Summary
This field study demonstrates that mineral soil coverage substantially reduces N₂O emissions from drained agricultural peatland whilst maintaining grassland productivity. Over two years on intensively managed Swiss fen grassland receiving ~230 kg N ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹ fertiliser, the mineral soil-covered site emitted 88% less N₂O (2.3 kg N ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹) compared to the uncovered reference site (20.5 kg N ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹). The reduction was evident both in fertiliser-induced emission peaks and background emissions, suggesting mineral soil coverage is a viable management strategy to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions from drained peatlands.
UK applicability
The findings are relevant to UK peatland management, as the UK has extensive drained agricultural peatlands, particularly in lowland areas, that emit significant quantities of N₂O. Mineral soil coverage could be considered as an emissions mitigation option in UK peatland agricultural systems, though site-specific factors (soil type, climate, management intensity) may influence effectiveness and feasibility.
Key measures
Annual N₂O-N emissions (kg N ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹); temporal patterns of N₂O release following fertiliser application; background N₂O emissions
Outcomes reported
The study quantified nitrous oxide (N₂O) emissions from drained peatland grassland in Switzerland over two years, comparing an uncovered reference site with a ~40 cm mineral soil-covered site under identical intensive management. N₂O emissions were continuously monitored using an automatic time integrating chamber (ATIC) system.
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