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CHAPTER 1

2

INTRODUCTION
Contents

3

4

1

Introduction .............................................................................................................................................1.3

5

1.1

Background ......................................................................................................................................... 1.3

6

1.2

Using this supplement in conjunction with the 2006 IPCC Guidelines ............................................... 1.3

7

1.3

Definition and coverage of wetlands ................................................................................................... 1.5

8

1.4

Definition and coverage of organic soils ............................................................................................. 1.7

9

1.5Managed wetlands ............................................................................................................................... 1.8

10

1.6

Coherence and compatibility with 2006 IPCC Guidelines ................................................................ 1.11

11

1.6.1

Existing guidance in the 2006 IPCC Guidelines ........................................................................... 1.11

12

1.6.2

Need for supplementary and updated guidance............................................................................. 1.12

13

1.6.3

Content of the Wetlands Supplement ............................................................................................ 1.12

14

1.7

Estimating and reporting of emissions and removals from managed wetlands ................................. 1.16

15

1.8

Availability of relevant data for wetlands and organic soils worldwide............................................ 1.20

16

References ...................................................................................................................................................... 1.23

17

Figures18
19

Figure 1.1

Decision tree for finding the appropriate guidance chapter
within this Supplement or the 2006 IPCC Guidelines ........................................................ 1.4

20
21

Figure 1.2

Global distribution of wetlands according to the Global Lakes andWetlands Database (Lehner and Doll, 2004)...................................................................... 1.6

22

Figure 1.3

Indicative map of the occurrence of organic soils in the world .......................................... 1.8

23
24

Figure 1.4

Some typical management activities and associated GHG emissions and removals on thewetlands............................................................................................................................ 1.10

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28

Table 1.1

Global distribution of wetlands (in 10,000 km2; not mutually exclusive;
after Lehner and Döll, 2004 3); Joosten, 20104)) ................................................................. 1.7

29

Table 1.2

FAO 2006 Summary description of histosols/organic soils ................................................ 1.8

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31
32

Table 1.3

Examples of activities related to production, ecological and social functions
that result in managed wetlands (Joosten & Clarke, 2002; De Groot et al., 2010;
Elmqvist & Maltby, 2010).................................................................................................. 1.933

Table 1.4

Specific new guidance provided in Wetlands Supplement ............................................... 1.14

34

Table 1.5

Extension of reporting categories in 2006 IPCC Guidelines ............................................ 1.19

Boxes

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Box 1.1

1.2

Definitions of wetlands in the 2006 IPCC Guidelines and the Ramsar Convention ........... 1.5

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1 INTRODUCTION

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1.1

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The 2006 IPCC Guidelines for National Greenhouse Gas Inventories (2006 IPCC Guidelines) recognize that theguidance on Wetlands in Volume 4, Chapter 7 is incomplete and restricted to estimating emissions of carbon
dioxide (CO2) and nitrous oxide (N2O) from ‘peatlands cleared and drained for production of peat for energy,
horticultural and other uses’ (Volume 4, Chapter 7, Section 7.2) and CO2 emissions from ‘reservoirs or
impoundments, for energy production, irrigation, navigation, or recreation (Flooded Land)’ (Volume 4, Chapter
7, Section 7.3).

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In October 2010, an IPCC expert meeting on harvested wood products, wetlands and N2O emissions from soils
concluded that there was sufficient new scientific information available to provide additional methodologicalguidance and fill gaps in the existing guidelines (IPCC 2011) for the rewetting and restoration of peatlands;
emissions from fires, ditches, and waterborne carbon; and constructed wetlands for waste water disposal. In
December 2010, the UNFCCC Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice (SBSTA) invited the
IPCC to undertake further methodological work on wetlands, focusing on the rewetting and restoration ofpeatland, with the view of filling in the gaps in the 2006 IPCC Guidelines in these areas.

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This 2013 Supplement to the 2006 IPCC Guidelines for National Greenhouse Gas Inventories: Wetlands(Wetlands Supplement) provides new guidance on estimating and reporting greenhouse gas emissions fromorganic soils and from wetlands, in so far as they are (directly) impacted by human activities (‘managed’). The
following chapters are included:

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57
58

•

Cross-cutting guidance on organic soils (supplemental guidance to 2006 IPCC Guidelines, Volume 4,
Chapter 2, on generic methods relating to organic soils on all land-use categories, especially Forest Land,
Cropland and Grassland)

59•

Rewetting and restoration of peatlands and other organic soils

60•Managed coastal wetlands

61•Managed inland mineral soil wetlands

62•

Constructed wetlands—wastewater treatment systems

63•

Good practice and implications for reporting

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1.2

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67
68
69

BACKGROUNDUSING THIS SUPPLEMENT IN CONJUNCTION
WITH THE 2006 IPCC GUIDELINESThis introductory chapter is intended to provide guidance to the inventory compiler on how to use this Wetlands
Supplement in conjunction with the existing 2006 IPCC Guidelines when preparing a greenhouse gas inventory
that includes wet and/or organic soils. The decision tree (Figure 1.1) can be used to guide the inventory compiler
to the appropriate guidance within this Wetlands Supplement or the 2006 IPCC Guidelines.

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Figure 1.1

Decision tree for finding the appropriate guidance chapter within thisSupplement or the 2006 IPCC Guidelines
1)
Start

Use 2006 IPCC
GuidelinesNo2)
Is the soilorganic and/or
wet?

Yes
3)
Is this a“flooded land”?

Yes

Use 2006 IPCC
Guidelines,
Chapter 7

Yes

Chapter 6

Yes

Chapter 4

No

Chapter 5

No

Chapter 3No
4)
Is thisa constructedwetland?

No
5)
Is thisa coastal
wetland?

No

Is the soilorganic?

Yes
6)
Is the soil
drained?

The soil is wetor rewetted

Yes

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1)

All land should be classified into the six IPCC land-use categories, which are defined in the 2006 IPCC
Guidelines (Volume 4, Chapter 3, Section 3.2). These are Forest Land, Cropland, Grassland, Wetlands,
Settlements and Other Land. These categories will need to be subdivided into sub-categories with similar
vegetation, use and properties for the purpose of estimating emissions and removals. This Wetlands
Supplement covers land that may be classified into any of the six IPCC land-use categories.

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2)

Organic soils are soils with a substantial layer of organic matter at or near the surface (see section 1.4). Wet
soils are inundated or saturated by water for all or part of the year to the extent that soil microbes and rooted
plants adapted to anaerobic conditions control the greenhouse gas emissions.

