Alluvial soils have high importance for both agriculture and biodiversity; however, these soils can also contribute to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions including carbon dioxide (CO2), nitrous oxide (N2O) and methane (CH4). In this study, we examined GHG fluxes of three grassland and two cropland sites with alluvial soils in Abava river floodplain, Latvia (Europe). Soil CO2 fluxes representing heterotrophic respiration (Rhet) were determined using a portable CO2 gas analyser, while ecosystem respiration (Reco), soil CH4 and N2O fluxes were quantified using a manual closed chamber method combined with gas chromatography. Most alluvial soils acted as source of GHG emissions with the exception of two grassland site where annual CH4 exchange reflected a slight CH4 removal from the atmosphere. Mean total GHG emissions (sum of net CO2, CH4 and N2O) were 7.0 +/- 3.3 t CO2 eq./ha/year in grassland sites and 14.5 +/- 4.8 t CO2 eq./ha/year in cropland sites. Net CO2 contributed the most to total annual GHG emissions with mean values of 6.2 +/- 3.3 t CO2/ha/year in grassland and 13.6 +/- 4.8 t CO2/ha/year in cropland sites. Although the number of study sites is limited, the results support that, in the context of climate change mitigation, grassland represents a more climate-friendly type of floodplain land use than cropland in the hemiboreal region.

As greenhouse gas (GHG) concentrations in the atmosphere continue to rise, legal frameworks are implemented internationally, nationally, and regionally to address ways to mitigate climate change. These frameworks emphasize the role of forests in sequestering carbon dioxide and the challenges in managing forests effectively amidst climate change and increasing timber demand. There is thus an urgent need for comprehensive understanding of soil GHG fluxes to plan forest-sector climate change mitigation strategies effectively. This study aims to evaluate the initial effects of various forest management types: regeneration cut, partial cut, commercial thinning, and a combination of commercial thinning and wood ash fertilization, on GHG exchange of forest floor (soil, litter layer, roots, above-ground parts of ground vegetation) in hemiboreal conifer-dominated forests with drained nutrient-rich organic soils. Forest management significantly influenced forest floor GHG fluxes through differences in soil temperature and soil water-table level (WTL). Forest floor total respiration that describes overall soil activity responded variably to different employed management types, while in intact forests (Control sites) it decreased with increasing stand age. Regeneration cut resulted in CH4 emissions due to higher WTL and reduced evapotranspiration, while other management types maintained the forest floor as a CH4 sink. N2O flux varied across the management types; however, the flux remained minor in all cases. Overall, partial cut exhibited the lowest GHG flux increase. While our study covers initial responses, longer-term studies are needed to fully evaluate the management impacts on drained nutrient-rich organic soils that have high potential for contributing to GHG fluxes.

Forest fertilization is commonly used to enhance tree growth and carbon (C) sequestration, especially in nutrient-poor boreal forests. However, it also poses several environmental risks, including shifting ground vegetation community composition and a reduction in species diversity. This study evaluated how ground vegetation species composition responded to forest fertilization with ammonium nitrate and wood ash across forest stands with varying dominant tree species, age groups, and site types. Ground vegetation assessment was performed during the one to three years following fertilizer application. We conducted detrended correspondence analysis (DCA) to examine compositional differences in ground vegetation between control and fertilized plots and to identify ecological factors underlying dataset variation. Ordination was based on species percentage cover data, with soil chemical parameters and stand inventory metrics providing environmental context for interpreting the results. Additionally, permutational multivariate analysis of variance (PERMANOVA) was conducted to evaluate whether vegetation composition differed across the experimental design factors. Forest site type and stand developmental stage were the primary drivers of understory composition, with fertilization effects being statistically significant but ecologically modest (0.9-14.2% of variation explained by fertilization in PERMANOVAs). Wood ash treatments showed greater compositional divergence from controls than ammonium nitrate alone. Fertilization effects varied with stand age, with significant responses in middle-aged and pre-mature Norway spruce stands but not in young stands. Despite modest compositional changes, fertilization achieved substantial productivity gains (volume increment increases of 20-60% compared to controls depending on species and site conditions), suggesting that moderate fertilization for timber production can be implemented without dramatic changes to ground vegetation. These results reflect short-term responses (1-3 years after fertilization) and should therefore be interpreted as early ecological effects rather than long-term ecosystem changes.

Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) export from drained organic forest soils represents a substantial but still insufficiently operationalised pathway of carbon loss in greenhouse gas (GHG) accounting frameworks. Although DOC-derived downstream CO2 emissions are acknowledged in international guidelines, their routine inclusion in national inventories is constrained by data intensity and model complexity. This study presents a pragmatic, inventory-oriented modelling workflow designed to quantify DOC export and associated nutrient losses from drained organic soils using widely available meteorological, hydrological and spatial datasets. The approach combines Penman-Monteith based estimation of reference evapotranspiration with a simplified water-balance framework to derive monthly and annual run-off at the catchment or a field scale. DOC and nutrient exports can be calculated by coupling modelled run-off with measured monthly concentrations, allowing rapid updating as new water-quality data become available. The workflow was parametrised and tested using multi-year field datasets from hemiboreal drained peatland sites in Latvia, including forest stands, agricultural land and abandoned peat extraction areas monitored within the scope of LIFE OrgBalt and other projects. Results demonstrate pronounced differences in DOC export among land-use types, driven jointly by evapotranspiration control on run-off and land-use-specific DOC concentration. Annual DOC exports in drained organic forest soils were generally below the default emission factor from the 2013 IPCC Wetlands Supplement (0.31 t C·ha-1·yr-1), with the nationally derived factor for forest land (0.22 t C·ha-1·yr-1) approximately 30% lower. The method additionally yields nutrient export estimates relevant to water quality assessment: mean annual total nitrogen export across study sites was 15.52 ± 9.47 kg·ha-1·yr-1, indicating substantial losses from drained organic soils under forest land use. By deliberately avoiding data-intensive process-based carbon models, the proposed workflow fills the gap between detailed site studies and operational GHG accounting. It provides an implementable basis for integration DOC-related C losses and nutrient export into national inventories and drainage maintenance planning, thereby supporting both climate-mitigation reporting and evidence-based land and water management in drained organic soils.

This case study quantifies greenhouse gas (GHG) flux responses of nutrient-rich peatland forest soils to regenerative felling followed by excavator-based site preparation that created deep furrows (local drainage lines) intended to modify the post-harvest water regime. The study was implemented in three over-wet peatland forest sites (non-drained), where gas-exchange measurements were continued before and after felling and furrow installation using an established experimental layout with sampling points distributed at different distances from the furrow. Fluxes of soil carbon dioxide (CO2) representing both heterotrophic and total respiration, methane (CH₄), and nitrous oxide (N2O) were measured alongside controlling environmental variables (air/soil temperature and groundwater level), enabling attribution of observed changes to hydroclimatic and disturbance drivers. In plots where deep furrows were installed, mean soil GHG emissions increased by a factor of 1.7, from 242 ± 40 to 401 ± 110 mg CO2-eq m-2·h-1; the magnitude of increase scaled with the achieved drawdown of groundwater level, ranging from modest lowering (15 to 23 cm) associated with a smaller increase (220 ± 17 to 339 ± 33 mg CO2-eq m-2·h-1) to strong drawdown (≈10 ± 15 to 42 ± 26 cm) associated with an increase of 240 mg CO2-eq m-2·h-1, corresponding to emissions that were 1.8 times higher than before treatment. Despite CO2 dominating the overall balance, CH₄ decreased markedly after furrow installation, with an average reduction of approximately eleven-fold, whereas N2O increased by approximately 88%, yielding a net post-harvest increase in the integrated balance (1.42 to 1.74 t CO2-eq ha-1). The temporal pattern suggested that short-term emission elevations may be driven substantially by fresh harvest residues and rapidly responding ground vegetation, rather than groundwater change alone, highlighting the need for longer monitoring to separate transient disturbance pulses from persistent drainage effects. These results provide empirical constraints for improving national-scale emission factor development and for evaluating trade-offs between mitigating CH₄ via aeration and stimulating CO2/N2O following regenerative harvesting on peat soils.

