Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39828798›Full record

SynthesisEnvironmental evidence2025

Effects of converting cropland to grassland on greenhouse gas emissions from peat and organic-rich soils in temperate and boreal climates: a systematic review.

Alena Holzknecht, Magnus Land, Jacynthe Dessureault-Rompré, Lars Elsgaard, Kristiina Lång, Örjan Berglund

Abstract readSystematic Review
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Environmental evidence, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

Alena HolzknechtDepartment of Soil and Environment, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Box 7014, 750 07, Uppsala, Sweden.
Magnus LandFormas, Box 1206, 111 82, Stockholm, Sweden. Magnus.Land@formas.se.
Jacynthe Dessureault-RompréDépartement des sols et de Génie Agroalimentaire, Faculté des sciences de l'Agriculture et de l'alimentation, Université Laval, 2325 Rue de l'Université, Québec, QC, G1V 0A6, Canada.
Lars ElsgaardDepartment of Agroecology, Aarhus University, Blichers Allé 20, 8830, Tjele, Denmark.
Kristiina LångNatural Resources Institute Finland (Luke), Latokartanonkaari 9, 00790, Helsinki, Finland.
Örjan BerglundDepartment of Soil and Environment, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Box 7014, 750 07, Uppsala, Sweden.

Funding

Jordbruksverket Dnr 4.4.17-11271/2021Ministeriet for Fø devarer, Landbrug og Fiskeri TargWET, 33010-NIFA-22-789Research Council of Finland 344728Svenska Forskningsrådet Formas Dnr 2022-01955
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundTo align with climate goals, greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from agriculture must be reduced significantly. Cultivated peatlands are an important source of such emissions. One proposed measure is to convert arable fields on peatlands to grassland, as the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) default emission factors (EF) for organic soils are lower from grasslands. Yet, these EFs are based on limited data with high variability and comparisons are difficult due to differences in climate, soil properties, and crop management. This systematic review synthesizes available evidence on the effects of converting cropland to grassland on GHG emissions from peat and organic-rich soils in temperate and boreal climates using data from comparable fields.

methodsLiterature was searched using five bibliographic databases, four archives or search engines for grey literature, and Google Scholar. Eligibility screening was performed in two steps on (1) title/abstract, with consistency among reviewers assessed by double-screening 896 articles, and (2) full text screened by two reviewers. Eligible articles were critically appraised independently by at least two reviewers. Disagreements were reconciled through discussions. Data and key metadata are presented in narrative synthesis tables, including risk of bias assessments. Meta-analyses comparing grasslands with croplands were performed using raw mean difference as the effect size. REVIEW

findingsA total of 10,352 unique articles were retrieved through the literature searches, and 18 articles including 29 studies were considered relevant to answer the review question. After critical appraisal, it was concluded that two articles reported the same data, so a total of 28 studies, comprising 34 comparisons were included in the systematic review. Most of the included studies were conducted in the Nordic countries and Germany, one in Belarus and one in Canada. A meta-analysis was conducted on 24 studies pairing cropland and grassland sites. No significant differences in carbon dioxide (CO

conclusionsThis systematic review underlines the ambiguity of GHG emissions from peatlands and their relationship to land use. Our understanding of the factors influencing emissions from these soils remains incomplete, and the specific impact of land use on emissions is still unclear. CO

Indexed as

Climate changeGas fluxesLand-useMitigationPeat soilsPolicy

Identifiers

PMID39828798
PMCPMC11743012

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.