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3)

‘Flooded Land’ is defined as reservoirs or impoundments, for energy production, irrigation, navigation, or
recreation. Flooded Land excludes regulated lakes and rivers unless a substantial increase in water area has
occurred (2006 IPCC Guidelines, Volume 4, Chapter 7, page 7.5)

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4)

‘Constructed wetlands’ are fully human-made wetlands for wastewater treatment. Synonymous terms
include ‘man-made’, ‘engineered’ or ‘artificial’ wetlands.

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5)

‘Coastal wetlands’ are defined here as wetlands at or near the coast that are influenced by saline or brackish
water and/or astronomic tides. Their seaward limit is the deepest occurrence of rooted vascular plants.
Coastal wetlands may occur both on organic and mineral soils. Brackish/saline water is water that contains
500 or more parts per million (ppm) of dissolved salts.

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6)

‘Drained’ refers to formerly ‘wet’ soils (see footnote 2 above) where the water table has been lowered.
‘Rewetted’ refers to soils that were ‘drained’ but are currently ‘wet’.

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1.3

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For the purpose of this Supplement, Wetlands includes “any land that is covered or saturated by water for all orpart of the year and that does not fall into the Forest Land, Cropland, Grassland or Settlements categories” (2006
IPCC Guidelines Volume 4, Chapter 3). Wetlands may naturally occur in inland and coastal areas, and nearshore environments, e.g., swamps, marshes, fens, peatlands, bogs, riparian forests, mangroves, tidal freshwater
wetlands and seagrass beds. Wetlands can be man-made, e.g., fish ponds, wastewater treatment plants, dams andreservoirs.

DEFINITION AND COVERAGE OF WETLANDS

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102

BOX 1.1
DEFINITIONS OF WETLANDS IN THE 2006 IPCC GUIDELINES AND THE RAMSAR CONVENTION

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105
106

2006 IPCC Guidelines, Volume 4, Chapter 7: “Wetlands include any land that is covered or
saturated by water for all or part of the year (e.g., peatlands), and that does not fall into the Forest
Land, Cropland, Grassland or Settlements categories. It includes reservoirs and areas of peat
extraction as a managed sub-division, and natural rivers and lakes as unmanaged sub-divisions.”

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108
109
110

Ramsar Convention on Wetlands, Article 1.1: “Wetlands are areas of marsh, fen, peatland, orwater, whether natural or artificial, permanent or temporary, with water that is static or flowing,
fresh, brackish or salt, including areas of marine water the depth of which at low tide does notexceed six meters.”

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112
113
114
115
116

Wetlands should be subdivided into managed and unmanaged sub-categories based upon the national definition
used within the country. Managed wetlands can be wetlands where the water table is artificially changed (e.g.,
lowered or raised) or those created through human activity (e.g., damming a river) (2006 IPCC Guidelines).
Managed wetlands also include wetlands where resource extraction takes place without alteration of hydrology
or vegetation (e.g., selective logging of mangrove trees in coastal wetlands, mowing of reeds in inland wetlands).

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119

Wetlands occur from the tundra to the tropics (see Figure 1.2) and are extremely diverse and variable. The total
area of wetlands on Earth is not precisely known. Lehner and Doll (2004) estimate that global wetlands(excluding lakes and reservoirs) cover about 8-10 million km2, or 6.2-7.6% of the total global land surface.

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Figure 1.2

Global distribution of wetlands according to the Global Lakes and Wetlands
Database (Lehner and Doll, 2004)

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128
129

Wetlands are crucial in maintaining the Earth’s carbon balance, with peatlands, mangroves, and marshes
containing the largest carbon stocks of the terrestrial biosphere (Joosten and Couwenberg, 2008, Donato et al.,2011). Wetlands can be either a source or sink of greenhouse gases to the atmosphere. The emissions are largely
controlled by the degree of water saturation as well as climate and nutrient availability (Hodson et al., 2011;
Couwenberg et al., 2010). Un-drained or rewetted wetlands with water levels at or near the soil surface emit
methane (CH4) (Couwenberg & Fritz, 2012), but have very low fluxes of CO2 and N2O (Couwenberg et al.,2011), while drained wetlands emit CO2 and N2O, but have generally negligible CH4 fluxes (Couwenberg, 2010).

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The balance of greenhouse gas emissions from managed wetlands and organic soils is largely controlled by thetrade-off between CH4 emissions under saturated soil conditions versus CO2 emissions under dry soil conditions.
Nitrous oxide emissions from wetlands are typically low, unless an outside source of nitrogen enters the wetland,such as from nearby agricultural lands. If wetlands are drained, N2O emissions are controlled by the fertility ofthe soil as well as the addition of nitrogen fertilizers. Aggregate fluxes of CO2 and N2O (in CO2 equivalent) fromdry soils are generally larger than the aggregate CH4, CO2, and N2O (in CO2 equivalent) fluxes from saturated
soils.

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Human activities (agriculture, forestry, peat extraction, anthropogenic fires) may significantly affect the carbon
and nitrogen balance of wetlands. It is estimated that as much as 50% of the Earth’s wetlands have been
converted (Mitch and Gosselink, 2007). Drainage or vegetation degradation/loss changes wetlands from a sourceof CH4 emissions (due to anaerobic decomposition of organic matter) to a source of CO2 and N2O emissions (dueto oxidation of soil organic matter and nitrification/denitrification). Joosten (2010) estimates the global carbon
emissions from drained peatland (by microbial peat oxidation and peat fires) at 0.5 Pg annually, i.e. 0.3% of the
global land area being responsible for >5% of the global anthropogenic CO2 emissions. According to Donato etal. (2011), mangrove deforestation generates emissions of 0.02–0.12 Pg carbon per year—as much as around
10% of emissions from deforestation globally, despite accounting for just 0.7% of tropical forest area.

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149

While rewetting of wetlands increases CH4 emissions, it decreases CO2 and N2O emissions. The actual
magnitude of human-influenced wetlands emissions and removals depends on numerous variables, including
wetland type, wetland area, management practice, vegetative composition, water table depth, growing season
precipitation, and temperature (Fenner and Freeman, 2011).

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TABLE 1.1
GLOBAL DISTRIBUTION OF WETLANDS (IN 10,000 KM2; NOT MUTUALLY EXCLUSIVE; AFTER LEHNER AND DÖLL, 2004 3);
JOOSTEN, 20104))
Coastal1)

RegionConstructed2)

Freshwater(inland, nonmarine)3)

Peatland4)

Africa

131

13

Asia

286

155

Australia and Pacific Region

28

7Europe26

50

North America

287

140

South America

159

16

[The data for “Coastal” and “Constructed” will be included in this table and explanation about them will be provided in this section in
the Second Order Draft.]

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1.4

DEFINITION AND COVERAGE OF ORGANIC
SOILS

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According to the 2006 IPCC Guidelines, soils are organic if they satisfy the requirements 1 and 2, or 1 and 3
below:

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1.

