Scientific Papers
The Scientific Papers that the NOBV has published can be found on this page.
Drivers and annual totals of methane emissions from Dutch Peatlands
In the NOBV, not only CO2 emissions from peatlands are meseared, but also emissions of the greenhouse gases methane and nitrous oxide. The measurements of methane emissions under different land uses have been published in a scientific article entitled “Drivers and annual totals of methane emissions from Dutch Peatlands.” Measurements were taken at various locations and over several years using Eddy Covariance (EC) towers to visualize the variation between years and between land uses. The measurements show that average methane emissions were highest at wet natural sites with groundwater levels above or just below ground level and lowest at agricultural grasslands.
Authors: Alexander J.V. Buzacott (VU), Bart Kruijt (WUR), Laurent Bataille (WUR), Quint van Giersbergen (RUN), Tom S. Heuts (RUN), Christian Fritz (RUN), Reinder Nouta (Wetterskip Fryslân), Gilles Erkens (Deltares/UU), Jim Boonman (VU), Merit van den Berg (VU), Jacobus van Huissteden, Ype van der Velde (VU)
Monitoring long-term peat subsidence with subsidence platens in Zegveld, The Netherlands
This paper, written by a team of researchers from Wageningen Environmental Research and Deltares, is based on data from the NOBV (Dutch Institute for Peat Soil Research) and 50 years of field measurements. In Zegveld, subsidence plates were installed in a plot with a low ditch water level in 1970 and in a plot with a high ditch water level in 1973. The plates were placed at seven different depths, allowing researchers to investigate where subsidence occurs within the peat profile. The height of both the plates and the soil surface was measured annually at the end of winter by surveyors. This provided a time series (up to 2023) of soil height data, which have now been analyzed.
Authors: Harry T. Massop (WENR), Rudi Hessel (WENR), Jan J.H. van den Akker (WENR), Sanneke van Asselen (Deltares), Gilles Erkens (Deltares), Paul A. Gerritsen (WENR), Frank H.G.A. Gerritsen (WENR)
A Bayesian inference approach to determine experimental Typha latifolia paludiculture greenhouse gas exchange measured with eddy covariance
One of the methods used at the NOBV to measure greenhouse gas emissions from peat soils is the Eddy Covariance (EC) tower. An EC tower measures emissions over an area of approximately one hectare. This study focuses on EC measurements of cattails at the NOBV site in Zegveld.
Authors: Alexander J.V. Buzacott (VU), Merit van den Berg (VU), Bart Kruijt (WUR), Jeroen Pijlman (Louis Bolk Instituut), Chrisitan Fritz (RUN), Pascal Wintjen (TNO), Ype van der Velde (VU)
CO2 emissions of drained coastal peatlands in the Netherlands and potential emission reduction by water infiltration systems
What is the relationship between groundwater levels and CO2 emissions in Dutch peat meadow areas, and to what extent are water infiltrations systems effective in reducing emissions? This paper was published in Biogeosciences.
Authors: Ralf Aben (RUN), Daniel van de Craats (WENR), Jim Boonman (VU), Stijn Peeters (RUN), Bart Vriend (VU), Coline Boonman (RUN), Ype van der Velde (VU), Gilles Erkens (Deltares/UU), Merit van den berg (VU)
Effects of subsurface water infiltration systems on land movement dynamics in Dutch peat meadows
Large-scale drainage and exploitation of peatlands over the past centuries has resulted in significant land subsidence and CO2 emissions due to peat degradation caused by microbial activity, shrinkage, and soil compaction. To reduce CO2 emissions and land subsidence in drained peatlands, subsurface water infiltration systems (WIS) are expected to be a suitable measure. This study evaluated the effects of WIS on seasonal vertical ground movements, based on field measurements from five locations in Dutch peat meadows, for the years 2021 and 2022.
