Abstract
Peat soils formed in the Bernese Three Lakes Region after the last ice age. These soils were formed after the region had been subjected to a system of lakes, rivers and ponds. In these anaerobic soil conditions, carbon-rich soil accumulated and formed the peat soils of today. The soils have been turned into arable land and have undergone several water corrections in the 19th and 20th century. This change of land use has turned these soils from carbon sinks into carbon sources. The goal of this study was to determine if reconstructed peat soils emit less CO2 compared to natural peat soils. In order to do this the CO2 flux of different peat soils was measured in 10 locations across the Three Lakes Region in the Canton of Bern. The results show that there seems to be no correlation between the reconstruction of peat soils and a lower soil CO2 flux.
Wallimann, Lukas