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Original article: Turberas de Cabo Froward en Magallanes almacenan hasta 3 veces más carbono que los bosques del mismo sector

Peatlands, formed by layers of compressed dead organic matter over centuries in cold, humid, and low-oxygen conditions, are well known as significant carbon storage systems. However, little is understood about their capacity in the remote southernmost point of the Americas: Cabo Froward, located in the Brunswick Peninsula of the Magallanes region.

A groundbreaking study conducted by the Subantarctic Ecosystem Restoration Program of Rewilding Chile, in collaboration with specialists from the University of Chile, has quantified for the first time the carbon storage of the Cabo Froward peatlands.

The results exceeded expectations: laboratory analyses of field samples revealed that these peatlands store an average of 1,647 tons of carbon per hectare, which is three times more than the forests in the same area, which average just 536.2 tons per hectare.

«There is no doubt that peatlands rank first among all carbon reservoirs in the world. What we did not know was that within the group, Patagonian peatlands surpass those of temperate climates found in the northern parts of the country, resembling more closely those found in tropical ecosystems, which also store about 1,600 tons of carbon per hectare,» explains Jaime Hernández, a researcher.

Hernández is the director of the Laboratory of Geomatics and Landscape Ecology at the Faculty of Forestry and Nature Conservation at the University of Chile. He has previously studied carbon reservoirs throughout the country, but was astonished by the pristine condition of the Cabo Froward peatlands.

“These are complete ecosystems, still quite wild. They are protected by water accumulation and the unique microtopography of the area, with minimal human intervention, unlike other regions of the country where commercial exploitation of ‘pompón’ has been allowed for agriculture,” he recalled.

Significant Findings

In addition, the research characterized for the first time the morphology of the vegetation cover in the area between San Nicolás and Bahía Cordés, encompassing the continuous land patch of the Brunswick Peninsula where Cabo Froward is situated.

The area consists of just over 52,000 hectares of forest and about 53,000 hectares of peatlands, with the capacity to accumulate approximately 115 million tons of carbon combined.

“These findings are significant as they confirm that subantarctic forest ecosystems are highly efficient natural carbon reservoirs, representing true treasures in combating the impacts of the climate crisis,” the researcher emphasizes.

Moreover, they support biodiversity, house information about ancient environments, and are fundamental for maintaining ecological balance, notes Ingrid Espinoza, director of Conservation at Rewilding Chile.

Regarding the methodology of the work, a combination of high-definition mapping and fieldwork was employed, allowing for precise determination of carbon content per unit volume at specific points, data that was previously unknown.

To protect these unique territories, Rewilding Chile, in collaboration with the Chilean government, is advocating for the establishment of a national park at Cabo Froward: “While other regions struggle to restore degraded ecosystems, here we conserve an intact system that could play a crucial role in mitigating climate change, making its protection urgent,” adds Ingrid Espinoza.

We will continue to provide updates on this important story.

La entrada Cabo Froward Peatlands Store Up to Three Times More Carbon Than Nearby Forests se publicó primero en El Ciudadano.