peatland forests are harvested affects their CO₂ emissions
A new study by the HoliSoils project shows that the way forests growing on peatlands are managed influences the amount of CO₂ they release into the atmosphere.
Peatlands store enormous amounts of carbon. When they are drained to make way for tree planting, that carbon begins to decompose and is released as CO₂. In Finland, where peatlands cover around 9 million hectares, this poses a significant challenge for the climate.
To better understand this process, a team comprising Vince Chukwu and Marta Dondini from the University of Aberdeen (UK), alongside Qian Li, Aleksi Lehtonen and Raisa Mäkipää from the Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke), and Mika Korkiakoski from the Finnish Meteorological Institute, used a computer model called ECOSSE. Using this model, they simulated how emissions would evolve over 50 years in two forests under two logging methods: clear-cutting, in which almost all trees are felled, and selective logging, in which only a portion is removed.
The results indicate that both methods can reduce CO₂ emissions in the long term, although the effect depends heavily on site-specific conditions, such as soil moisture and temperature. The study provides valuable information for designing more climate-friendly forest management practices in the context of global warming.
Full reference
Chukwu, V., Li, Q., Korkiakoski, M., Lehtonen, A., Mäkipää, R., & Dondini, M. (2026). Estimating the impact of peatland forest management on heterotrophic carbon dioxide emissions in southern Finland. Forest Ecology and Management, 619, 124137.