Authors: Sanneke van Asselen (Deltares), Gilles Erkens (Deltares/UU), Christian Fritz (RUN), Rudi Hessel (WENR), Jan J.H. van den Akker (WENR)
Drainage effects on carbon budgets of degraded peatlands in the north of the Netherlands
Peatlands can store large amounts of carbon. However, drainage for land use leads to peat oxidation, resulting in CO2 emissions. This study used mobile chamber systems in the Northern Netherlands to investigate the regional causes of CO2 emissions. Carbon budgets were estimated for a total of 13 grassland sites in Friesland.
Authors: Thomas P.A. Nijman (Radboud Universiteit Nijmegen), Quint van Giersbergen (Radboud Universiteit Nijmegen), Tom S. Heuts (Radboud Universiteit Nijmegen), Reinder Nouta (Wetterskip Fryslân), Coline C.F. Boonman (Wageningen University), Mandy Velthuis (Radboud Universiteit Nijmegen), Bart Kruijt (Wageningen University), Ralf C.H. Aben (Radboud Universiteit Nijmegen), Christian Fritz (Radboud Universiteit Nijmegen)
Transparent automated CO2 flux chambers reveal spatial and temporal patterns of net carbon fluxes from managed peatlands
How do we measure CO2 emissions from peat soils? At the NOBV, we use three different methods: automatic chamber measurements that cover an area of approximately one square meter, Eddy Covariance (EC) towers that measure emissions over a larger area (approximately one hectare), and aircraft measurements taken over a large area (hundreds of hectares). All three systems are used in the research program, but the results have not yet been compared in detail. This study compares the insights provided by the automatic chamber measurements with those obtained using an EC tower.
Authors: Jim Boonman (VU), Alexander J.V. Buzacott (VU), Merit van den Berg (VU), Corine van Huissteden (VU), Ype van der Velde (VU)
Rewetting drained peatlands through subsoil infiltration stabilises redox-dependent soil carbon and nutrient dynamics
Centuries of drainage have stimulated peat degradation in Dutch peat meadow areas. To counteract the resulting increase in greenhouse gas emissions and land subsidence, passive and active water infiltration systems (WIS) have been developed to rewet peat meadow areas. In this study, we investigated the effects of WIS systems on groundwater levels, pore water composition, and redox potential in four drained peatlands in the Netherlands to determine how they influence soil processes, particularly carbon and nutrient dynamics.
Authors: Sarah Faye Harpenslager (B-Ware), Gijs van Dijk (B-Ware), Jim Boonman (VU), Stefan T.J. Weideveld (B-Ware), Bas van der Riet (B-Ware), Mariet M. Hefting (VU), Alfons J.P. Smolders (B-Ware)
Physiological processes affecting methane transport by wetland vegetation – A review
Plants in wetlands possess traits that allow them to transport oxygen to their roots while simultaneously transporting methane (CH4) from the sediment to the atmosphere. The contribution of these vegetation-driven emissions to total wetland methane emissions is uncertain. To accurately quantify these emissions, it is important to understand the physiological processes that drive plant-mediated methane transport. This review describes the current state of knowledge regarding methane transport by trees and plants in wetlands.
Authors: R.J.E. Vroom ((Radboud Universiteit Nijmegen), M. van den Berg (Vrije Universiteit), S.R. Pangala (Lancaster University) O.E. van der Scheer (Radboud Universiteit Nijmegen), B.K. Sorrell (Aarhus University)
Redox potential is a robust indicator for decomposition processes in drained agricultural peat soils: A valuable tool in monitoring peatland wetting efforts
Because aerobic oxidation (oxidation with oxygen, above the groundwater level) accounts for the largest share of net peat decomposition, anaerobic oxidation (without oxygen) often remains understudied. In this NOBV study, all forms of oxidation in peat soils were successfully mapped using redox sensors. Using these sensors, we learned how soil processes vary from location to location and how these processes change after submerged drainage systems are installed: for example, the depletion of iron and sulfate reserves in the soil increases the risk of methane formation, especially near submerged drains. This study also revealed that oxygen penetration into the soil is often limited at low groundwater levels.
