Protecting Wetlands with Data-Driven Strategies
Freshwater wetlands sequester and store substantial amounts of organic carbon, but once a wetland is drained, it loses carbon rapidly. If the wetland is restored, it can capture greenhouse gases (GHG) again, but it can take significant time before carbon stores are completely recharged. Given this, tools need to be developed to inform future land-use decisions and help ensure that economic development accounts for impacts on wetlands.
Funded through Round 9: Biological GHG Management in 2014, this project developed models to map and quantify carbon stored in wetlands across the Prairie and Boreal Plains ecozones. By incorporating land use data, wetland classification and carbon modelling, the tools aim to support better land-use decisions and inform conservation and carbon offset strategies.
The model was developed in four stages. In the first, researchers gathered data to evaluate the existing relationships between wetland characteristics and carbon capture/sequestration. Mapping products were then developed to predict carbon currently stored in prairie wetlands and carbon losses that have resulted from wetland drainage from 2001 to 2011. In the third phase, researchers evaluated and modified existing mapping products that predict carbon stored in prairie wetlands. They also modelled expected carbon losses that have resulted from wetland drainage using data that was newly available at the time. Additionally, researchers provide insight into new data collections that could further refine predictions of carbon stores. In the final phase, the project updated Alberta’s Wetland Restoration Offset Protocol to align with international carbon accounting standards. The tools developed during the project can help develop conservation offset programs to ensure Alberta’s wetlands are able to capture carbon.
Collecting Data and Identifying Gaps
During this project, researchers gathered data and assessed wetland loss trends to create a robust dataset. One key challenge in collecting this data was a lack of comprehensive, high-resolution data for large, permanent or saltwater wetlands, which limited the accuracy of carbon modelling. Additionally, the data showed that salt concentration and soil depth significantly affect carbon storage, meaning that future models need to consider deeper soil layers and salt levels. The project also highlighted that the standardized values used to calculate the amount of carbon stored or released during different land management practices may not accurately show conditions in specific regions. This finding highlights the value of the regional data collected during this project. From this data, the team developed a map showing carbon stocks in wetlands across Alberta and a predictive model that accounts for land use. These tools allow users to estimate carbon losses from drainage and potential recovery from restoration, supporting informed land-use decisions for wetland conservation and carbon offset planning.
What’s next?
Overall, this project demonstrated the potential of data-driven tools to guide carbon management, support wetland conservation policy and identify areas that should be prioritized for restoration or protection based on carbon value.
Since this project’s completion in 2015, Ducks Unlimited Canada (DUC) incorporated the project’s findings to assist with and provide advice for land use planning processes. Land use planning processes are still ongoing in many areas, and DUC runs models for interested parties. These tools help organizations understand the landscape in a unique way and provide various solutions to many different challenges. The work from this project laid the groundwork for more regionally tailored and data-driven approaches to managing wetland carbon stocks.