Abstract. Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from organic soils are a key component of land-use-related emissions, particularly in countries with large areas of organic soils. Temperate-zone forest soils remain less studied in GHG research than boreal soils. However, recent work has expanded coverage in the northeastern temperate region, which, under the Köppen–Geiger climate classification, shares key climatic characteristics with the southern boreal region (Dfb). This study synthesised updated GHG flux data to evaluate carbon balance and emissions from forest organic soils in the Dfb zone, stratified by drainage status, nutrient availability, and dominant tree species. Such stratification revealed CO2 source-sink patterns, which encourage the ecological relevance of using these categories for data aggregation. The dominant tree species reflected nutrient status: drained coniferous and deciduous stands have been reported as CO2 sources, emitting 0.03 ± 0.55 and 0.47 ± 0.29 t CO2‑C ha−1 year−1, respectively, though soils tended to shift toward CO2 sinks in stands older than 25 years. In contrast, undrained soils have generally been observed to function as CO2 sinks, although not necessarily in all sites. However, this stratification was less informative for CH4 and N2O. CH4 fluxes were primarily determined by water table level rather than by other site variables, whereas N2O showed a tendency toward elevated emissions in deciduous stands, irrespective of drainage status.

This review evaluates the current state of knowledge on the use of wood fibres and related woody materials as partial substitutes for peat in substrates used for forest nursery production, with particular emphasis on container seedlings. The review was prepared as a structured narrative synthesis of the available literature, focusing on substrate composition, physical and chemical properties, tree seedling growth, root development, water regime, fertilisation, operational handling, economic aspects and remaining research needs. The available evidence shows that wood fibres are technically promising components of peat-reduced growing media, but their performance depends strongly on the raw-material origin, processing method, substrate proportion, tree species, and cultivation management. The most reliable results have been obtained with partial substitution systems, whereas peat-free solutions remain species-specific and require careful optimisation of irrigation, nitrogen supply, pH control, and substrate quality. Although wood-based materials may improve resource efficiency and, under favourable local conditions, reduce substrate costs, wider implementation is constrained by variable material quality, limited standardisation and insufficient operational-scale validation. The main remaining research need is to define species-specific application thresholds and management protocols and to link nursery performance with outplanting success and full production economics under commercial conditions.

Drainage maintenance in boreal and hemiboreal forests is increasingly recognised as a decision problem that requires spatially explicit information on ditch condition, network connectivity and expected hydrological outcomes of intervention scenarios. This study presents a Light Detection And Ranging (LiDAR) informed, GIS-based decision-support workflow for forest drainage maintenance and modernisation. The workflow integrates automated ditch detection from airborne laser scanning (ALS) derived digital elevation models (DEMs), cross-section-based morphometric assessment of ditch depth and continuity, scenario modelling of ditch restoration, reconstruction and new alignment based on terrain-driven flow patterns, planning of shallow surface drains (remedial ditches) to alleviate seasonal ponding in closed depressions, and cartographic depth-to-water (DTW) screening to quantify expected changes in near-surface wetness. The approach was demonstrated in two forest catchments in the Forest Research Station, northern Latvia, where drainage reconstruction was carried out in 2023–2024 and independently verified with UAV LiDAR acquired after intervention. Agreement between DEM-detected and cadastre-recorded ditch networks reached 90-95% in forest lands, with a practical detectability threshold of 0.3 m ditch depth. Scenario modelling indicated that the modelled ditch network length closely matched the actually reconstructed length (differences of + 0.3 km and -0.29 km in the two catchments), and DTW screening showed a more than twofold reduction of areas with groundwater proximity below 0.3 m in the wetter catchment. Explicit mapping of ditch length and derived ditch-area fractions provides an operational pathway to improve representation of drainage features in greenhouse gas accounting consistent with IPCC Wetlands Supplement methodology. The workflow is implemented as reproducible QGIS Processing tools for drainage and remedial ditch planning.

Abstract. Organic soils provide a substantial capacity for carbon storage both in below- and above-ground biomass, but they are also a significant contributor to natural terrestrial Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Organic soil melioration, carried out to increase the primary productivity, often leads to increased CO2 emissions. By monitoring a controlled environment, it is possible to determine how organic soil management practices influence the carbon cycle, including plant vitality and productivity, and consequently shape future carbon sequestration potential. The aim of this study was to develop a system under semi-controlled conditions to assess the impact of different groundwater levels on GHG emissions, accumulated biomass, and tree vitality. We conducted experiments in semi-controlled conditions to determine the effects of different groundwater levels (-2 cm; -15 cm; -25 cm; -35 cm) on CH4 and CO2 emission, soil chemical analyses, and plant morphological (biomass, root and leaf area, shoot length) and physiological (leaf chlorophyll a and b content) parameters. Temporal and diurnal variation strongly impacted GHG fluxes due to the changes in temperature, moisture, and plant growth activity. During soil temperature extremes, extremely high CH4 emissions occurred at a -2 cm groundwater level. Higher plant productivity had a greater influence on GHG fluxes: it decreased both CH4 and CO2 emissions during the day compared to bare soil. Therefore, the autotrophic respiration rate increased with increased productivity, but the primary determinant was heterotrophic respiration.

