Erosion-induced massive organic carbon burial and carbon emission in the Yellow River basin, China
Soil erosion and terrestrial deposition of soil organic carbon (SOC) can potentially play a significant role in global carbon cycling. Assessing the redistribution of SOC during erosion and subsequent transport and burial is of critical importance. Using hydrological records of soil erosion and sedi...
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Copernicus Publications
2014-02-01
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| Series: | Biogeosciences |
| Online Access: | http://www.biogeosciences.net/11/945/2014/bg-11-945-2014.pdf |
| _version_ | 1819116158778867712 |
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| author | L. Ran X. X. Lu Z. Xin |
| author_facet | L. Ran X. X. Lu Z. Xin |
| author_sort | L. Ran |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Soil erosion and terrestrial deposition of soil organic carbon (SOC) can
potentially play a significant role in global carbon cycling. Assessing the
redistribution of SOC during erosion and subsequent transport and burial is
of critical importance. Using hydrological records of soil erosion and
sediment load, and compiled organic carbon (OC) data, estimates of the eroded
soils and OC induced by water in the Yellow River basin during the period
1950–2010 were assembled. The Yellow River basin has experienced intense
soil erosion due to combined impact of natural process and human activity.
Over the period, 134.2 ± 24.7 Gt of soils and 1.07 ± 0.15 Gt of
OC have been eroded from hillslopes based on a soil erosion rate of
1.7–2.5 Gt yr<sup>−1</sup>. Approximately 63% of the eroded soils were
deposited in the river system, while only 37% were discharged into the
ocean. For the OC budget, approximately 0.53 ± 0.21 Gt (49.5%) was
buried in the river system, 0.25 ± 0.14 Gt (23.5%) was delivered
into the ocean, and the remaining 0.289 ± 0.294 Gt (27%) was
decomposed during the erosion and transport processes. This validates the
commonly held assumption that 20–40% of the eroded OC would be oxidized
after erosion. Erosion-induced OC redistribution on the landscape likely
represented a carbon source, although a large proportion of OC was buried. In
addition, about half of the terrestrially redeposited OC (49.4%) was
buried behind dams, revealing the importance of dam trapping in sequestering
the eroded OC. Although several uncertainties need to be better constrained,
the obtained budgetary results provide a means of assessing the
redistribution of the eroded OC within the Yellow River basin. Human
activities have significantly altered its redistribution pattern over the
past decades. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-22T05:12:39Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-41ec46b701534825968da46678907820 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1726-4170 1726-4189 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-22T05:12:39Z |
| publishDate | 2014-02-01 |
| publisher | Copernicus Publications |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Biogeosciences |
| spelling | doaj.art-41ec46b701534825968da466789078202022-12-21T18:37:56ZengCopernicus PublicationsBiogeosciences1726-41701726-41892014-02-0111494595910.5194/bg-11-945-2014Erosion-induced massive organic carbon burial and carbon emission in the Yellow River basin, ChinaL. Ran0X. X. Lu1Z. Xin2Department of Geography, National University of Singapore, 117570 SingaporeDepartment of Geography, National University of Singapore, 117570 SingaporeKey Laboratory of Soil and Water Conservation and Desertification Combating of the Ministry of Education, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, 100083, ChinaSoil erosion and terrestrial deposition of soil organic carbon (SOC) can potentially play a significant role in global carbon cycling. Assessing the redistribution of SOC during erosion and subsequent transport and burial is of critical importance. Using hydrological records of soil erosion and sediment load, and compiled organic carbon (OC) data, estimates of the eroded soils and OC induced by water in the Yellow River basin during the period 1950–2010 were assembled. The Yellow River basin has experienced intense soil erosion due to combined impact of natural process and human activity. Over the period, 134.2 ± 24.7 Gt of soils and 1.07 ± 0.15 Gt of OC have been eroded from hillslopes based on a soil erosion rate of 1.7–2.5 Gt yr<sup>−1</sup>. Approximately 63% of the eroded soils were deposited in the river system, while only 37% were discharged into the ocean. For the OC budget, approximately 0.53 ± 0.21 Gt (49.5%) was buried in the river system, 0.25 ± 0.14 Gt (23.5%) was delivered into the ocean, and the remaining 0.289 ± 0.294 Gt (27%) was decomposed during the erosion and transport processes. This validates the commonly held assumption that 20–40% of the eroded OC would be oxidized after erosion. Erosion-induced OC redistribution on the landscape likely represented a carbon source, although a large proportion of OC was buried. In addition, about half of the terrestrially redeposited OC (49.4%) was buried behind dams, revealing the importance of dam trapping in sequestering the eroded OC. Although several uncertainties need to be better constrained, the obtained budgetary results provide a means of assessing the redistribution of the eroded OC within the Yellow River basin. Human activities have significantly altered its redistribution pattern over the past decades.http://www.biogeosciences.net/11/945/2014/bg-11-945-2014.pdf |
| spellingShingle | L. Ran X. X. Lu Z. Xin Erosion-induced massive organic carbon burial and carbon emission in the Yellow River basin, China Biogeosciences |
| title | Erosion-induced massive organic carbon burial and carbon emission in the Yellow River basin, China |
| title_full | Erosion-induced massive organic carbon burial and carbon emission in the Yellow River basin, China |
| title_fullStr | Erosion-induced massive organic carbon burial and carbon emission in the Yellow River basin, China |
| title_full_unstemmed | Erosion-induced massive organic carbon burial and carbon emission in the Yellow River basin, China |
| title_short | Erosion-induced massive organic carbon burial and carbon emission in the Yellow River basin, China |
| title_sort | erosion induced massive organic carbon burial and carbon emission in the yellow river basin china |
| url | http://www.biogeosciences.net/11/945/2014/bg-11-945-2014.pdf |
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