Dutch peatland is a Dutch landscape type consisting of pastures on peat soil. This landscape is considered characteristic of the low parts of Holland and Utrecht, but also dominates the southwest corner of Friesland and the Kop van Overijssel.
Within the Dutch National Research Program Greenhouse Gases Peatlands (NOBV) several institutes and researchers of universities, among which are Hydrology teachers of VU Amsterdam, are working together with the aim to map the greenhouse gas emissions from Dutch peatlands and to find ways to reduce these emissions. This is necessary because the Netherlands has agreed in the Climate Agreement that greenhouse gas emissions from peatlands must be reduced by 1 megaton CO2-eq. by 2030.
The speed of peat degradation and the greenhouse gas emissions are mainly determined by soil moisture and oxygen conditions that control the activity of microbes. With hundreds of sensors, samples and advanced techniques, we measure not only greenhouse gas emissions but also the biogeochemical state of the soil. A major focus of the program is the impact on greenhouse gas emissions when applying underwater drainage as a method of keeping groundwater levels high during hot summers. It also examines how other water management strategies affect peat and emissions (e.g., wet farming and natural management).
The provinces and water boards use the results of the research to determine long-term policies. Farmers and scientists work closely together within the research to better understand the complex pea soil. Want to learn more? Listen to the podcast 'Studio Veenweide' via your streaming app or visit the website (both are in Dutch). Would you like to participate in the research within your study? Email ype.vander.velde@vu.nl or j.boonman@vu.nl .
