THINKING beyond the canopy Removing technical barriers to include tropical peatlands in the REDD+ mechanism Daniel Murdiyarso, Kristell Hergoualc’h and Louis Verchot Wetlands International Side Event – UNFCCC COP16 Cancun – Mexico, 2 December 2010

THINKING beyond the canopy Outline  Introduction What are the technical barriers? Why and how they should be removed?  IPCC methodologies Stock-change approach Flux-change approach Combination  Estimating emissions  MRV  Conclusions

THINKING beyond the canopy Activity data 3 Drainage canals

THINKING beyond the canopy  Aboveground biomass  Belowground biomass  Litter  Dead wood  Soil Difficulties & Limits: Peat C stocks  Peat depth up to 20 m  compaction, limited number profiles (full depth of peat deposit) Stock-change approach, C Pools:  Presence logs  bulk density  High water table level  bulk density Estimating C-stocks C loss = C FOREST - C OLU

5 Emission factors C-Stocks (Mg C/ha) Aboveground forest biomass Aboveground oil palm biomass Peat loss due to fires

THINKING beyond the canopy IPCC Guidelines Stock-change approach Flux-change approach Source: IPCC (2006)

THINKING beyond the canopy Transects in PSPs 7 m 25 m River edge Wood debris transects (4 per plot, all plots) A B C D 12 m Plot: Understory/litter sample (2 per plot, all plots) Trees >5 cm dbh measured in 7m radius (all plots) Trees <5 cm dbh measured in 2m radius (all plots) R= 2m 3 soil depth measurements and 1 nutrient core (all plots)

THINKING beyond the canopy Above and belowground C-stocks

THINKING beyond the canopy Basal area and IVI Importance Value Index (%)

THINKING beyond the canopy Peat depth matters

THINKING beyond the canopy Measuring C-flux Flux change approach, C fluxes:  Biomass growth (above- & below- ground, Net Primary Production)  Losses from biomass harvest & burning  Transfer into and out of peat stocks Difficulties & Limits: Biomass  Meteorological techniques: expensive & sophisticated

THINKING beyond the canopy Stock-change approach Methods for estimating C-loss from land conversions After C OLU C loss = C FOREST - C OLU  Before Peat C FOREST

THINKING beyond the canopy Flux-change approach After  C OLU = C IN - C OUT Before Peat  C FOREST = C IN - C OUT C loss = (  C FOREST -  C OLU ) × duration  Methods for estimating C-loss from land conversions

THINKING beyond the canopy Combination of both methods C loss = (C Abvgrd biomass FOREST - C Abvgrd biomass LU ) + (  C peat FOREST -  C peat OLU ) × duration  Before  C peat FOREST = C IN peat – C OUT peat C Above-ground biomass FOREST After  C peat OLU = C IN peat – C OUT peat C Above-ground biomass LU Methods for estimating C-loss from land conversions

THINKING beyond the canopy C-fluxes into and out of the peat Total soil respiration = Heterotrophic soil respiration + root respiration Heterotrophic soil respiration = peat oxidation = peat decomposition Litterfall Root mortality Heterotrophic soil respiration Land clearing fire CH 4 Soluble & physical removal

THINKING beyond the canopy Emissions accounting Before L 7.4 R 1.5 S RH 6.9 CH S&PR 1  C peat FOREST = C IN peat – C OUT peat = 8.9 – 7.9 = 1.0 Mg C ha -1 y -1 After L 1.5 R 3.6 S RH 9.3 F 4.5 S&PR 1 CH 4 –  C peat OP = C IN peat – C OUT peat = 5.0 – 14.8 = Mg C ha -1 y -1

THINKING beyond the canopy After  C peat OLU = C IN peat – C OUT peat Before  C peat FOREST= C IN peat – C OUT peat C Above-ground biomass FOREST C Above-ground biomass OLU C loss = (C Abvgrd biomass FOREST - C Abvgrd biomass LU ) + (  C peat FOREST -  C peat LU ) × duration  C loss = (C Abvgrd biomass FOREST - C Abvgrd biomass LU ) + (1.0 – (-9.8)) × 25  C loss = (C Abvgrd biomass FOREST - C Abvgrd biomass LU )  C loss = ( )  C loss = 428 Mg C ha -1 over 25 years  Emissions accounting

THINKING beyond the canopy Conclusions  Important gaps knowledge of C cycle in tropical peatlands e.g. peat swamp forests and Acacia plantations  Estimates show very high C- stocks and C-loss  Peat swamp forest conversion into oil palm plantation: 63% total C loss from the peat  C-pools and their fates associated with land cover change and fire incidence are greatly needed in order to make sound policy decisions relating to carbon financing through REDD+ mechanism

THINKING beyond the canopy CIFOR advances human well-being, environmental conservation, and equity by conducting research to inform policies and practices that affect forests in developing countries. Thank you