Thickness of organic horizon greater than or equal to 10 cm. A horizon of less than 20 cm must have 12
percent or more organic carbon when mixed to a depth of 20 cm;

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159

2.

Soils that are never saturated with water for more than a few days must contain more than 20 percent
organic carbon by weight (i.e., about 35 percent organic matter); and

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3.

Soils are subject to water saturation episodes and have either:

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162

a.

At least 12 percent organic carbon by weight (i.e., about 20 percent organic matter) if the soil has
no clay; or

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164

b.

At least 18 percent organic carbon by weight (i.e., about 30 percent organic matter) if the soil has
60% or more clay; or

165

c.

An intermediate proportional amount of organic carbon for intermediate amounts of clay.’

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Annex 3A.5 in Volume 4 of the 2006 IPCC Guidelines offers criteria for the identification of organic (peat) soils
based on the FAO (1998) key to soil types.

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170
171
172
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174

The 2006 IPCC Guidelines thus largely follow the FAO (1998/2006) definition of ‘Histosol’ and link (and evenequate) organic soils to peat soils (Table 1.2). Indeed, apart from shallow (≥10 cm) organic -rich soils overlying
ice or rock, organic soils (Histosols) are identical with peat and peaty soils of at least 40 cm total thickness
within the uppermost 100 cm, containing at least 12 percent organic carbon (~20 percent organic material) by
weight. This definition deviates from most European definitions of peatland in that it stipulates a slightly thicker
organic layer and slightly lower organic matter content (Joosten and Clarke, 2002). IPCC (2003, 2006) omits the
40 cm criterion from the FAO definition to allow for country specific approaches.

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FAO 2006 SUMMARY DESCRIPTION OF HISTOSOLS/ORGANIC SOILS

Connotation

Peat and muck soils; from Greek histos, tissue

Parent material

Incompletely decomposed plant remains, with or without admixtures of sand, silt orclay

Environment

Histosols occur extensively in boreal, arctic and subarctic regions. Elsewhere, they are
confined to poorly drained basins and depressions, swamp and marshlands withshallow groundwater, and highland areas with a high precipitation–evapotranspiration
ratio

Profiledevelopment

Mineralization is slow and transformation of plant remains through biochemical
disintegration, and formation of humic substances creates a surface layer of mould withor without prolonged water saturation. Translocated organic material may accumulate
in deeper tiers but is more often leached from the soil

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177
178

Figure 1.3 presents the occurrence of organic soils in the world. A total of around 4 million km2 of peatland
occur in the world (Lappalainen 1996, Joosten 2010) of which some 10% are found in tropical regions (Page etal., 2011). The total carbon stock in peatlands amounts to 500 Gt (Joosten 2010, Page et al. 2011).

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Figure 1.3

180
181
182

Modified from Victoria et al. (2012)

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185
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187
188
189

Drainage of organic soils lowers the water table, exposes formerly water-saturated organic layers to oxidationand increases CO2 and N2O emissions, while generally reducing CH4 emissions (Strack 2008). Drainage waters
conduct dissolved and particulate waterborne carbon out of organic soil (Joosten & Couwenberg 2008). The
significant CH4 emissions from human-made ditches in organic soils were not addressed in the 2006 IPCC
Guidelines due to insufficient scientific information available at that time. In this Wetlands Supplement, newguidance also takes the intensity of the drainage of organic soils and the associated losses of waterborne carbon
into account when estimating emissions and removals.

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1.5

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193
194
195

According to the 2006 IPCC Guidelines it is good practice that, when preparing a greenhouse gas inventory, acountry first produces a complete and consistent land-use representation that divides the land-uses into six major
land-use categories: Forest Land, Grassland, Cropland, Wetlands, Settlements and Other Lands. The 2006 IPCC
Guidelines provide definitions for each of these land-use categories; however, these are not prescriptive, and canbe adjusted by the country to better represent their unique conditions.

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The 2006 IPCC Guidelines provide methods to estimate anthropogenic emissions and removals of greenhousegases (Section 1.1, Chapter 1 in Volume 1 of the 2006 IPCC Guidelines). The Guidelines have adopted as a

1.8

Indicative map of the occurrence of organic soils in the world

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proxy (the ‘managed land proxy’) that all emissions and removals occurring on managed land are considered to
be anthropogenic (Section 1.1, Chapter 1 in Volume 1 and Section 1.1, Chapter 1 in Volume 4 of the 2006 IPCC
Guidelines). An IPCC expert meeting held in May 2010 examined this issue further but was unable torecommend an improved, globally applicable, alternative way of estimating anthropogenic emissions andremovals (IPCC 2010). According to the 2006 IPCC Guidelines (Volume 4, Chapter 3, Section 3.2) ‘managed
land is land where human interventions and practices have been applied to perform production, ecological orsocial functions’. Chapter 7 in Volume 4 of the 2006 IPCC Guidelines (“Wetlands”), however, restricts‘managed wetlands’ to ‘wetlands where the water table is artificially changed (e.g., drained or raised) or thosecreated through human activity (e.g., damming a river). It includes reservoirs as a managed sub-division andnatural rivers and lakes as unmanaged sub-divisions.’

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This Wetlands Supplement includes activities and land-use subcategories where the water table is not changed,
and so the restriction imposed by Chapter 7 in Volume 4 of the 2006 IPCC Guidelines is no longer applicable.
Therefore, emissions and removals should be estimated for all land in a country that is designated as managed.
Where wetlands are impacted by human activities, they should be considered managed. Figure 1.4 illustrates
some typical human activities and associated GHG emissions and removals on managed wetlands. Table 1.3
provides some examples of production, ecological and social functions that can result in ‘managed’ wetlands.
TABLE 1.3
EXAMPLES OF ACTIVITIES RELATED TO PRODUCTION, ECOLOGICAL AND SOCIAL FUNCTIONS THAT RESULT IN MANAGED
WETLANDS (JOOSTEN & CLARKE, 2002; DE GROOT ET AL., 2010; ELMQVIST & MALTBY, 2010)
Function

Production functions

Ecological functions

Social functions

Benefits

Provision of water, food, rawmaterials, energy, and genetic
materials

Regulation of climatic, water,soil, ecological, and genetic
conditions

Provision of non-material
sensations that are pleasant,agreeable or beneficial or
identify one’s position in theworld

Activities

Hunting/fishing/gathering
Protection of genetic resources
Water procurement
Aquaculture (fish, shrimps,
snails)Paludiculture
Agriculture and horticulture
Forestry and agroforestry
Peat extraction
Extraction of mineral resources

Protection, conservation,
restoration and management forProtection, conservation,
restoration and management
for

•

•

global (greenhouse gas
fluxes, C-storage), regional
and local climates(evaporation cooling)
air quality (capturing dust)•

natural hazard mitigation•

catchment hydrology (flood
control, baseflow), water
purification and waste
water treatment•

erosion control, soil
formation and permafrost
conservation•

pollination and pest control•

social amenity•

recreation and tourism,•

aesthetics and inspiration,•

education and science,•

signalisation•

heritage and identity,•

symbolisation, spirituality
and religion.

