Sætremyrane climate project

Where:

Sætremyrane nature reserve

Background facts and challenges - how the project was conceived: Raised bogs in Western Norway are small, rare, and almost always modified by humans When Sætremyrane nature reserve was established, its central bog was already appreciated for its cultural value due to a local peat extraction industry operating there in the early 1900’s Little was known, however, of the bog as a natural phenomenon, and its proper classification remained murky

The owner, as well as the municipality, wanted the county governor to provide information to the public about the natural and cultural values, and why it was protected. The county cultural administration suggested combining this with a boardwalk along a railway remaining from the peat extraction era, perhaps with some restoring/demonstration of past extraction prodecures

We (the County governor’s department of environment), however, knew little of the bog beyond its surface, so we had little to tell the public, and little basis for deciding how much new physical disturbance should be allowed in the name of cultural interpretation The public generally has got a higher esteem of any traces of human history and human impact on nature, than of the inhuman nature of bogs! Which means: Compared to flowers and birds, bogs are harder to sell to the public, and require more in-depth-knowledge.

The raised bog of Sætremyrane has developed in a slightly sloping terrain, thus resembling an eccentric bog, which is not known from West Norway Eccentric (as well as concentric) hummock structures lack in all West Norwegians bogs (but why?, is it because of coastal climate, or human disturbance?) Pine trees are thriving in the former peat extraction area – what should we tell the visitors, are the trees welcome as a natural part of a bog, or an unwanted result of man-made disturbance?

Because of their huge contents of stored carbon, fens and bogs have caught attention as a possible drain for CO 2, as they might be manipulated to increase storage Some evaluations suggest that Norwegian mires in generel may be in a stage where there is a considerable loss of carbon, which may be as great as, or even greater, than the absorption If so: Is this a natural phenomen (maybe climate change is to blame?!) or rather an effect of drainage and cultivation in the past??

THE PROJECT: WHAT WE ARE DOING TO ADDRESS THESE QUESTIONS AND EXPECTATIONS

Thanks to «environment and climate funds» from the county council, we have engaged two research institutions with particular experience on mires, NTNU –Vitenskapsmuseet, and Bioforsk, to do the following:

Mapping the present vegetation units and hydrotopographic forms of Sætremyrane Mapping the present surface altitudes together with peat depths and directions of water flow Using historical information on peat extraction depths and systems together with present surface features to model bog surface before peat extraction started,

thereby determining to what degree the natural waterflows, and distribution of ombrotrophic versus minertrophic parts of the mire have changed because of the peat extraction AND (interestingly) how much peat has been taken away, and how much CO 2 has been released because of that

The peat factory that once was there

Extraction and transportation system

When we get the results, we will have a good basis for saying what could or should be done to reverse the man-made processes, thereby: Turning suspected CO2 emissions into net sequestration Returning the Sætremyrane environment towards a more pristine state, as the aim of the nature reserve is

The next step (for which we need additional funding) will be to actually do the physical actions (like filling old ditches on particular points) to reverse the currently perceived drying-up-process,

and to apply appropriate monitoring systems so that we can measure the (expected) success.

Also, by doing all this, we will have obtained interesting information on: What kind of bog is really Sætremyrane in its natural state, on the climate gradient between typical (continental) raised bogs and atlantic (oceanic) raised bogs and blanket-bogs The local cultural history of peat extraction, and its effect on the natural bog system;

- in other words: We will have a story to tell, both about nature and local culture, to put on information tables and to answer the curious public We will be able to say something about the success of a small climate action that is (unlike some other alternatives) not in conflict with local protection of nature diversity, and which therefore might be repeated on larger scales on other sites of peatland damaged or degraded by human actions