Uplands and climate change: government agency research interests

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Uplands and climate changegovernment agency
research interests
Harriet Orr (EA) David Thompson (NE) Judith
Stewart (Defra)Tom Nisbet (Forestry Commission)

• Understanding impacts
• Evaluating risks
• Evaluating adaptation options

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Questions

• How is climate changing in the uplands?
• What impact on ecosystem services?
• (floods, droughts, water quality, ecology)
• Do we need to take action?
• What adaptation measures are possible?
• Who should do them?

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Why value uplands?
70 UK water resource from uplands We expect it
to be of high quality Dilution of downstream
pollutants Unique ecosystems Unique cultural
landscapes Source for downstream nutrients and
sediments Headwaters- nursery areas especially
for fish Historically protected from
development Historically imp natural resources
again in the future? Carbon sinks? Benefits far
outside upland area currently unrewarded
Can we expect these in the future?
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Protecting and enhancing peat soils

• Objectives
• To determine the status of peat soils in order to
  identify and start to address priority targets
  for action.
• To co-ordinate Defra, EA and NE work on peat
  soils. To liaise with Devolved Administrations.
• To determine cost effective and practical
  management options.
• To determine suitable policy levers to protect
  and restore peat soils.
• To reduce the horticultural use of peat and
  promote peat alternatives.
• To influence domestic and international policy
  relating to peat use and management.

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Covers upland and lowland peat soils in England
not organic-mineral or mineral soils
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Project deliverables and products
Start September 07 Review of current
knowledge Sept-March 08 Stakeholder Workshop May
08 End?
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Natural England - Carbon Management by Land
Managers Research Priorities

• 1. Develop a robust and verifiable methodology
  for accrediting carbon benefits from peatland
  restoration projects, by
• Quantify GHG flux from a geographically
  representative sample of degraded peatlands - to
  obtain baseline
• Quantify GHG flux from restored peatlands
  identify net carbon benefits over a range of time
  periods
• 2. Using data from (1) national geographical
  analysis of condition of English peatlands
• Estimate current emissions and removals of GHGs
  from all English peatland
• Estimate potential total carbon benefit from
  programme of peatland restoration
• Estimate future emissions from English peatlands
  using climate/land use scenarios
• 3. Ascertain if the current Land Use, Land-Use
  Change and Forestry (LULUCF) methodology used in
  the UK GHG Inventory is correctly estimating GHG
  emissions and removals from upland peat/organic
  soils.

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Climate Change and Uplands Forest Soils and Water
Current Research Interests

• Evaluation of C stocks in GB forests and impact
  of forestry practices (BioSoil, NIWT2)
• Assessing impact of woodland removal for peatland
  restoration on C balance (Greenhouse gas balance
  at Flanders Moss, Central Scotland changes to
  peat condition at two Scottish sites)
• Assessing effects of climate change on
  forest-soil-water interactions (Long-term
  monitoring studies at Coalburn, N England,
  Halladale, N Scotland, 12 catchments in upland
  Wales and 5 Level II intensive forest monitoring
  sites)
• Assessing role of shade and riparian woodland
  management in controlling thermal stress to
  salmonid fish (New Forest).
• Role of floodplain and riparian woodland in flood
  risk management

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EA Business risks and science needs

• 1. Indicators to detect and report climate change
  impacts on the environment
• 2. Capital investments (for water resources and
  flood management) that target sites/regions of
  greatest risk (improving regional models)
• 3. POMs that deliver intended and lasting
  benefits
• 4. Uptake and mainstreaming UKCIP08 climate
  change scenarios in planning
• 5. Practical guidance on managing ecosystem change

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We need to manage for change

• What realistic measures can be taken to minimise
  impacts?
• Where are the critical locations?
• Do we have adequate policy tools to deliver
  adaptation?

Distribution of UK uplands (after Averis et al,
2004)
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Impacts on uplands new experiences and increased
pressure on existing problems

• Existing pressures
• Water quality - colour
• Acid waters slow recovery
• Increased sensitivity and responsiveness
• Carbon loss
• Peat drying and erosion
• Loss or shrinkage of wetlands
• Increased soil and peat erosion
• Increased transport sediments

New experiences Loss of carbon store? Habitat
loss and species change Risk of fire Bright
future for British agriculture Greater demand
for scarcer water resource Increased agriculture
on upland fringe Biofuels Extending
woodland Carbon trading schemes?
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Limiting and adapting to climate change in the
uplands a UK perspective - Orr et al, in review

• Upland condition is cause for concern
• Key research needs
• 1. Soil C biophysical processes, flux, drivers
• 2. Land management controls on flood and drought
  risk
• 3. Impacts of climate change on freshwater
  ecology
• Limitations to mitigation and adaptation
• Lack of rural spatial planning
• No regulation of land use
• Lack of recognition for services received
  downstream
• Lack of economic incentives to protect uplands (C
  sequestration must be proved)

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Research questions posed by land quality

• 6 questions
• Multiple benefits from restoration including
  economic (costed) benefits
• Quantified carbon budgets related to land use and
  management
• What services are lost from degraded peatlands at
  what cost
• Geographical variation in peatland function?
• What will future climate change bring
• Geographical sensitivity to cc