Journal article
Thresholds of wetland carbon sink regulation by water level
Environmental science & technology, Vol.59(27), pp.13811-13819
27/06/2025
PMID: 40576631
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Abstract
Wetlands are vital carbon sinks and play a key role in climate regulation. However, climate change and human disturbances are altering wetland hydrology with water level fluctuations profoundly influencing carbon sequestration. While previous syntheses and modeling studies have suggested the existence of water level thresholds in wetland carbon dynamics, the mechanisms underlying these thresholds remain poorly understood, and field-based evidence is lacking. Here, we present results from a long-term field experiment across six water level treatments, ranging from 100 to 40 cm above the soil surface. We identify a carbon sink threshold occurring between −20 and 0 cm, as water levels rise to the soil surface. This threshold emerges from water-level-induced soil-vegetation feedbacks. We further show that the dominant control of CO2 exchange shifts from soil properties (moisture and salinity) to vegetation traits (height and coverage) once the threshold is crossed. These findings provide in situ empirical evidence for a wetland carbon threshold and highlight the critical role of ecohydrological feedbacks. Our study offers new insights into wetland carbon dynamics under changing hydrological regimes and informs management strategies for enhancing wetland carbon storage.
Details
- Title
- Thresholds of wetland carbon sink regulation by water level
- Creators
- Lianjing Wang - Yantai Institute of Coastal Zone ResearchMingliang Zhao - Yantai Institute of Coastal Zone ResearchMing Nie - Fudan UniversityAdina Paytan - University of California, Santa CruzIsaac R Santos - University of GothenburgXiaojie Wang - Yantai Institute of Coastal Zone ResearchQixue Cao - Yantai Institute of Coastal Zone ResearchWeimin Song - Yantai Institute of Coastal Zone ResearchXiaojing Chu - Yantai Institute of Coastal Zone ResearchGuangxuan Han - Chinese Academy of Sciences
- Publication Details
- Environmental science & technology, Vol.59(27), pp.13811-13819
- Publisher
- American Chemical Society; WASHINGTON
- Grant note
- Science Fund for Distinguished Young Scholars of Shandong Province: U2106209, 42071126, U2243207, 42301129, 32430065 National Natural Science Foundation of China: 2023YFE0113100, 2023YFF1304504 National Key Research and Development Program of China: ZR2023QD007 Shandong Province Science Foundation for Youths: 121311KYSB20190029 International Science Partnership Program of the Chinese Academy of SciencesYellow River Delta Ecological Research Station of Coastal WetlandChinese Academy of Sciences
This research was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (U2106209, 42071126, U2243207, 42301129, 32430065), the National Key Research and Development Program of China (2023YFE0113100, 2023YFF1304504), Shandong Province Science Foundation for Youths (ZR2023QD007), and the International Science Partnership Program of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (121311KYSB20190029). We are grateful for the support from the Yellow River Delta Ecological Research Station of Coastal Wetland and the Chinese Academy of Sciences.
- Identifiers
- 991013290963802368
- Copyright
- Copyright © 2025 American Chemical Society
- Academic Unit
- Faculty of Science and Engineering; National Marine Science Centre
- Language
- English
- Resource Type
- Journal article