Soil disturbance by forwarding machinery can create ruts that alter soil structure, aeration and microtopographic water redistribution, thereby shifting post-harvest greenhouse gas (GHG) fluxes. This study assessed the short-term GHG effect of forwarding ruts in forest clearcuts on organic and moist mineral soils and developed a remote-sensing workflow to characterise rut extent for upscaling. Chamber-based measurements of CO2, CH₄ and N2O were carried out in 2022-2024 in six trial objects (four on organic soils and two on mineral soils), with paired sampling in ruts and adjacent undisturbed control microsites located ca. 4-5 m from ruts; organic-soil sites were harvested in winter 2022 and the monitoring design ensured multi-season post-harvest time series (including pre-harvest data availability for part of the organic-soil sites). Across organic-soil clearcuts, the combined CO2 + CH4 + N2O flux expressed as CO2 equivalents was higher in ruts (537.1 ± 130.1 mg CO2-eq·m-2·h-1) than in controls (402.2 ± 33.1 mg CO2-eq·m-2·h-1), i.e. a 33.5% increase, with the response attributed to rut-induced wetter and more anaerobic conditions that enhance CH₄ production while constraining aerobic CO2 formation. In moist mineral soils, the rut–control increase in total GHG flux was smaller (16.7%), indicating pronounced soil-type dependence. For operational monitoring, a LiDAR–DEM approach with automated rut detection and classification (including cross-profile based depth/width characterisation) was applied at regional scale; in 38 clearcut stands on peatland forest types, ruts were observed in 24 stands ( ≥ 30 m of ruts deeper than 20 cm), and automated mapping underestimated rut length by ~37% relative to manual interpretation, highlighting the need for calibration and auxiliary constraints (e.g., machine GPS tracks) when scaling rut-related GHG impacts.

Peatland forests play a significant, yet highly variable, role in atmospheric methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions. Drainage reduces CH4 but increases N2O fluxes from nutrient-rich soils, creating complex climate trade-offs. To refine regional climate strategies, a clearer understanding of soil fluxes and influencing factors across forest types in the hemiboreal zone is needed. This study presents two years of soil flux and environmental data collected from 2020 to 2023 using manual chambers at 18 drained (DF) and 7 undrained (UF) sites, with different tree species, in Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. Soil water‑table depth was the primary control on annual CH4 exchange; DF sites acted as CH4 sinks (–4.6 kg ha–1 y–1), whereas UF sites were net sources (38.2 kg ha–1 y–1). In contrast, N2O emissions occurred at all sites, averaging 5.9 kg ha–1 y–1 in DF and 1.4 kg ha–1 y–1 in UF soils. Within DF sites, Myrtillus‑type pine stands exhibited the lowest N2O fluxes, while alder stands showed the highest, followed by birch- and spruce-dominated stands, reflecting differences in hydrology, pH, and C/N ratios of the soil. Our findings reveal significantly lower CH4 and moderately higher N2O emissions from DF soils than the IPCC Tier 1 temperate zone emission factor (EF), which has thus far been used for the hemiboreal zone. This study can improve national GHG inventories using specific information. We recommend applying Baltic region-specific EFs, as the mean annual CH4 and N2O emissions showed no significant difference across the three countries.

Greenhouse gas (GHG) flux responses to regenerative felling are strongly mediated by peatland hydrology, yet empirical contrasts between non-drained peatland forests and drained peatland forests remain underrepresented in operational forestry decision-making. This case study quantifies soil carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH₄) and nitrous oxide (N2O) fluxes in naturally wet peatland forests and drained peatland forests in Latvia, comparing mature stands with adjacent clear-felled areas (regenerative felling). Flux measurements were collected during 2021-2024, with regenerative felling implemented in 2022 at the studied sites. Mean soil GHG fluxes (as CO2 equivalents, abbreviated as CO2e) increased after felling in both site types, but the magnitude and gas structure differed markedly. In drained peatland forests, CO2e increased by 32% from 232 to 307 mg CO2eq·m-2·h-1 (20.3 to 26.9 t CO2eq·ha-1·yr-1), whereas in non-drained peatland forests it increased by 120% from 234 to 514 mg CO2eq·m-2·h-1 (20.5 to 45.0 t CO2eq·ha-1·yr-1). The stronger response in non-drained peatland forests was primarily driven by CH₄, rising from 0.95 to 5.22 mg CH₄·m-2·h-1, consistent with post-harvest water-table rise and enhanced anaerobic microsites reported in other temperate/boreal clear-fell studies. In contrast, the drained peatland forest response was comparatively moderate and more closely associated with CO2-dominated decomposition dynamics typical of drained organic soils. These results indicate that regenerative felling can generate substantially higher short-term climate forcing on naturally wet peat soils than on drained peat soils, implying that harvest planning on peatlands should explicitly account for site hydrology and the CH₄-sensitive post-harvest period.