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The use of the managed land proxy to identify anthropogenic emissions and removals has some drawbacks, inparticular with respect to inclusion of emissions or removals that would have occurred regardless ofanthropogenic influences (IPCC 2010). However, no alternative approach has been agreed upon by the authorsof the 2006 IPCC Guidelines or this Wetlands Supplement. While it may be possible in some circumstances toestimate these non-anthropogenic emissions and removals and subtract them from the total emissions estimatesfor some wetland types and activities, this would introduce a number of problems. These problems include (1)lack of consistency with reporting for other land-use categories where the guidance does not adopt this approach,(2) lack of comparability between countries dealing with this issue in different ways, (3) high uncertainty
associated with estimation of these emissions and removals, and (4) difficulty of capturing these emissions using
Tier 1 or 2 methods.

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Figure 1.4

Some typical management activities and associated GHG emissions andremovals on the wetlands

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COHERENCE AND COMPATIBILITY WITH
2006 IPCC GUIDELINES

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1.6.1

Existing guidance in the 2006 IPCC Guidelines

233

ORGANIC SOILS

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238

The 2006 IPCC Guidelines provide guidance for estimating greenhouse gas emissions from drained organic(managed) soils within the land use categories Forest Land, Cropland, Grassland, and Settlements. In Volume 4,
Chapter 2, Section 2.3.3 of the 2006 IPCC Guidelines, guidance is provided at the Tier 1 level (with limited
additional guidance for Tiers 2 and 3) to estimate CO2 emissions from drained organic soils using an area based
annual emission factor differentiated by climate type.

239

BIOMASS C STOCK S

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241
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244

The generic methodologies for estimating biomass C stock change are available in Volume 4, Chapter 2, Section
2.3.1 of the 2006 IPCC Guidelines. Guidance to estimate the dead organic matter pool is provided in Volume 4,
Chapter 2, Section 2.3.2. More specific guidance by land categories can be found in Volume 4 of the 2006 IPCC
Guidelines under the specific land category Chapters: 4 (Forest Land), 5 (Cropland), 6 (Grassland), 7 (Wetlands),
8 (Settlements), and 9 (Other Land).

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DIRECT AND INDIRECT N2O EMISSIO NS FROM MANAGED SOILS

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250
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256

In Volume 4, Chapter 11 of the 2006 IPCC Guidelines methodologies to estimate both direct and indirect N2Oemissions from managed soils are provided. Generic equations are presented, which can be applied to specificland categories if activity data are available. Nitrous Oxide emissions from drained organic soils use an area
based annual emission factor differentiated by climate type. For temperate forest lands, soil fertility (nutrient
rich/nutrient poor) is also a criterion for determining the appropriate emission factor. Also, indirect N2Oemissions from managed soils arising from agricultural inputs (which may end up in wetlands throughvolatilization or leaching and run-off of N) are addressed in Chapter 11. Indirect N2O emissions fromcombustion-related and industrial sources are described in Volume 1, Chapter 7, Section 7.3. In order to prevent
double-counting, the N input into wetlands as a result of leaching/runoff or volatilization/deposition from otherland use categories or activities (e.g., combustion for energy) should not be accounted for in the Wetlands
category.

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BURNING

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261

Generic guidance for non-CO2 emissions from fires due to burning of live and dead biomass on managed lands(Forest Land, Cropland and Grassland) is provided under Volume 4, Chapter 2 of the 2006 IPCC Guidelines.
Existing guidelines do not include burning of peat and other soil organic matter, which is a large emission source
for some countries.

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RICE CULTIVATIO N

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In addition CH4 emissions from rice cultivation are included in Volume 4, Chapter 5 of the 2006 IPCC
Guidelines.

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WETLANDS

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In the Wetlands chapter of the 2006 IPCC Guidelines (Volume 4, Chapter 7), methodologies are provided toestimate greenhouse gas emissions and removals from peatlands cleared and drained for extracting peat forenergy, horticulture and other uses (Section 7.2). Emissions from the use of horticultural peat are accounted forin Chapter 7, while peat used for energy generation is estimated under the Energy Sector (Volume 2 of the 2006
IPCC Guidelines). Guidance for peat extraction that does not involve vegetation removal (e.g., ‘sausage peat
extraction’) or drainage (e.g., ‘hydrotorf’ procedures) is not provided. The 2006 IPCC Guidelines (Volume 4,
Chapter 7) furthermore provide guidance for estimating emissions from reservoirs or impoundments used forhydroelectricity production, irrigation, navigation, or recreation (Section 7.3). The scope of the assessment
includes CO2 emissions from all lands converted to permanently Flooded Lands, i.e., where human activities
have caused an increase in the amount of surface area covered by water. Regulated lakes and rivers that do nothave substantial changes in water area in comparison with the pre-flooded ecosystem are not considered Flooded
Lands.

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WASTEWATER TREATMENT

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In Volume 5, Chapter 6 of the 2006 IPCC Guidelines (waste water treatment and discharge) provides amethodology to estimate CH4 and N2O emissions from domestic and industrial wastewater treatment. CO2
emissions from wastewater are not considered at all in the IPCC Guidelines and should not be included innational total emissions because of their biogenic origin and rapid turnover.

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1.6.2

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285
286
287

The 2006 IPCC Guidelines recognize the need for future methodological guidance concerning rewetting andrestoration of drained managed wetlands (Volume 4, Chapter 7). Also, manure management ponds, industrial
effluent ponds, and aquaculture ponds are mentioned in the 2006 IPCC Guidelines as examples of wetlands, forwhich methodologies were at that time inadequate to produce general guidance.

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Insofar as the science has evolved, this Wetlands Supplement does the following:

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•

Fills in some of the recognized gaps, and provides methodologies for estimating emissions and removals
from wetland types and activities/management practices not included in the 2006 IPCC Guidelines.

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•

Provides updated emission factors for organic soils under different land-use categories and sub-categories
already included in the 2006 IPCC Guidelines.

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The Wetlands Supplement does not provide any additional guidance for Flooded Lands compared to the 2006
IPCC Guidelines, which currently only provides guidance to estimate CO2 emissions and removals from land
converted to flooded land. This is because the science has not advanced enough on this issue since publication of
the 2006 IPCC Guidelines.

