NEW CHALLENGES

Carbon Lock Up and Sequestration

Carbon sequestration is the process of removing carbon from the atmosphere and ways of enhancing natural sequestration are needed to reduce the effects of global warming, by decreasing the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Vegetation is one of the main sources of a carbon sink (or reservoir) and the organic peaty soils of upland heath areas are a significant component of the national carbon stock. As well as forming an important sink - keeping it 'locked up' - the uplands must also be carefully managed to avoid damage and adding to carbon emissions. Peat represents the country's largest single carbon sink, with more carbon stored in UK peat than in the combined forests of Britain and France. Evidence is growing to suggest that the historic drainage of the moorlands has resulted in the significant loss of carbon from these systems, contributing to global warming. It has been calculated that UK catchments are losing 11 grams of carbon per square metre a year, a figure predicted to increase over this decade. However, if the loss is stopped or reversed this improvement would satisfy the country's annual carbon emission undertakings from the Kyoto protocol.

However, early stages of research suggest that regular, managed, burning may improve carbon lock up because young heather absorbs CO2 better than mature heather and that the carbon is transferred through the root system so that it is all not lost through burning.

Any activity that exposes the peat soil to the atmosphere causes oxidation releasing carbon dioxide. This can happen through severe overgrazing, bracken invasion, hot uncontrolled summer fires, poorly managed rotational burns and subsequent erosion through wind or water action.

What is the Moorland Association doing?
Grouse moor managers have an innate, in-depth knowledge of their land and hands-on experience of management techniques. The Moorland Association is helping policy makers and those running investigations into this complex area to understand existing grouse moor management practices. In order to make informed decisions about maximising carbon sequestration and minimising oxidisation on the moors, it is vital to appreciate that every moor has its own set of unique characteristics and a 'one size fits all' approach to, for example blocking grips to reduce erosion, will not be suitable for all.

Key objectives of current and future research are:

• to determine the carbon dynamics of upland heath in relation to land management and the environment
• establish the sensitivity of carbon to external forces such as land management and assess heather management, particularly burning and how other practices affect sequestration, such as the regeneration of heather in areas where it has been lost
• identify the microbes best suited to carbon sequestration and the optimisation of heather management for this biodiversity and carbon
• investigate how other land management scenario for uplands would affect carbon cycling

Optimising heather management that not only favours carbon sequestration, but also promotes biodiversity, whilst providing suitable grazing, will most probably require the adoption of differing strategies for alternative sites. Achieving a multi-benefit, integrated approach that is acceptable to all stakeholders in the uplands should be an achievable goal, and one that preserves this unique environment and safeguards carbon stocks.