Abstract. The growing reliance on nature-based solutions for climate change mitigation has increased the need for robust methods to assess soil greenhouse gas (GHG: CO2, CH4, N2O) emissions. A key challenge is the upscaling of site-specific observations to improve predictions of the spatial distribution and magnitude of soil GHG fluxes. Upscaling is hindered by the laborious, costly, and time-consuming nature of soil flux measurements at the scale needed to generate sufficiently large datasets. Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy is a cost-effective, high-throughput method that has demonstrated its ability to predict soil physicochemical properties. Since the magnitude of soil GHG fluxes is strongly influenced by these properties, FTIR may also serve as a basis for predicting soil GHG fluxes. In this study, we evaluated whether FTIR calibration models can be developed to predict soil GHG fluxes and organic matter decomposition rates directly from mid-infrared spectra. FTIR calibration and cross-validation were performed using soil samples collected across 20 wetland study sites in six European countries and linked to measured soil GHG fluxes and decomposition rates at the corresponding sampling sites. The results demonstrated that FTIR can be calibrated to reliably predict soil decomposition rates and heterotrophic respiration standardised at a given soil temperature. For decomposition rates, the root mean square error (RMSE) of FTIR-predicted values was 0.01 dd⁻1, corresponding to approximately 17–53 % of the interquartile range of observed rates. For heterotrophic respiration, the RMSE of 18 mg CO2–C m⁻2 h⁻1 corresponded to 21–64 % of the interquartile flux range. The findings also indicate FTIR's potential to identify biogeochemical risk areas or potential hotspots of CH4 and N2O emissions, effectively mapping the substrate-driven 'ultimate' controls even when 'proximate' environmental triggers (e.g., water table fluctuations) are absent.

Agriculture, forestry, and land use contribute approximately 22 % of global anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions, with nitrous oxide (N2O), methane (CH4), and carbon dioxide (CO2) playing pivotal roles in climate change. This underscores the urgency of adopting sustainable practices such as crop rotation and cover cropping. Red clover, a nitrogen-fixing legume, offers potential for mitigating greenhouse gas emissions by enhancing soil fertility, reducing reliance on synthetic fertilisers, and improving soil health. This study examines the seasonal and management related dynamics of greenhouse gas emissions in temperate agricultural systems and evaluates the short-term and long-term effects of red clover cultivation on soil N2O, CO2, and CH4 fluxes. In addition to crop specific effects, the study identifies key environmental and agronomic factors influencing emission patterns, including soil type, tillage system, farming system, and seasonal temperature and moisture fluctuations. Notably, red clover cultivation initially increased N2O (7.06 g ha-1 d-1) and CO2 (137.23 kg ha-1 d-1) emissions due to biological nitrogen fixation and elevated microbial activity, followed by emission fluctuations linked to organic matter mineralisation. In contrast, CH4 fluxes remained consistently negative, indicating a methane sink effect (-6.54 g CH4 ha-1 d-1 in year three). These findings highlight the complex interplay between management practices and environmental variables in regulating soil greenhouse gas emissions and underscore the need for further research on biomass contributions to support climate resilient agriculture.