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1.6.3

298
299
300

CHAPTER 2—CROSS-CUTTI NG GUIDANCE ON GREENHOUSE GASEMISSIONS AND REMOVALSFROM ORGANIC SOILS IN ALL LAND-USE
CATEGORIES

301
302
303
304
305
306
307

In Chapter 2, methodologies for calculating emissions from managed organic soils are elaborated to take into
account intensity of drainage, ditches, waterborne carbon, and peat fires. This Wetlands Supplement provides
updated default emission factors (CO2, CH4, N2O) for all inland land-use categories on organic soil (Forest Land,
Cropland, Grassland, and Wetlands). Tier 1 guidance provided by land-use category includes the impact ofdrainage depth (water-table level) on the emission estimates. New emission factors to estimate the release of CH4
from drainage ditches is provided and indirect CO2 emissions associated with dissolved organic carbon releasefrom peat to drainage waters are covered (see Table 1.4).

308
309

CHAPTER 3—CROSS-CUTTI NG GUIDANCE ON REWETTED PEATLANDSAND ORGANIC SOI LS

310
311
312
313
314
315

Formerly drained peatlands and organic soils that have been used for example for forestry, crop production,
grazing, or peat extraction may be rewetted and restored/rehabilitated by raising the water table (e.g., by ditchfilling) and re-establishing a functional vegetation layer. Chapter 3 of the Wetlands Supplement provides Tier 1
level generic guidance for assessing the greenhouse gas emissions (CO2, CH4 and N2O) and removals fromvarious types of rewetted, restored, and rehabilitated peatlands and organic soils by climate region and peat type.
(see Table 1.4)

316

CHAPTER 4—COASTAL WETLANDS

317
318
319
320
321
322

Chapter 4 provides methodologies for reporting greenhouse gas emissions and removals associated withmanaged coastal wetlands, such as mangroves, salt marshes, sea-grass meadows and tidal freshwater systems.
Coastal wetlands are wetlands at or near the coast that are influenced by saline or brackish water and/or
astronomic tides. Their seaward limit is the deepest occurrence of rooted vascular plants, e.g. sea-grasses.
Coastal wetlands may occur both on organic and mineral soils. Separate guidance is given for coastal wetlands
with unaltered hydrology, rewetted and drained coastal wetlands (see Table 1.4).

323

CHAPTER 5—I NLAND MI NERAL SOIL WETLANDS

324
325

Chapter 5 provides methodologies for reporting greenhouse gas emissions and removals from inland wetlands onmineral soils not included in Chapters 4 and 6 (see Table 1.4).

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CHAPTER 6—CONSTRUCTED WETLANDS

327
328
329
330
331
332
333

Chapter 6 provides guidance on estimating greenhouse gas emissions and removals from constructed wetlands
used for wastewater treatment. Chapter 6 provides supplementary guidance to the 2006 IPCC Guidelines,
Volume 5, Chapter 6 on wastewater treatment on constructed wetlands considering different types of constructedwetlands (e.g., vertical or horizontal flows). Some new emission factors for CH4 emissions related to wastewater
treatment are provided. Nitrous oxide emissions from wetlands managed for the filtration of non-point source
agricultural effluents, such as fertilizers and pesticides, are included in indirect emissions from soil amendments(Volume 4, Chapter 11) as part of the leaching/ runoff and volatilization components of indirect emissions.

334

CROSS CHAPTER I SSUES

335
336
337
338
339

Chapters 2 through 6 do not provide wetland-specific guidance on estimating carbon stock changes andgreenhouse gas emissions and removals related to biomass and dead organic matter pools (dead wood and litter).
Generic guidance for estimating these pools can be found in the 2006 IPCC Guidelines. However, Chapters 4
and 5 provide new emission factors for biomass and dead wood in addition to soils and new stock change factors
associated with activities that occur in these systems.

340
341
342
343
344
345
346
347

Countries should take care to avoid double-counting emissions that have already been estimated elsewhere in theinventory report. In addition, care should be taken that guidance provided in Chapters 4, 5, and 6 of the Wetlands
Supplement does not result in any double-accounting of specific emission sources, such as N2O emissions fromwetlands that are the result of non-point source agricultural effluent and already addressed as indirect emission
from the soil amendments (e.g., nitrogen fertilizers) within Volume 4, Chapter 11 of the 2006 IPCC Guidelines.
This is especially relevant because various wetland types (e.g., aquaculture ponds, irrigated land, seasonally
flooded agricultural land, salt exploitation sites, water storage areas, excavations, wastewater treatment areas,
canals and drainage channels, ditches) can feature under various land categories (Figure 1.4).

348
349
350

It should be noted that waterborne carbon may already be included in a country’s emission estimates if thecountry uses a methodology where soil C stock change is directly measured on site (e.g., soil sampling
associated with forest inventories).

351
352

Table 1.4 represents an overview of the chapters of the Wetlands Supplement that provide specific new guidanceand how the chapters link to the 2006 IPCC Guidelines.

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TABLE 1.4
SPECIFIC NEW GUIDANCE PROVIDED IN WETLANDS SUPPLEMENT

Wetlands Supplement

Linkage to 2006 IPCC
Guidelines

Chapter

Specific guidance provided
in Wetlands Supplement

Chapter 2
Crosscutting
guidanceongreenhousegasemissionsandremovalsfromorganic
soils in allland-usecategories

Supplementary information on
greenhouse gas emissions andremovals from drained organic
land

2.1.3

CO2 emissions from drainedorganic soils,
updated EFs by water-tablelevel provided

Land usecategory (FL,CL, GL, WL)

Change in Carbon stock in soils
Volume 4, Chapter 2, Section
2.3.3
Chapter 4 (Forest land), Chapter 5(Cropland), Chapter 6(Grassland), Chapter 7(Wetlands)

2.1.4.1

CH4 emissions from drainage
ditches,
new guidanceLand usecategory (FL,CL, GL, WL)

Volume 4, Chapter 2, Section 2.4(non-CO2 emissions))

2.1.4.2

N2O emissions from organic
drained soils,
updated EFs provided

Climate zone
(boreal,temperate,
tropical )Direct N2O emissions
Volume 4, Chapter 11, Section
11.2.1 (Table 11.1)

2.1.5

Emissions from water-borne
carbon (including fire), newguidance

Climate zone
(boreal,temperate),
Peatland type(bog/fen, blanket
bog)

Change in Carbon stock in soils
Volume 4, Chapter 2, Section
2.3.3

Chapter 3
Crosscutting
guidance
on rewetted
peatlands
and organicsoils

New guidance for estimating
greenhouse gas emissions andremovals from re-wetted andrestored peatlands and organic
soils

1.14

Separate Tier 1
level guidance
provided byGeneric methodologies applicable
to multiple land use categories toestimate the carbon stock change
and non-CO2 emissions from
AFOLU Sector (Volume 4,
Chapter 2) including N2Oemissions from managed land
(Volume 4, Chapter 11)

