Potential for large losses of carbon from non-native conifer plantations on deep peat over decadal timescales.

Peatland drainage is a large source of anthropogenic CO emissions. While conversion to agriculture is widely acknowledged to lead to "irrecoverable" carbon (C) losses, in contrast the C impacts of peatland forestry are poorly understood, especially in intensively managed plantations. Losses of C from peat oxidation are highly variable and can be compensated for by gains of C in trees, depending on the lifecycle of the timber and timescale considered.