Wetlands are one of the three major ecosystems in the world, which play an important role in the global carbon cycle. The research on carbon sequestration of wetland has become a hot research topic of global change research.
China has the third largest area of marshland in the world, and herbaceous marsh is the most widely distributed marsh type in China. Aboveground biomass of vegetation is a key parameter indicating the carbon storage of marsh vegetation. Until recently, the aboveground biomass of herbaceous marsh in China remains unclear.
Based on field survey data of aboveground biomass of herbaceous marsh in China on a national scale, a study led by Prof. JIANG Ming from the Northeast the Institute of Geography and Agroecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences analyzed for the first time the aboveground biomass and its spatial distribution pattern of herbaceous marsh in China. The result was published on Science China Earth Sciences in 2021.
The research showed that the average aboveground biomass density of herbaceous marsh vegetation was about 227.5 g C m-2, and the total area of herbaceous marsh is about 9.7 × 104 km2 in China. As a result, the total aboveground biomass of China's herbaceous marsh vegetation was about 22.2 Tg C.
Spatially, the aboveground biomass density of herbaceous marsh is low biomass in Northeast China and the Tibetan Plateau, but high in central North China and coastal regions. The aboveground biomass density of herbaceous marsh decreases with the increasing elevation in the Tibetan Plateau, and increases with increasing temperature in the temperate humid and semi-humid region.
In temperate regions, the aboveground biomass density of herbaceous marsh first decreases and then shows no significant change with the aggravation of drought.
This research provides the scientific basis for carbon storage estimation and adaptive management of marsh wetland ecosystem in China.
This work was supported by the National Science & Technology Fundamental Resources Investigation Program of China, the National Natural Science Foundation of China, the Key Research Program of Frontier Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, and the Youth Innovation Promotion Association, Chinese Academy of Sciences.
Contact:
SHEN Xiangjin
Northeast the Institute of Geography and Agroecology
Tel: 0431-85542307
E-mail: shenxiangjin@iga.ac.cn
