- This event has passed.
Peatland Restoration as a Natural Climate Solution in Minnesota
Thursday, February 2, 2023 @ 7:00 pm - 8:30 pm
Presenter: Kristen Blann, Lead Freshwater Ecologist with The Nature Conservancy (MN, ND, SD)
The Zoom presentation is available on the Videos page.
Talk Summary: Peatlands cover 6 million acres or more in Minnesota, representing more than 10% of the state by area and an estimated 37% of stored terrestrial carbon. However, drainage of peat soils has caused and continues to drive significant carbon losses to the atmosphere due to oxidation and decomposition. Given the critical role that protecting and restoring peatlands play in the global carbon cycle, The Nature Conservancy (TNC) in Minnesota is working with partners to develop a peatland strategy as part of our overall climate change mitigation efforts. We have attempted to quantify and refine estimates of peatland conservation and restoration by mapping drained, partially drained and intact peatlands and extrapolating initial estimates of GHG (CO2 and CH4) stocks and fluxes from literature, and we are currently implementing GHG monitoring at a large restored peatland in the Sax Zim Bog. The presentation will summarize our initial mapping results, estimates, and feasibility considerations, as well as updates on our strategies and research plans.
Presenter Bio: Kristen Blann (Conservation Biology, UMN, M.S. ‘00, PhD ‘04) is Lead Freshwater Ecologist with The Nature Conservancy in MN, ND, SD. For the past 15+ years, she has provided technical leadership for freshwater and watershed conservation planning at TNC, including development of ecological flow and water level criteria to support sustainable water management and lake classification and conservation portfolios in 4 states. In addition to peatland protection, she is currently working on climate adaptation and protection for wild rice, as well as science, restoration and protection strategies for floodplains, wetlands, and freshwater in MN, ND, and SD. She is based in north central Minnesota where she and her husband raise vegetables, chickens and grass-fed lamb.