Guidance on estimating
greenhouse gas emissions frommanaged wetlands Volume 4,
Chapter 7 (Wetlands)

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3.2.1

CO2 emissions from rewetted
peatlands/organic soils,
new guidance

Climate zone
(boreal,temperate),
Peatland type(bog, fen)

(Volume 4, Chapter 7, Section
7.5) (Future methodologicaldevelopment)

3.2.2

CH4 emissions and removals
from rewetted
peatlands/organic soils,
new guidance

Climate zone
(boreal,temperate,
tropical),Peatland type(bog, fen)

(Volume 4, Chapter 7 Section
7.5) (Future methodologicaldevelopment)

3.2.3

N2O emissions and removals
from rewetted peatlands andorganic soils, completely new
guidance

insignificant(Tier 1 level)(Volume 4, Chapter 7, Section
7.5) (Future methodologicaldevelopment)

Chapter 4
Coastalwetlands

New guidance for estimating
greenhouse gas emissions andremovals from managed
coastal wetlands

4.2.1

Biomass and soil C stockchange, relative stock change
factors for different
management activities oncoastal wetlands soils
provided,
new supplementary guidance

Coastal wetlandwith unchangedhydrology(mangrove,saltmarsh,
seagrasses),

Volume 4 , Chapter 2, Chapter 7

4.2.2

N2O emissions from coastal
wetlands,
new supplementing guidance

Coastal wetlandwith unchangedhydrology andreceiving
nutrient loading,
Wetland type(pristine, Nfertilized,
eutrophic))

Volume 4 , Chapter 2, Chapter 7

4.3

CO2, CH4, N2O emissions
from rewetted coastal wetlands

Rewetted coastal
wetlands(mangrove,saltmarsh, seagrasses)

Volume 4 , Chapter 2, Chapter 7
new supplementary guidance

4.4

CO2, CH4, N2O emissions
from drained coastal wetlands

Drained coastal
wetlands(mangrove,saltmarsh,
seagrasses)

Volume 4 , Chapter 2, Chapter 7
new supplementary guidance

Chapter 5
Inlandmineralsoil
wetlands

New guidance for estimating
greenhouse gas emissions andremovals from other managed
inland wetlands on mineral
soilsManaged inland
wetlands onmineral soils

Guidance on estimating greenhouse

DRAFT 2013 Wetlands Supplement

Guidance on estimating greenhousegas emissions from managed wetlands
Volume 4, Chapter 7 (Wetlands),
Generic methodologies applicable tomultiple land use categories to estimate
the carbon stock change and non-CO2
emissions from AFOLU Sector(Volume 4, Chapter 2)

gas emissions from managed wetlands
Volume 4, Chapter 7 (Wetlands),
Generic methodologies applicable tomultiple land use categories to estimate
the carbon stock change and non-CO2
emissions from AFOLU Sector(Volume 4, Chapter 2)

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5.2

Chapter 6Constructe
d wetlands

CO2, CH4, N2O

Wetlands
remaining
wetlands, nochange at Tier 1
level

Volume 4, Chapter 2, Chapter 7
new supplementary guidance

CO2, CH4, N2O

Land converted
to wetlands

Volume 4, Chapter 2, Chapter 7
new supplementary guidance

CO2, CH4, N2O

Wetlands
converted toother land use

Volume 4, Chapter 2, Chapter 7
new supplementary guidanceCH4 and N2O emissions fromwastewater treatment anddischarge (Volume 5 (Waste),
Chapter 6)

Supplementing Guidance foremissions and removals fromconstructed wetlands andseminatural treatment wetlands
used for wastewater treatment
CH4 emissions fromwastewater ; MCF andcorrection factor for
temperature and vegetation
providednew, supplementary guidanceType of waste
water (domestic,
industrial,
leachate fromlandfill)

Volume 5, Chapter 6, Section 6.2

N2O emissions from waste
water, EF provided
new, supplementary guidanceType of waste
water (domestic,
industrial
includingleachate fromlandfill)

Volume 5, Chapter 6, Section 6.3
Volume 4, Chapter 11, Section
11.2 (N2O from agricultural
wastewater)

353
354

1.7

355
356

ESTIMATING AND REPORTING OF
EMISSIONS AND REMOVALS FROMMANAGED WETLANDS

357

CASE STUDY

358
359
360

The following approach is taken by an Annex 1 country in reporting of emissions and removals associated withland use and land use change of Wetlands and organic soils. The approach is consistent with the generalprinciples of the 1996 IPCC guidelines and was adopted in the absence of a default Tier 1 methodology.

361
362
363
364
365

Although emissions and removals of greenhouse gases are observed in both natural and managed wetland
ecosystems, only those associated with human activities on wetlands are reported. In principle, this includes
wetlands directly managed for forestry, agriculture and peat extraction and adjacent lands that are impacted bydrainage. However, data of the extent and on-going influence of activities on emissions and removals on lands
indirectly impacted by drainage is very limited.

366

ACTIVITY DATA

367
368
369
370
371
372
373
374

In this case study example, wetlands are nearly completely synonymous with peatlands. A number of estimatesof the extent of peatlands have been made, based on different methodologies and classification criteria. The
estimated peatland extent ranges from 14% to 20% of the total land area. The wide range of estimates is mainly
due to differences in definitions when considering either land cover, land use, habitat type or and/soil type.
Peatland extent based on land/soil type tends to produce estimates at the high end of the range, whilst estimates
based on habitat tend to produce estimates at the low end. This is consistent with land use change and conversion
from Wetlands on peat soil to Cropland, Grassland or Forest Land on peat soil. Emissions and removals
associated with these peat soils are reported under the appropriate land category.

375

Three management activities are reported under Wetlands

376

1.

1.16

peat extraction

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2.

rewetting/restoration after peat extraction

378

3.

conversion from other land use (notably rewetting and restoration from Forest Land)

379
380

Both 1 and 2 are reported within the Wetlands remaining Wetlands category, 3 is reported as Forest Land
converted to Wetlands.

381
382
383
384
385
386

Activity data for 1 and 2 are based on information received in consultation with the state owned commercial
body responsible for much of the industrial peat extraction (for energy and horticultural use) within thejurisdiction. This body submits periodic reports on its land holdings and management practices. The statecompany holds detailed spatial records of land holdings; however these are not included in the data submission
for inventory purposes. They also provide an analysis of the activities of private commercial activity based onmarket share.

