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Methane Emissions from China’s Natural Wetlands: Measurements, Temporal Variations and Influencing Factors

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Recarbonization of the Biosphere

Abstract

Natural wetlands received increased attention for their ecosystem services and high methane (CH4) emissions. In China, the total area of wetlands is about 38 million ha (M ha), accounting for about 4% of the land. Natural wetlands include peatlands (35.6%), coastal wetlands (15.4%), rivers (21.3%), lakes (21.7%) and reservoirs (6.7%). Human activities and settlement development have drastically reduced wetland areas worldwide. A recent estimate showed that 33% were lost between 1978 and 2008, and land reclamation accounted for more than 70% of the total loss in China. Effects of human activities on wetlands in China were studied at 16 sites across the country, i.e., 6 peatlands, 3 coastal wetlands, 5 lakes and 2 reservoirs. The mean CH4 emissions were 6.0 (range 1.0–15.6) mg CH4 m−2 h−1 for peatlands, 1.6 (0.5–2.4) mg CH4 m−2 h−1 for coastal wetlands, 3.1 (0.9–9.7) mg CH4 m−2 h−1 for lakes and 0.2 (0.1–0.3) mg CH4 m−2 h−1 for reservoir. The annual CH4 emissions from natural wetlands in China was estimated to be 10.5 Tg CH4 year−1 (1 Tg = 1012 g), which accounted for 7.3% (145 Tg CH4 year−1) of the global emissions from wetlands and 171% (6.147 Tg CH4 year−1) of the CH4 emission from rice paddies in China. The significant contribution of CH4 emission from natural wetlands should be taken into account in national greenhouse gas inventory.

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Abbreviations

ATCM:

Atmospheric Transport and Chemical Model

CCICED:

China Council for International Cooperation on Environment and Development

ENSO:

El Nino Southern Oscillation

GHG:

greenhouse gas

LOC:

labile organic organic

ETM+:

Landsat Enhanced Thematic Mapper plus

TM:

Landsat Thematic Mapper

NPP:

net primary production

SFA:

State Forestry Administration

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Acknowledgements

This study is partly supported by the Chinese Academy of Sciences for Strategic Priority Research Program (XDA005050602 and XDA05060102). Thank for support from Institute for Advanced Sustainability Studies e.V. for participating the Recarbonization of Biosphere Workshop in Potsdam, Germany. Two anonymous reviewers should be appreciated for their very helpful improvement of this manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. State Key Lab of Urban and Regional Ecology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No.18 Shuangqing Road, Haidian District, Beijing, 100085, China

    Xiaoke Wang, Fei Lu & Le Yang

Authors
  1. Xiaoke Wang
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  2. Fei Lu
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  3. Le Yang
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Correspondence to Xiaoke Wang .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. OARDC, Carbon Management &, Ohio State University, Coffey Road 2021, Columbus, 43210, Ohio, USA

    Rattan Lal

  2. , Global Contract for Sustainability, IASS Inst. for Adv. Sust. Studies, Berliner Str. 130, Potsdam, 14467, Brandenburg, Germany

    Klaus Lorenz

  3. , Deutsches GeoForschungsZentrum GFZ, Helmholtz-Zentrum Potsdam, Telegrafenberg, Potsdam, 14473, Germany

    Reinhard F. Hüttl

  4. , Deutsches GeoForschungsZentrum GFZ, Helmholtz-Zentrum Potsdam, Telegrafenberg 309G, Potsdam, 14473, Brandenburg, Germany

    Bernd Uwe Schneider

  5. Walter-Flex-Str. 3, Bonn, 53113, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany

    Joachim von Braun

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Wang, X., Lu, F., Yang, L. (2012). Methane Emissions from China’s Natural Wetlands: Measurements, Temporal Variations and Influencing Factors. In: Lal, R., Lorenz, K., Hüttl, R., Schneider, B., von Braun, J. (eds) Recarbonization of the Biosphere. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-4159-1_6

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