This study evaluated the impact of soil amendments – ammonium nitrate (NH₄NO₃) and wood ash – on the chemical composition of tree needles and leaves, focusing on essential macro- and micronutrients (nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), potassium (K), calcium (Ca), and magnesium (Mg)) critical for forest growth. Tree crown material from Scots pine, lodgepole pine, Norway spruce and silver birch was collected after fertilizer application. Foliar samples were taken from multiple experimental plots, with three first-stratum trees sampled in each plot, concentrating on the upper third of the tree crowns. This approach ensured representative data for nutrient concentration changes over time. The response varied depending on the forest site type and fertilizer type. The statistically significant differences observed in conifer forests with drained organic soils indicate that NH₄NO₃ fertilization could affect N concentrations in plant tissues, possibly as a result of the nutrient dilution effect, where higher biomass may lead to a decrease in N concentration in the needles. Wood ash, either alone or combined with NH₄NO₃, had a more pronounced positive effect on K and P in conifer stands, with its impact remaining site-specific. It also increased Ca concentrations, particularly in conifer forests on dry upland and drained mineral soils, while its effect in deciduous stands was limited to forests with drained mineral soils. Mg concentrations in fertilized plots were higher in deciduous stands with drained mineral soils, whereas coniferous stands showed more varied responses. Given the role of nutrient availability, soil properties, and dilution effects in determining foliar nutrient concentrations, ongoing monitoring and repeated sampling before thinning are recommended to assess long-term fertilization impacts and prevent nutrient imbalances.

Organic peat soils, common in boreal, temperate, and tropical wet climate zones, represent one of the largest natural terrestrial carbon reservoirs. Europe has approximately 33 million hectares of organic soils, with 4.2% managed and 3.7% unmanaged. Grasslands, constituting 17.8% of managed organic soils (1.1% in Baltic countries), are often subjected to drainage, a common practice transforming these carbon-rich environments into significant greenhouse gas (GHG) sources. The drainage process alters nutrient cycling, impacting microbial activities that control nitrous oxide (N2O), methane (CH4), and other GHG production and consumption. Our research aims to quantify CH4 and N2O emissions from grasslands on organic soils in the hemiboreal zone and evaluate to which extent they are regulated by drainage depth. Furthermore, this research contributes to the broader goal of sustainable agriculture and effective climate change mitigation strategies by updating and addressing the pressing need for updated region-specific emission factors (EF). The default IPCC (2014) Tier 1 EFs for grasslands on drained organic soils in the temperate zone are based on values from only seven sites presented in two publications. So far, there is no information from the hemiboreal zone in which the Baltic countries are located. To address these objectives, we conducted continuous field measurements in different periods in the years 2016–2023 in 14 sites in the Baltic Countries (Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania). The full-year study periods cover the winter and growing seasons to capture seasonal dynamics. We divided the grasslands into groups: deep drained and shallow drained grasslands, and, as a reference, two undrained grasslands. We have taken the IPCC distribution as a basis, where deep drained sites have a mean groundwater level (GWL) of more than -30 cm and shallow drained sites with a mean GWL of less than -30 cm. Soil N2O and CH4 fluxes from the soil were measured using the manual dark static chamber technique, with the number of measurement subplots ranging from 5 to 9. The frequency of measurements varied, being conducted biweekly (Estonia) and monthly (Latvia, Lithuania). During each gas sampling session, soil water content (SWC) and soil temperature (Tsoil) were measured manually at each monitoring point close to the GHG measurement subplots. Additionally, GWL parameters such as pH, electrical conductivity, and oxygen concentration were manually measured during each sampling session. Water samples for chemical analysis were taken once a month from the sampling wells to analyze. At the conference, updated EFs for Baltic countries, the soil N2O and CH4 flux dynamics, and their relation to the GWL will be presented.

