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Rewetting Decreases Carbon Emissions from the Zoige Alpine Peatland on the Tibetan Plateau

Author

Listed:
  • Lijuan Cui

    (Beijing Key Laboratory of Wetland Services and Restoration, Institute of Wetland Research, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing 100091, China
    Sichuan Zoige Wetland Ecosystem Research Station, Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture of Aba 624500, China
    These authors contributed equally to this work.)

  • Xiaoming Kang

    (Beijing Key Laboratory of Wetland Services and Restoration, Institute of Wetland Research, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing 100091, China
    Sichuan Zoige Wetland Ecosystem Research Station, Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture of Aba 624500, China
    These authors contributed equally to this work.)

  • Wei Li

    (Beijing Key Laboratory of Wetland Services and Restoration, Institute of Wetland Research, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing 100091, China
    Sichuan Zoige Wetland Ecosystem Research Station, Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture of Aba 624500, China)

  • Yanbin Hao

    (University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China)

  • Yuan Zhang

    (University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China)

  • Jinzhi Wang

    (Beijing Key Laboratory of Wetland Services and Restoration, Institute of Wetland Research, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing 100091, China
    Sichuan Zoige Wetland Ecosystem Research Station, Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture of Aba 624500, China)

  • Liang Yan

    (Beijing Key Laboratory of Wetland Services and Restoration, Institute of Wetland Research, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing 100091, China
    Sichuan Zoige Wetland Ecosystem Research Station, Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture of Aba 624500, China)

  • Xiaodong Zhang

    (Beijing Key Laboratory of Wetland Services and Restoration, Institute of Wetland Research, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing 100091, China
    Sichuan Zoige Wetland Ecosystem Research Station, Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture of Aba 624500, China)

  • Manyin Zhang

    (Beijing Key Laboratory of Wetland Services and Restoration, Institute of Wetland Research, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing 100091, China
    Sichuan Zoige Wetland Ecosystem Research Station, Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture of Aba 624500, China)

  • Jian Zhou

    (Beijing Key Laboratory of Wetland Services and Restoration, Institute of Wetland Research, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing 100091, China
    Sichuan Zoige Wetland Ecosystem Research Station, Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture of Aba 624500, China)

  • Paul Kardol

    (Department of Forest Ecology and Management, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, 90183 Umeå, Sweden)

Abstract

Peatlands play an important role in the global carbon cycle and potentially have a significant impact on regional climate change. Restoring and rewetting the degraded peatlands is an urgent task. However, effects of rewetting on the carbon emissions of peatlands remain poorly understood. In this study, the process of rewetting a piece of the degraded Zoige alpine peatland was experimentally simulated and the derived results were compared with those of natural rewetting by monitoring CO 2 and CH 4 fluxes and other environmental factors before and after rewetting. The natural rewetting results showed that rewetting decreased ecosystem respiration (ER) by about 60%. Furthermore, rewetting increased CH 4 emissions by 127%, decreased total carbon emissions (TCE) from 270 to 157 mg CO 2 m −2 h −1 , and decreased TCE from the entire ecosystem by 42%. The results of the controlled experiment showed that ER decreased gradually as the degree of rewetting was increased, and CH 4 fluxes and changes in water level were significantly and positively correlated: CH 4 fluxes increased from 0.3 (water level −20 cm) to 2.17 mg CH 4 m −2 h −1 (water level 20 cm). After rewetting, the TCE of the whole ecosystem were significantly decreased. Regional observations showed that CO 2 fluxes were significantly and negatively correlated to the water level; and the corresponding CO 2 equivalent was significantly and positively correlated to the water level, while TCE were significantly and negatively correlated to the water level. Our findings indicate that rewetting can decrease carbon emissions and thus contribute in mitigating the adverse effects of climate change in alpine peatland.

Suggested Citation

  • Lijuan Cui & Xiaoming Kang & Wei Li & Yanbin Hao & Yuan Zhang & Jinzhi Wang & Liang Yan & Xiaodong Zhang & Manyin Zhang & Jian Zhou & Paul Kardol, 2017. "Rewetting Decreases Carbon Emissions from the Zoige Alpine Peatland on the Tibetan Plateau," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 9(6), pages 1-13, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:9:y:2017:i:6:p:948-:d:100491
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. W. Carter Johnson & Brett Werner & Glenn Guntenspergen, 2016. "Non-linear responses of glaciated prairie wetlands to climate warming," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 134(1), pages 209-223, January.
    2. W. Carter Johnson & Brett Werner & Glenn R. Guntenspergen, 2016. "Non-linear responses of glaciated prairie wetlands to climate warming," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 134(1), pages 209-223, January.
    3. Mikhail Mastepanov & Charlotte Sigsgaard & Edward J. Dlugokencky & Sander Houweling & Lena Ström & Mikkel P. Tamstorf & Torben R. Christensen, 2008. "Large tundra methane burst during onset of freezing," Nature, Nature, vol. 456(7222), pages 628-630, December.
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    Cited by:

    1. Xiaoming Kang & Liang Yan & Lijuan Cui & Xiaodong Zhang & Yanbin Hao & Haidong Wu & Yuan Zhang & Wei Li & Kerou Zhang & Zhongqing Yan & Yong Li & Jinzhi Wang, 2018. "Reduced Carbon Dioxide Sink and Methane Source under Extreme Drought Condition in an Alpine Peatland," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(11), pages 1-15, November.
    2. Taryono Darusman & Daniel Murdiyarso & Impron & Iswandi Anas, 2023. "Effect of rewetting degraded peatlands on carbon fluxes: a meta-analysis," Mitigation and Adaptation Strategies for Global Change, Springer, vol. 28(3), pages 1-20, March.
    3. Rong Leng & Quanzhi Yuan & Yushuang Wang & Qian Kuang & Ping Ren, 2020. "Carbon Balance of Grasslands on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau under Future Climate Change: A Review," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(2), pages 1-21, January.

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