The peat bog, a key ecosystem of the Yanayacu-Maquia Conservation Concession The \u00ab\u00a0peat bog\u00a0\u00bb? This word probably rings a bell\u2026 Let us tell you more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Yanayacu-Maquia Conservation Concession, with a total area of \u200b\u200b38,699 hectares, is roughly four times the size of Paris in the heart of the Peruvian Amazon. Within the concession, seven forest ecosystems are represented, including one unique feature: the peatland. The peatland area of \u200b\u200bthe Yanayacu-Maquia Concession is estimated at 7,000 hectares, or 15% of the Concession’s total area. According to rural communities living in the area, more than 50 plant species from this ecosystem are used for construction, food, medicine, and the formal economy. It is also a haven for biodiversity. Indeed, in addition to numerous species of fish, amphibians, and reptiles, the Maquia peatland is home to aguajes (Mauritia fluexosa), a tree species specific to this ecosystem in the Amazon. These trees produce abundant and highly nutritious fruits that attract a diverse and dense fauna including monkeys, tapirs, peccaries, agoutis, macaws, etc.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But what exactly is a peat bog?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A peat bog is an ecosystem characterized, first and foremost, by soil that is permanently saturated with stagnant or very slow-moving water. This deprives the microorganisms (bacteria and fungi) responsible for the decomposition and recycling of organic matter of the oxygen necessary for their metabolism. In these suffocating conditions (anaerobic), the plant litter mineralizes only very slowly and partially. It then accumulates gradually, forming a deposit of poorly or undecomposed organic matter: peat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A true fossilized plant rock, peat is therefore an organic soil resulting from the incomplete decomposition of plant debris in a water-saturated environment. It contains at least 20% carbon (30% in the case of clay-rich peats) and can accumulate to a thickness of several meters, at an average rate of 0.2 to 1 mm per year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And what is the role of peatlands in the environment?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Peatlands play three main roles in the environment:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For water: acting as a filter for minerals and absorbing excess water, preventing flooding.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For life: as a specific habitat for many species.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For greenhouse gases: as a carbon sink.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Why are peatlands so important to preserve?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It is estimated that peatlands alone contain about a third of all the carbon in the Earth’s soil\u2026 And tropical peatlands store twice as much carbon as all the world’s forests combined.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A functioning peatland is therefore an ecosystem that has:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The capacity to accumulate carbon, thus mitigating the effects of climate change;<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The capacity to regulate water flow, thus mitigating flooding during the rainy season;<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The capacity to support a wide variety of habitats and species, a source of biodiversity;<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The capacity to accumulate organic matter in its soil layers over millennia, thus telling us about the past.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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What would be the consequences of its degradation?
Consequently, the degradation of the Maquia peatland would affect its three main environmental roles: water, life, and carbon. Indeed, if the Maquia peatland were severely degraded, its role in regulating water flow would significantly impact the local population through increased flooding during the rainy season. Furthermore, it would lead to the loss of its specific biodiversity. Finally, the degradation of the peatland, coupled with the effects of climate change, would result in the immediate release of a portion of its CO2 stores into the atmosphere. This is currently a matter of international concern.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Amazonian Biodiversity Association therefore pays particular attention to the conservation of the Maquia peatland through the monitoring activities of its local eco-guards and applied scientific research in the Maquia area. Since 2011, scientific studies have been conducted in this area of \u200b\u200bthe Concession. The Maquia peatland has been the subject of numerous field studies for the research of Dr. Outi Lahteenoja, a doctoral candidate at the University of Turku in Finland.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Amazonian Biodiversity Association therefore pays particular attention to the conservation of the Maquia peatland through the monitoring activities of its local eco-guards and applied scientific research in the Maquia area. Since 2011, scientific studies have been conducted in this area of \u200b\u200bthe Concession. The Maquia peat bog has been the subject of numerous field studies for the doctoral research of Dr. Outi Lahteenoja, a doctoral candidate at the University of Turku in Finland. Since 2015, the University of Arizona, based in the United States, has also been working on the Maquia peat bog.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you would like to learn more about this ecosystem and its specific characteristics, we invite you to watch these two short videos: <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The CIFOR Projecthttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=BbwOFhQNBSU<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n The Peatlands of the Congo Basin <\/p>\n\n\n\n