The global goal to mitigate climate change (CC) is to achieve net zero greenhouse gas emissions (GHGE) by 2050; the European Union (EU) aim is to cut GHGE at least by 55% already by 2030. These ambition targets require new GHGE mitigation measures across all land use sectors (LULUCF), where wetlands, as carbon (C) rich ecosystem, can effectively contribute to climate targets, biodiversity, and water-related ecosystem services. Natural peatlands accumulate C effectively due to water-logged conditions. However, they can turn into high GHG sources if they are drained, therefore there is still need to enhance knowledge regarding how and/or how much C is sequestered or released by peatlands after their restoration, as well as the socioeconomic effects. “ALFAwetlands - Restoration for the future” (www.alfawetlands.eu) is a Horizon Europe funded project (2022-2026), which is coordinated by Luke and carried out at local to EU levels with 15 partners across Europe. It’s main goal, in short, is to mitigate CC while supporting biodiversity and ecosystem services (BES) and being socially just and rewarding. This includes, e.g., increasing the knowledge about C storage and release in peatlands, specifically after restoration. While, in terms of C fluxes, focussing on peatlands, the project scope is larger and includes additionally floodplains, coastal wetlands and few artificial wetlands. ALFAwetlands will develop and indicate management alternatives for wetlands including such that have been or will be restored during this project. Measures under this project are not restricted to ecological restoration but include rehabilitation and re-vegetation action to improve ecosystem conditions (e.g., peatland forest: continuous-cover-forestry, cultivated peatlands: paludiculture). Studies are conducted in 9 Living Labs (LL’s) including 30 sites, which are located in wetlands in different parts of Europe (north-south gradient). At the local level, LL’s support and integrate interdisciplinary and multi-actor research on ecological, environmental, economic, and social issues. Experimental data from local sites are scaled-up and will be utilized e.g., by models to gain and understanding the potential impacts of upscaled wetland restoration measures. To achieve ALFAwetlands goals, 5 research workpackages are being implemented, namely: 1)improve geospatial knowledge base of wetlands, 2)co-create socially fair and rewarding pathways for wetland restoration, 3)estimate effects of restoration on GHGE and BES, with the data achieved from field experiments, 4)develop policy relevant scenarios for CC and BES, and 5)study societal impacts of wetland restoration. The project will also encourage stakeholders to utilise outputs and support their active participation in wetland management.

Forest operations involving heavy machinery often result in soil compaction and rut formation, significantly affecting soil physical properties, greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and forest productivity. This pilot study evaluates the impact of rut formation on the emissions of methane (CH₄-C), nitrous oxide (N₂O-N), and carbon dioxide (CO₂-C) from forest soils in managed ecosystems. Gas flux measurements were conducted at two types of sites: undisturbed control plots and ruts affected areas created by forestry machinery. Measurements were done during summer and autumn 2024 in two spruce felling sites in the central part of Latvia, 16 measurement points in total (8 points in ruts and 8 points in control area). Gas samples were collected from opaque 60 L chambers and analysed using gas chromatography. CO₂ flux was determined in the field using EGM5 analyser. Statistical analyses compared gas emission rates between these sites to assess the influence of soil disturbance on GHG dynamics. The results showed that CH₄-C emissions were substantially higher in ruts affected areas due to anaerobic conditions induced by soil compaction and water retention. Conversely, N₂O-N emissions were higher in control plots, likely due to better aeration promoting nitrification and denitrification processes. CO₂-C emissions showed minor differences, suggesting limited microbial respiration in compacted soils. These findings highlight the significant environmental impact of rut formation, emphasizing the need for sustainable forest management practices that mitigate soil disturbances, reduce GHG emissions, and enhance ecosystem resilience. This study also highlights the necessity of comprehensive study to evaluate long term effect of rut formation in moist mineral soils and to elaborate activity data for a stand- and national-wise assessment of GHG outflow due to ruts formation.

Peatland ecosystem degradation and changes made in hydrology by artificial drainage may affect the biogeochemistry of peatlands and, together with projected global warming, may lead to significant changes in greenhouse gas (GHG) fluxes. Drainage of peatlands increases organic matter's aerobic decomposition, changes native vegetation, and may decrease the storage of C. The vegetative characteristics of forest ecosystem types may change a net GHG sink peatland to a source in drained organic soils.However, soil CH4 and N2O fluxes in peatlands are spatially and temporally (interannual, seasonal) variable, and detailed data from drained nutrient-rich organic soils in the hemiboreal zone is lacking. We conducted a study spanned over two years comprising drained (n=18) and undrained (n=7) peatland forests with dominant tree species of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris), Norway spruce (Picea abies), birch (Betula sp.), and black alder (Alnus glutinosa) spread across Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. Instantaneous fluxes of CH4 and N2O were measured monthly for the whole year using the manual static chamber method. Environmental parameters in soil, such as soil water level (WTL), moisture, and temperatures at depths (0-40 cm), were monitored continuously, and detailed soil chemical analyses were conducted. To constrain the factors regulating temporal fluxes of various environmental conditions and differentiate annual emissions between land use in the Baltic region.The results show that all drained forest soils were annual CH4 sinks (−37.0 ± 4.5 μg C m−‍2 h−‍1), while undrained forests were emitters on average 388.5 ± 142. Mean annual CH4 uptake is significantly higher in deep-drained soils −45.5 ± 3.6 μg C m−‍2 h−‍1 (WTL > −50cm) than in poorly drained soils (p