387
388
389
390
391
392
393

In addition to commercial peat extraction, historically there has been significant non-commercial extraction ofpeat for domestic combustion, but this practice is in decline. The extent of the activity is estimated based on thenational household energy/fuel use survey and the land area required to meet this demand. The area of peatland
assumed to be drained for domestic peat extraction is assumed to be equal to five times the area required forextraction. This is to allow for drainage of additional peatland in preparation of future extraction. It is argued thatthe indirect impact of drainage for domestic extraction is much larger. Therefore this multiplier factor may berevisited when more specific findings emerge.

394
395
396
397
398
399
400
401
402
403

Commercial companies have a number of after-use options, including conversion to other land use (forestry,
agriculture), abandonment, rewetting and restoration. Much land managed by the state company is approaching
the end of commercial extraction, and therefore the company is carefully considering after-use options. The
company has engaged in a number of studies including managed rewetting and restoration pilot studies. Thesestudies, combined with earlier habitat and ecosystem studies, allow to make a coarse estimate of biomass
recovery in restored areas and to estimate the timescale for recovery. A small area of cutaway peatland has
already been put to “after-use”, and is included in the data submission provided by the company. It is assumed
that the private commercial sector behaves in a similar manner regarding after use, but there is very limited data
to support that. It is perhaps more likely that private extraction areas are abandoned and that the drainage
channels gradually close and rewet the drained areas. This would lead to longer recovery periods.

404
405
406

For domestically cut peatlands, it is assumed that the peat is extracted down to the water table. In that caserewetting is immediate, and revegetation and recovery takes place over the same timescale as restoration ofcommercially exploited peatland.

407
408
409

In the inventory analysis, no distinction is made between rewetted and restored peatland. It is likely that restored
peatland maintain a higher biomass and have a larger resilience to change compared to rewetted peatlands. The
inventory analysis assumed recovery to a peatland state typical of the formerly existing peatland.

410

EMISSION FACTORS

411
412
413

There are no default emission factors available to estimate emissions and removals for rewetted and restored
wetlands. Country specific factors have been estimated based on a limited number of pilot studies and on
existing previous regional, national and local surveys of peatland.

414

Biomass recovers to a carbon density of 3tC ha-1 over a period of 5 years.

415
416
417
418
419

Rewetting of peat is assumed to stop the emission of CO2 and N2O to the atmosphere from peat oxidation. With
the recovery of the vegetation, the normal process of growth and decay is likely to result in CH4 emissions. In thenational inventory examined here, it has been assumed that this CH4emission is offset in the longer term by thegradual accumulation of new dead organic material (new peat formation). Therefore neither CH4 emissions nor
sequestration of carbon in peat are reported.

420
421

REPORTING OF GH G EMISSIONS AND REMOVALS OF MANAGED
WETLANDS WITH COMPLETENESS AND WITHOUT DO UBLE-COUNTING

422
423
424
425

This Wetlands Supplement provides a supplementary guidance to the inventory compilers for estimating andreporting the GHG emissions and removal from managed wetlands and emissions from water-borne carbon andfire from drained organic lands. Extended reporting approaches should be adopted when the compilers prepare
their inventory as below:

426
427
428
429

1) For estimating and reporting, emissions and removals from rewetted and restored wetlands, managed coastal
wetlands, managed inland mineral soil wetlands and constructed wetlands should be included. Emissions
from the drained organic soil, water-borne carbon and peat fire are taken into account when the national
inventory is prepared.

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431
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435

2) For wetlands remaining wetlands, besides the emissions from wetlands remaining wetlands including
peatland undergoing peat extraction and from flooded land remaining flooded land, the emissions andremovals resulting from the human activities of rewetting and/or restoring after peat extraction,
managements on coastal wetlands and inland mineral soil wetlands and from constructed wetlands should be
included. It should also report the emissions from peat fire and water-borne carbon of drained wetlands andCH4 emission from drainage ditches during the drainage of wetlands.

436
437
438

3) As wetlands converted to other lands, all greenhouse gases emissions and removals due to the conversion
with biomass changes, and the changes of soil organic matter in term of carbon and nitrogen should becounted and reported.

439

The extension of the reporting categories of 2006 IPCC Guidelines is provided in Table 1.5.

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TABLE 1.5
EXTENSION OF REPORTING CATEGORIES IN 2006 IPCC GUIDELINES

2006 IPCC Guidelines

Wetlands Supplement

3.B.4

Wetlands

Emissions from land that is coveredor saturated by water for all or partof the year (e.g., peatland) and that
does not fall into the forest land,
cropland, grassland or settlements
categories. The category can be
subdivided into managed andunmanaged according to national
definitions. It includes reservoirs as
a managed sub-division and naturalrivers and lakes as unmanaged subdivisions.

Emissions and removals fromrewetted and restored wetlands,
managed coastal wetlands, managed
inland mineral soil wetlands andconstructed wetlands are included.
Emissions from the drained organicsoil, peat fire and water-borne
carbon are taken into account when
the national inventory is prepared.

3.B.4.a

Wetlands
Remaining
Wetlands

Emissions from peatland
undergoing peat extraction and fromflooded land remaining flooded
land.

Besides emissions from wetlands
remaining wetlands including
peatland undergoing peat extraction
and from flooded land remaining
flooded land, the emissions andremovals resulting from the ofrewetting and restoring after peat
extraction, managements on coastal
wetlands and inland mineral soil
wetlands and from constructedwetlands should be included. It
should also report the emissions
from peat fire and water-borne
carbon of drained wetlands and CH4
emission from drainage ditches
during the wetlands are drained.

3.B.4.a.i

Peatlands
Remaining
peatlands

Includes (1) on-site emissions frompeat deposits during the extraction
phase and (2) off-site emissions
from horticultural use of peat. The
off-site emissions from the energy
use of peat are reported in the
Energy Sector and are therefore notincluded in this category.

Emissions and removals fromrewetting and restoring after peatsoil drainage and/or extraction, andother management activities on thepeatlands remaining peatlands.

3.B.4.a.ii

Flooded Landremaining
Flooded Land

Emissions from flooded landremaining flooded land. Flooded
lands are defined as water bodies
where human activities have causedchanges in the amount of surface
area covered by water, typicallythrough water level regulation.
Examples of flooded lands include
reservoirs for the production ofhydroelectricity, irrigation,navigation, etc. Regulated lakes andrivers that have not experienced
substantial changes in water area incomparison with the pre-flooded
ecosystem are not considered as
flooded lands. Some rice paddies
are cultivated through flooding ofland, but because of the uniquecharacteristics of rice cultivation,
rice paddies are addressed in 3C7.

Emissions from Flooded Land
Remaining Flooded Land

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3.B.4.a.iii

Other
Wetlands
remaining
wetlands

This category is not included in the2006 IPCC Guidelines.

3.B.4.b

Land
Converted to
Wetlands

Emissions from land being
converted for peat extraction fromland converted to wetland.

