Zou, J, Ziegler, AD, Chen, D et al. (14 more authors) (2022) Rewetting global wetlands effectively reduces major greenhouse gas emissions. Nature Geoscience, 15 (8). pp. 627-632. ISSN 1752-0894
Abstract
Carbon and nitrogen losses from degraded wetlands and methane emissions from flooded wetlands are both important sources of greenhouse gas emissions. However, the net-exchange dependence on hydrothermal conditions and wetland integrity remains unclear. Using a global-scale in situ database on net greenhouse gas exchanges, we show diverse hydrology-influenced emission patterns in CO₂, CH₄ and N₂O. We find that total CO₂-equivalent emissions from wetlands are kept to a minimum when the water table is near the surface. By contrast, greenhouse gas exchange rates peak in flooded and drained conditions. By extrapolating the current trajectory of degradation, we estimate that between 2021 and 2100, wetlands could result in greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to around 408 gigatons of CO₂. However, rewetting wetlands could reduce these emissions such that the radiative forcing caused by CH₄and N₂O is fully compensated by CO₂ uptake. As wetland greenhouse gas budgets are highly sensitive to changes in wetland area, the resulting impact on climate from wetlands will depend on the balance between future degradation and restoration.
Metadata
Item Type: | Article |
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Authors/Creators: |
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Copyright, Publisher and Additional Information: | © The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Limited 2022. This is an author produced version of an articlepublished in / accepted for publication in Nature Geoscience. Uploaded in accordance with the publisher's self-archiving policy. |
Dates: |
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Institution: | The University of Leeds |
Academic Units: | The University of Leeds > Faculty of Environment (Leeds) > School of Earth and Environment (Leeds) The University of Leeds > Faculty of Environment (Leeds) > School of Geography (Leeds) > River Basin Processes & Management (Leeds) |
Depositing User: | Symplectic Publications |
Date Deposited: | 01 Jul 2022 12:00 |
Last Modified: | 06 Apr 2023 06:54 |
Status: | Published |
Publisher: | Nature Research |
Identification Number: | 10.1038/s41561-022-00989-0 |
Open Archives Initiative ID (OAI ID): | oai:eprints.whiterose.ac.uk:188181 |