Managing nature for carbon capture

Scotland’s habitats can play an important role in helping Scotland achieve Net Zero. We seek to keep track of the evidence on carbon stored and sequestered in Scotland’s habitats. We have developed a resource which we keep as a live document where it is possible to find estimates for terrestrial, coastal and marine habitats (provided the evidence is available).

Changing how we manage land to increase how much carbon is held in vegetation, soils and seabeds is central to mitigating climate change impacts. This is something we can do now.

Land management: soils

Scotland’s soils contain more than 3,000 megatonnes of carbon. Our peatlands hold over half (53%) of our carbon store.

Find out about our work to restore Scotland’s peatlands.

More than 20% of Scotland is covered by peat soil and keeping our peatlands healthy is vital to tackling climate change. Restoring peat-forming habitat previously drained or damaged ensures that the bog remains a long-term carbon sink rather than a greenhouse gas source.

Other soils are an important carbon sink that must be well managed. Agricultural soils offer great potential to hold more carbon through regenerative practices that improve soil health.

A wide range of materials, from farm manures to non-agricultural composts, is used in farmland, forestry, land restoration, landfill reclamation, landscaping and gardens. Applying organic materials to land could boost the carbon stock of Scottish soils, which appear to be losing carbon at rates not seen before.

To meet recycling targets, production of composts from green waste and other organic materials diverted away from landfill is likely to increase. But the availability of a suitable landbank will affect how feasible it is to recycle more non-agricultural materials in Scotland.

Biochar (a charcoal-like biomass by-product) can also be used to help tackle climate change, as it enhances soil carbon sequestration and limits carbon flux exchange. Biochar can also improve soil fertility, though this matters less for carbon-rich soils like our peatlands and wetlands.

Find out more on Soil carbon management.

We have produced a review of evidence on habitats and carbon (carbon stores and GHG emissions/carbon sequestration) with summary tables for estimates.

Land management: vegetation

Woodland and forest covers more than 1.5 million hectares in Scotland (about 18% of our total land area).

Growing more trees is one way to increase our natural carbon reservoir. Exactly how much carbon a forest can hold depends on the tree species and in commercial plantations, the length of the crop rotation. In many parts of Scotland, the understorey in semi-natural woodlands is now largely absent due to long-term herbivore grazing pressure. In a healthy woodland, there should be mature trees and old trees, but also seedling trees, young trees, shrubs, climbing plants, sprawling plants such as bramble, and low shrubs such as blaeberry, as well as the full range of flowering plants that would naturally grow there. This additional vegetation would add to the carbon sequestration potential of semi-natural woodlands.

The Scottish Government aims to increase woodland coverage to up to 25% of Scotland’s total land area. Disturbing soil to plant trees can cause soil carbon emissions on soils with an organic layer. This is a particular issue in Scotland and this needs to be taken into account to ensure new planted woodlands can start sequestering soon after planting. It is important that any potential greenhouse gases released from soils in the process are quickly compensated.

Trees on farms outside woodlands can also play an important role, including hedgerows and agroforestry. Many hedgerows have been lost or have deteriorated. Increasing the length of hedgerows and trimming them less often than annually offer opportunities for both carbon sequestration and biodiversity. Agroforestry which integrates trees in the farming system, alongside livestock grazing or crop production offer multiple benefits including carbon sequestration.

Marine management: ‘blue’ carbon

The global ocean plays a vital role in trapping and storing atmospheric CO2 that would otherwise contribute to global warming.

Scotland has around 470,000 sq km of seas. The carbon stored in coastal and marine ecosystems (so-called 'blue' carbon) is found in different types of seabed which play much the same role as onshore peatlands, as well as in coastal and marine habitats.

Carbon-storing habitats include:

• machair
• sand dunes
• kelp forests
• salt marshes
• seagrass beds
• mudflats
• cold-water coral reefs
• flame shell and mussel beds
• maerl

Habitats that are damaged – whether by trawling, coastal erosion or development – can’t retain as much carbon and may become a source of greenhouse gases. Carbon-storing marine habitats could receive protection as part of Nature Conservation Marine Protected Areas.

Listen to our latest podcast 'Blue carbon - what it is and how it can help fight climate change'. 

Find out more

Soil carbon management