SEALE-HAYNE EDUCATIONAL TRUST
FINAL PROJECT REPORT
The purpose of this form is for applicants in receipt of grants to provide the Trustees with a
report on the progress of their project
Please ensure that this Report is not more than three sides of A4 (Arial, font size 12).
Title of Project
Carbon management in moorlands: effects of drainage and
re-wetting on carbon sequestration
Name of Applicant(s)
Dan Charman, Lauren Parry, Will Blake
Start date:
2009
Completion date:
May 2011
Funds awarded:
£9000
Funds spent:
£9000
Please attach a financial statement from your faculty/college accounting point showing
a breakdown of the costs incurred.
State the original objectives of the project:
The overall aim of the research programme linked to the SHET-funded work package was to
develop an approach for incorporating carbon management into the economic support
structures of upland land management in the UK, using Dartmoor as a case study. The work
was undertaken by Lauren Parry as a PhD project funded by GWR, the Dartmoor National
Park, the Duchy of Cornwall, the National Trust and Natural England.
There were four main objectives:
1. Estimating the amount of carbon stored on Dartmoor and the rates of loss/gain
2.Establishing the relationship between management strategies and carbon conservation
and sequestration
3. Analysing policy options for incentivising carbon-friendly management by land owners
and managers.
The purpose of the SHET grant was to undertake a more detailed study on carbon
accumulation rates in relation to the second objective. This was not possible within the
current funding, but the projects will be mutually supportive.
Have those objectives been achieved? If not, please explain why.
The objectives of the PhD research programme and the SHET component were achieved as
evidenced below.
NB: the original PI (Charman) and RA (Parry) left PU during the programme hence Blake
(original co-I) took over as PI, retaining close contact with Charman and Parry to ensure
project completion.
Please summarise your project, outlining methods, results and conclusions
Background: Existing data show that carbon is being lost from the surface (15cm) of soils in
England and Wales, including Dartmoor (Bellamy et al, 2005). However, carbon balance
over the whole profile is more important in deeper organic soils and even the direction of
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change is unknown. The nature and pathways of possible loss include erosion of
particulates, enhanced soil respiration and loss in runoff and carbon dioxide emissions (e.g.
Worrall et al. 2004). The focus of this project is on rates of total carbon loss and
accumulation (carbon balance) in relation to long-term management.
Methods:
1.
A series of plots were identified on northern Dartmoor, which had been subject to
three contrasting management regimes; 1) a drained area with only light burning, 2) an
undrained area also subject to only light burning, 3) a heavily burned area. All these
locations had otherwise similar characteristics in terms of soil type, elevation, slope and
vegetation.
2.
Three peat profiles in each plot were sampled for carbon content and bulk density.
Counts of spheroidal carbonaceous particles (a marker for the large rise in combustion of oil
and coal in the 1950s) have been undertaken to provide independent support to
geochronology from fallout radionuclides
3.
Samples for each profile were analysed for fallout radio-isotopes Lead-210, Caesium137 and Americium-241. It was proposed that the continuous chronology that these provide
for all depths of peat accumulated over the last c. 100 years would permit us to infer
accumulation rates and the impact of the different management regimes. Variability between
the profiles of cores in the same unit was linked to spatial location of cores with respect to
erosion scars and hence drainage with important messages for future sampling strategies
(many studies to date have relied on individual cores).
4.
Best estimates of changes in carbon accumulation rates under different management
scenarios were achieved by combining the evidence from SCPs and fallout radionuclides to
use alongside bulk density and soil carbon data.
Key findings:
The key research outcomes are in four main areas:
1.
It provided a new basis for estimating the carbon store in upland peatlands that is
much more accurate than previous methodologies. The approach is now being adopted
nationally and Parry is advising on this process.
2.
It demonstrated that carbon sequestration rates are affected in different ways by
different management strategies. This finding will serve to inform future management
strategy for carbon storage on upland peatlands.
3.
