Inland waters are an important component of the global carbon cycle and function as active reactors, transporting and transforming large quantities of naturally- and anthropogenically-derived carbon.
Inland waters are an important component of the global carbon cycle and function as active reactors, transporting and transforming large quantities of naturally- and anthropogenically-derived carbon. Previous studies suggest that inland waters are major sources for greenhouse gas emissions to the atmosphere, yet these emissions are poorly constrained (Note 1).
As a primary greenhouse gas that drives global climate change, carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from inland waters play a key role in assessing global carbon cycle. While most efforts over the last decade have focused on refining the emission flux estimates at the regional and global scales, scientists do not fully understand the responsiveness of regional CO2 emissions from inland waters to global change. Recent studies demonstrate that they are subject to upward revisions because key regions, such as China, have not been properly included.
Researchers at the Department of Geography of the University of Hong Kong (HKU), together with collaborators from Australia, Germany, Switzerland, China, and the USA, have for the first-time, quantified CO2 emissions from streams, rivers, lakes, and reservoirs in China over the last three decades and compared two time periods: 1980s and 2010s, during which China experienced unprecedented environmental and socio-economic changes. The first period refers to the 1980s prior to massive anthropogenic perturbations, while the second period (the 2010s) is posterior to extensive damming and intensive land use change. The findings have recently been published in academic journal Nature Communications.
Read more at: The University of Hong Kong
Dr Lishan Ran conducts in situ measurement of lake CO2 emissions and environmental characteristics on the Tibetan Plateau. (Photo Credit: Dr Lishan Ran)
