Wetland drainage produces substantial greenhouse gas emissions in the Canadian Prairie Pothole Region
Data files
Oct 28, 2025 version files 953.32 KB
Oct 29, 2025 version files 953.32 KB
Abstract
The Prairie Pothole Region of central North America has land use dominated by agriculture and is characterized by many small mineral-soil wetlands that are commonly drained to increase the land available for crop production. Here, we synthesize the available data regarding Canadian prairie mineral wetland carbon storage and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, along with other aspects of land-use change GHG emissions, in a full life-cycle assessment to estimate the net effect of ongoing wetland drainage on Canada’s GHG budget. Our analysis found that 2.13 Tg CO2-eq are released from one year’s worth of prairie wetland drainage, and this is dominated by CO2-eq lost through exposure of wetland sediment to atmospheric conditions. Our estimated emissions from wetland drainage increased to 3.38 Tg CO2-eqwhen natural emissions from the intact wetlands were excluded. Other land-use changes associated with wetland drainage, including eliminating nitrous oxide emissions from double fertilization of the areas around wetlands, did not appreciably offset GHG emissions from wetland carbon loss. GHGs from mineral-soil wetland loss are not currently included in Canada’s National Inventory Report — incorporation of these emissions would necessitate substantial reductions in emissions from other agricultural activities to achieve overall emissions reductions targets.
Dataset DOI: 10.5061/dryad.3xsj3txss
Description of the data and file structure
We derived values for Terms 1–6 from a combination of data sources, including peer-reviewed literature and gray literature including the National Inventory Report for Canada. Details of sources are included in the manuscript.
Term1_Wetland loss_ha.yr: Area of wetlands drained per year, in hectares per year.
Term2_MgC.ha : Carbon released from wetland sediments after drainage, in Mg CO2 per hectare
Term3_CO2e_Mg.ha.yr: Avoided greenhouse gas emissions (sum of methane, carbon dioxide, and nitrous oxide) from wetlands after drainage in Mg CO2-eq per hectare per year.
Term4_CO2e_Mg.ha.yr: Greenhouse gas emissions produced from farming and fertilizing the former wetland, including direct N2O emissions from soils, indirect N2O emissions, and CO2 emissions from farm fuel, in Mg CO2-eq per hectare per year.
Term5_MgC.ha: Carbon released from the removal of above-ground vegetation (i.e., willow rings) and subsequent decomposition or burning of vegetation to release the carbon stored in the biomass. Calculated based on willow ring biomass, carbon composition of biomass, area of willow rings, and proportion of wetlands with a willow ring present in Mg CO2 per hectare.
Term6_CO2e_Mg.ha.yr: Avoided diesel fuel combustion and nitrous oxide emissions by no longer driving around and double fertilizing the perimeter of the wetland, in Mg CO2-eq per hectare per year.
estimate_20year.CO2e.Mg: Total CO2-eq emissions from wetland drainage assuming 20 years for wetland sediment to equilibrate with upland soils, in Mg CO2-eq.
estimate_20year_withoutTerm3.CO2e.Mg: Total CO2-eq emissions excluding Term 3 listed above, to remove the accounting of natural GHG sources from wetlands for IPCC accounting, in Mg CO2-eq.