The modernization of the Environment Quality Act (EQA) and the adoption of the Act respecting the conservation of wetlands and bodies of water (ARCWBW) have laid the foundations for a new environmental authorization regime in Québec. Among the legislative changes introduced in 2017, the Act to affirm the collective nature of water resources and to promote better governance of water and associated environments (chapter C-6.2, commonly referred to as the Water Act) recognized the fundamental role of wetlands in carbon storage and mitigating the impacts of climate change (section 13.1). The presence of wetlands offers benefits that deserve to be better known and promoted.
As part of the application of the ARCWBW and the implementation of the 2030 Plan for a Green Economy (PGE), it has become necessary to rigorously and systematically estimate carbon stocks in the various types of wetlands, using a simple and effective method. This approach is essential to prioritize wetlands for conservation. This approach can also be used to document carbon losses associated with the destruction or alteration of these ecosystems (e.g., drainage or residential development). The loss of terrestrial carbon stocks is irrecoverable in the short term, in addition to causing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, which undermines efforts to fight climate change. Although peatlands are already recognized as important carbon reservoirs (Garneau and van Bellen, 2016), currently there are only fragmented databases on carbon stock values in the various wetlands in Québec.
The aim of this guide is to enable the quantification of carbon stocks in wetlands using simple field measurements. The method was developed specifically for non-permafrost wetlands in temperate and boreal regions. It will be useful for stakeholders who wish to document wetland carbon stocks (government and municipal stakeholders, non-profit organizations, consultants, etc.). It will allow for data collection on wetland carbon stocks to be standardized. The methodology presented in this guide is intended to be used on a voluntary basis, in the context of land-use planning, climate change mitigation, or according to specific contexts requiring this type of detailed data, for example, for knowledge acquisition purposes.
The inventories performed using this method will make it possible to achieve the following objectives:
- Developing an accessible, centralized database on carbon stocks;
- Mapping carbon stocks in different types of wetlands;
- Developing decision-making tools for land-use planning and wetland conservation;
- Tracking the change of carbon stocks over time in Québec.