It tested different methods for dating recent peat and carbon accumulation. This has
important implications for carbon accumulation studies but also much wider implications for
a range of earth and environmental sciences that make use of these techniques.
4.
It provided a basis for future projections of carbon storage using scenario planning.
This approach could be developed to address long-term planning of upland management for
carbon storage.
What specific outcomes (tangible or intangible) have arisen from this research
(including publication, events, media interest and other forms of dissemination)?
Academic papers:
Parry, L. E., Charman, D. J., Noades, J. P. W. Methods for modelling peat depth in blanket
peatlands. Soil Use and Management, accepted subject to revision.
Billett M.F., Charman D.J., Clark J.M., Evans C.D., Evans M.G., Ostle N.J., Worrall F.,
Burden A., Dinsmore K.J., Jones T., McNamara N.P., Parry L., Rowson J.G., Rose, R.
(2010) Carbon balance of UK peatlands: current state of knowledge and future research
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challenges. Climate Research 45, 13-29.
Conference presentations:
Invited Presentations
Parry, L.E. (2010). 'Sustainable Carbon Management of British Blanket Peatlands: a case
Study on Dartmoor'. Great Western Research Seminar Series
Parry, L.E. (2010). 'Sustainable Carbon Management of British Blanket Peatlands: a case
Study on Dartmoor'. The Dartmoor Society. Annual Research Lecture
Parry, L. E. (2009). The sustainable carbon management of moorlands. South West Soils
Group Meeting. North Wyke Research, Devon
Parry, L. E. (2008). The sustainable carbon management of Dartmoor National Park’s
peatland environment. Dartmoor Common Owner’s AGM, Two Bridges, Dartmoor
Parry, L. E. (2007). Policy and Practice for the Sustainable Carbon Management of
Moorland. Dartmoor Biodiversity Research Group Meeting, DMNP Bovey Tracy, Devon
Conference Presentations
Parry, L. E. (2010). The sustainable carbon management of moorlands. School of
Geography Physical Geography Postgraduate Conference, Exeter. 45 minute oral
presentation.
Parry, L. E. and Charman, D. J. (2010). Methods for modelling soil organic carbon
distribution at a landscape scale: A case study on Dartmoor, Southwest England. School of
Geography Physical Geography Postgraduate Conference, Exeter. Poster Presentation.
Parry, L. E. (2010). The sustainable carbon management of moorlands: a case study on
Dartmoor National Park. Climate Change and Sustainable Futures Postgraduate
Conference, Exeter. Oral Presentation.
Parry, L. E. and Charman, D. J. (2010). Methods for modelling soil organic carbon
distribution at a landscape scale: A case study on Dartmoor, Southwest England. Climate
Change and Sustainable Futures Postgraduate Conference, Exeter. Poster Presentation.
Parry, L. E and Charman, D. J. (2009). Methods for modelling soil organic carbon
distribution at a landscape scale: A case study on Dartmoor, Southwest England. Carbon in
Peatlands: 2nd International Symposium. Prague, Czech Republic. Poster Presentation.
Parry, L. E. (2009). Methods for sustainably managing carbon in moorlands. Plymouth
Postgraduate Symposium, Plymouth. Oral Presentation.
Parry, L. E. (2008). Policy and Practice for the Sustainable Carbon Management of
Moorlands. Great Western Research Symposium, Bristol. Poster Presentation.
Parry, L. E. (2008). Policy and Practice for the Sustainable Carbon Management of
Moorlands. Plymouth Postgraduate Symposium, Plymouth. Poster Presentation.
Parry, L.E. (2008). Policy and Practice for the Sustainable Carbon Management of
Moorlands. Great Western Research Meeting, Exeter. Oral Presentation.
Career development:
Lauren Parry gained employment 3 months after her PhD research in a directly relevant
position working as the Knowledge Transfer Partnership Environmental Engineer with
Dinsdale Moorland Management/University of Leeds.
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