Current state, pressures and protection of South African peatlands

Abstract

Temperate regions in the Southern Hemisphere make a small contribution to the global carbon sequestration of peatlands which, in these drier regions, are relatively rare and vulnerable to increasing anthropogenic and climate change pressures. Using South Africa as a case study, we review the availability of spatially explicit information on peatlands and their protection. The South African Peatland Database recorded 635 peatland observations, which reflect a carbon storage capacity of 29,254,495 ± 5,798,831 (total ± standard deviation) tons. Of the total 121,128 ha of peatlands mapped in this study, forested peatlands (11,851 ha, 10 % of all peatlands) were considered vulnerable. Non-forested peatlands (109,277 ha) had higher levels of uncertainty with regard to extent and degree of degradation, and most (74 %) of these had only partial protection. Cumulative anthropogenic pressures have resulted in an increase in the number and temporal frequency of peat fires, with 49 peatland sites having burned in the past five years, compared to 23 in the 24-year period preceding it. The total loss of carbon due to peat fires equates to 280,513 tons to date. The inventory, assessment and management of forested and non-forested peatlands in South Africa, and most probably in other southern-hemisphere temperate regions, requires urgent attention. The information presented demonstrates that forested peatlands have been historically well mapped because of their ease of detection with remote sensing. In contrast, the paucity of information on non-forested palustrine peatlands dictates that more extensive infield validation should be undertaken before their conservation status can be determined.