Authors: Jim Boonman (VU), Sarah Faye Harpenslager (B-Ware), Gijs van Dijk (B-Ware), Alfons J.P. Smolders (B-Ware), Mariet M. Hefting (VU), Bas van der Riet (B-Ware), Ype van der Velde (VU)
Cutting peatland CO2 emissions with water management practices
In October 2022, the first NOBV scientific article, titled “Cutting peatland CO2 emissions with water management practices,” was accepted for publication in the Journal of Biogeosciences. The article discusses a new method for simulating peat degradation based on soil moisture and temperature.
Authors: Jim Boonman (Vrije Universiteit), Mariet M. Hefting(Universiteit Utrecht), Corine J. A. van Huissteden(Vrije Universiteit), Merit van den Berg (Vrije Universiteit), Jacobus (Ko) van Huissteden(Vrije Universiteit), Gilles Erkens (Deltares), Roel Melman (Deltares), and Ype van der Velde (Vrije Universiteit)
Probabilistic Estimation of InSAR Displacement Phase Guided by Contextual Information and Artificial Intelligence
The NOBV is working closely with the NWA-LOSS (Living on Soft Soils) research program and the Groene Hart Regional Deal on Soil Subsidence to prepare InSAR data for determining soil subsidence in peat meadow areas. PhD Philip Conroy (Delft University of Technology/NWA-LOSS) wrote a paper on the use of InSAR for monitoring soil movement in Dutch peatlands, titled “Probabilistic Estimation of InSAR Displacement Phase Guided by Contextual Information and Artificial Intelligence.”
Authors: Philip Conroy (TU Delft), Simon A.N. van Diepen (TU Delft), Sanneke van Asselen (Deltares), Gilles Erkens (Deltares), Freek J. van Leijen (TU Delft), Ramon F. Hanssen (TU Delft)
Verticale beweging van de veenbodem: meettechnieken en ervaringen te Zegveld
This article presents the initial results of the measured vertical ground movement from two different measuring systems at Zegveld (Utrecht). The measuring systems differ in the positions, types of anchors, and sensors used to record the ground movement. One measuring system (extensometer) uses anchors at various depths in the ground, while the other (VSM sensor) uses a grid placed on the surface. The ground moves up and down in the order of centimeters. Combined with satellite data, both measuring systems can play a significant role in addressing the subsidence task in the peat meadow area.
Authors: Dion van Deijl (KnowH2O), Sanneke van Asselen (Deltares), Gilles Erkens (Deltares), Bernard Voortman (Moisture Matters), Gé van den Eertwegh (KnowH2O)
Monitoring Shallow Subsidence in Cultivated Peatlands
Accurate monitoring of shallow soil subsidence in peat meadow areas is a major challenge. To design and test a system for monitoring soil subsidence in peat meadows, four methods for measuring soil subsidence are applied and evaluated in a peat meadow area in Overijssel, namely: spirit leveling, measuring with an extensometer, LiDAR, and InSAR. This article focuses on the methods and measurements of spirit levels and extensometers.
Authors: Sanneke van Asselen (Deltares), Gilles Erkens (Deltares, Universiteit Utrecht), Francis de Graaf (Waterschap Drents Overijsselse Delta)
The relation between land subsidence and CO2 emissions in peatlands
When using land subsidence data to estimate CO₂ emissions from drained peatlands, two crucial factors must be considered:
- not all land subsidence is due to microbial decomposition of peat, and
- a conversion factor is needed to convert land subsidence (a change in volume) into CO₂ emissions (a change in mass).
This article assesses how previous studies have addressed these two factors and supplements existing knowledge and experience with new data and insights gathered in recent years.
Authors: Sanneke van Asselen (Deltares), Gilles Erkens (Deltares/Universiteit Utrecht)