3.B.4.b.i

Land
Converted for
Peat
Extraction

Emissions from land being
converted for peat extraction

3.B.4.b.ii

Land
Converted to
Flooded Land

Emissions from land converted toflooded land

3.B.4.b.iii

Land
Converted to
OtherWetlands

Emissions from land converted toother wetlands than flooded land
and land for peat extraction

1.8

AVAILABILITY OF RELEVANT DATA FORWETLANDS AND ORGANIC SOILSWORLDWIDE

Emissions from wetlands remaining
wetlands not included in 3.B.4.a.i or
3.B.4.a.ii, which are the drained
peatlands or organic lands, coastal
wetlands, inland mineral soil
wetlands and constructed wetlands
remaining corresponding wetlands.
The inventory compilers should
determine the emission factors incorrespondence to management
activities to report the emissions andremovals from other wetlands
remaining wetlands.

Emissions from land converted toother wetlands than flooded land
and land for peat extraction
excluding constructed wetlands
used for wastewater treatment
which are reported under 4D

440
441
442
443
444
445
446
447
448
449
450
451
452
453
454
455

Inventory compilers will need to gather activity data or determine appropriate proxy data to generate estimates of
wetland emissions and removals. Variables include wetland type, size, water table depth, vegetation composition,
precipitation, temperature, and management practices. Guidance on data collection is provided in Volume 1,
Chapter 2 of the 2006 IPCC Guidelines. Good practice focuses these efforts on collecting data needed to
improve estimates of key categories, which will vary by country depending on what are the largest emission
sources, have the largest potential to change, or have the greatest uncertainty (2006 IPCC Guidelines). Inclusionof emission and removal estimates as specified in this Wetlands Supplement will require that inventory compilers
access new data sources, engage new data suppliers, and involve them in activities such as reviewing initial
estimates, and establishing an agreement for future information sharing (IPCC 2006). The activity data sections
within Chapters 2-6 provide specific guidance on where and how to obtain activity data for the relevant emission
estimates. Additionally, Chapter 7 provides guidance on general good practice issues related to the quality andquantity of data.

456
457
458
459
460
461
462
463

After determining which Wetlands and organic soils to include in the inventory, inventory compilers may be able
to collect data such as size, type, and management practice from in-country natural resource agencies or national
experts. If a national database of wetland and soil data does not exist, data on individual lands of interest may beavailable from individual land managers, organizations, or interest groups. Data on wetland restoration or
rewetting, in particular, are likely to be available through conservation organizations. Depending on theconservation landscape in a particular country, wetland managers or interest groups could be individuallytargeted or surveyed to acquire data for the inventory. For wetlands created for wastewater treatment purposes,
data are likely available from the operators of such systems.

464
465

To supplement in-country data on wetlands and organic soils, or if in-country data are not readily available,
inventory compilers may be able to use internationally available data. Although availability of highly specific

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467
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469
470
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472
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474
475

data needed to accurately estimate emissions and removals is limited, there are certain meta-databases that may
prove useful to inventory compilers. The most notable wetlands dataset is the Ramsar Wetland Data Gateway.
For all ‘wetlands of international importance,’ the Ramsar database provides wetland characteristics, as of 2004,
including wetland type, area, elevation, persistence of water, salinity, soil type, land use inside and adjacent to
the wetland, and vegetation types. This database has the level of data necessary to provide inputs to the methods
in this Wetlands Supplement, but does not contain every wetland nor all organic soil in the world. However, theinformation contained in the database could be used to find proxy data for areas known to be similar. The type ofmanagement activity on each wetland (drainage, restoration, etc.) is typically tracked by natural resource
agencies within individual countries. Wetlands International also tracks wetland drainage practices at aninternational scale.

476
477

Below is a list of resources that may prove useful to inventory compilers in obtaining activity data for estimating
greenhouse gas emissions and removals from wetlands and organic soils included in this guidance.

478

GLOBAL DATABASES

479•

Ramsar Wetland Data Gateway - http://sedac.ciesin.columbia.edu/ramsardg/ and www.ramsar.org

480oData for 2004

481
482

o

Wetland type, area, elevation, persistence of water, salinity, soil type, land uses inside site, land uses
outside site, noteworthy flora values, noteworthy fauna values, internal threats, and external threats

483•

IPCC Emission Factor Database - http://www.ipcc-nggip.iges.or.jp/EFDB/main.php

484oDefault emission data for wetlands and organic soils

485

oEmission or removal data for specific types of wetland and organic soils

486

•

487
488

UNEP Global Resources Information Database (GRID) - http://www.grid.unep.cho•Metadataset

WWF Global Lakes and Wetlands Database - https://secure.worldwildlife.org/science/data/item1877.html

489

oGeospatial dataset

490oData for multiple years

491•

UNEP-WCMC Wetlands database - http://www.unep-wcmc.org/

492oGeospatial dataset493oData for 1993

494•

ISRIC World Soil Information http://www.isric.org/495oWeb based soil maps

496oWorld soil database497oTraining on global soils, soil and terrain classification, soil mapping and soil information systems

498•

International Mire Conservation Group (IMCG) Global Peatland Database (cf. Joosten 2010)499

http://www.imcg.net/pages/publications/imcg-materials.php?lang=EN.

500

For all countries/regions of the World and for the years 1990 and 2008, data on

501oOccurrence, ecology, history and area of peatland

502oLand use and drainage status of peatlands

503o

Carbon stock of peatlands

504o

CO2 emissions from peatlands

505•International Peat Society - http://www.peatsociety.org/

506oAreas of peatland at end 1999

507

oPeat resources and reserves 1999

508

oPeat extraction and combustion 1999

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COUNTRY-SPECIFI C DATABASES

510
511

•

U.S. National Wetlands Inventory,
http://www.fws.gov/wetlands/

512•

Australian Spatial Data Inventory - http://asdd.ga.gov.au/asdd/

513

OTHER POTENTI AL RESOURCES

514•

National Soil Surveys

515•

National Geological Surveys

516•

Land tax authorities

517•

Chambers of Agriculture

518•

National Forest Bureaus

519•

National environmental or natural resources agencies

520•

National statistics agencies

521•

Sector experts

522•

Wastewater treatment wetland managers

523•

Stakeholder organizations (e.g., Wetlands International, Ramsar Bureau)

524•

Natural resource or wetlands conservation organizations

525•

Universities

526•

Scientific literature

527•

Verified Carbon Standard

528
529

o

conducted

by

the

U.S.

Fish

and

Wildlife

Service-Requirements and methodologies for quantifying and crediting carbon projects in peatlands, mangrovesand coastal and tidal wetlands, and other wetlands

530

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References

532
533

Couwenberg, J. (2011). Greenhouse gas emissions from managed peat soils: is the IPCC reporting guidance
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