Modeling CH4 Emissions from Natural Wetlands on the Tibetan Plateau over the Past 60 Years: Influence of Climate Change and Wetland Loss
The natural wetlands of the Tibetan Plateau (TP) are considered to be an important natural source of methane (CH4) to the atmosphere. The long-term variation in CH4 associated with climate change and wetland loss is still largely unknown. From 1950 to 2010, CH4 emissions over the TP were analyzed us...
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MDPI AG
2016-07-01
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| Series: | Atmosphere |
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| Online Access: | http://www.mdpi.com/2073-4433/7/7/90 |
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| author | Tingting Li Qing Zhang Zhigang Cheng Zhenfeng Ma Jia Liu Yu Luo Jingjing Xu Guocheng Wang Wen Zhang |
| author_facet | Tingting Li Qing Zhang Zhigang Cheng Zhenfeng Ma Jia Liu Yu Luo Jingjing Xu Guocheng Wang Wen Zhang |
| author_sort | Tingting Li |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The natural wetlands of the Tibetan Plateau (TP) are considered to be an important natural source of methane (CH4) to the atmosphere. The long-term variation in CH4 associated with climate change and wetland loss is still largely unknown. From 1950 to 2010, CH4 emissions over the TP were analyzed using a model framework that integrates CH4MODwetland, TOPMODEL, and TEM models. Our simulation revealed a total increase of 15% in CH4 fluxes, from 6.1 g m−2 year−1 to 7.0 g m−2 year−1. This change was primarily induced by increases in temperature and precipitation. Although climate change has accelerated CH4 fluxes, the total amount of regional CH4 emissions decreased by approximately 20% (0.06 Tg—i.e., from 0.28 Tg in the 1950s to 0.22 Tg in the 2000s), due to the loss of 1.41 million ha of wetland. Spatially, both CH4 fluxes and regional CH4 emissions showed a decreasing trend from the southeast to the northwest of the study area. Lower CH4 emissions occurred in the northwestern Plateau, while the highest emissions occurred in the eastern edge. Overall, our results highlighted the fact that wetland loss decreased the CH4 emissions by approximately 20%, even though climate change has accelerated the overall CH4 emission rates over the last six decades. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-11T08:46:04Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-f56ed2b87dbc4a8c8cb334385dc5d040 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2073-4433 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-11T08:46:04Z |
| publishDate | 2016-07-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Atmosphere |
| spelling | doaj.art-f56ed2b87dbc4a8c8cb334385dc5d0402022-12-22T01:14:08ZengMDPI AGAtmosphere2073-44332016-07-01779010.3390/atmos7070090atmos7070090Modeling CH4 Emissions from Natural Wetlands on the Tibetan Plateau over the Past 60 Years: Influence of Climate Change and Wetland LossTingting Li0Qing Zhang1Zhigang Cheng2Zhenfeng Ma3Jia Liu4Yu Luo5Jingjing Xu6Guocheng Wang7Wen Zhang8LAPC, Institute of Atmospheric Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100029, ChinaLAPC, Institute of Atmospheric Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100029, ChinaSchool of Atmospheric Sciences, Chengdu University of Information Technology, Chengdu 610225, ChinaSichuan Climate Centre, Chengdu 610071, ChinaSichuan Climate Centre, Chengdu 610071, ChinaSichuan Climate Centre, Chengdu 610071, ChinaLAPC, Institute of Atmospheric Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100029, ChinaLAPC, Institute of Atmospheric Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100029, ChinaLAPC, Institute of Atmospheric Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100029, ChinaThe natural wetlands of the Tibetan Plateau (TP) are considered to be an important natural source of methane (CH4) to the atmosphere. The long-term variation in CH4 associated with climate change and wetland loss is still largely unknown. From 1950 to 2010, CH4 emissions over the TP were analyzed using a model framework that integrates CH4MODwetland, TOPMODEL, and TEM models. Our simulation revealed a total increase of 15% in CH4 fluxes, from 6.1 g m−2 year−1 to 7.0 g m−2 year−1. This change was primarily induced by increases in temperature and precipitation. Although climate change has accelerated CH4 fluxes, the total amount of regional CH4 emissions decreased by approximately 20% (0.06 Tg—i.e., from 0.28 Tg in the 1950s to 0.22 Tg in the 2000s), due to the loss of 1.41 million ha of wetland. Spatially, both CH4 fluxes and regional CH4 emissions showed a decreasing trend from the southeast to the northwest of the study area. Lower CH4 emissions occurred in the northwestern Plateau, while the highest emissions occurred in the eastern edge. Overall, our results highlighted the fact that wetland loss decreased the CH4 emissions by approximately 20%, even though climate change has accelerated the overall CH4 emission rates over the last six decades.http://www.mdpi.com/2073-4433/7/7/90wetlandsTibetan Plateaumethanemodelclimate change |
| spellingShingle | Tingting Li Qing Zhang Zhigang Cheng Zhenfeng Ma Jia Liu Yu Luo Jingjing Xu Guocheng Wang Wen Zhang Modeling CH4 Emissions from Natural Wetlands on the Tibetan Plateau over the Past 60 Years: Influence of Climate Change and Wetland Loss Atmosphere wetlands Tibetan Plateau methane model climate change |
| title | Modeling CH4 Emissions from Natural Wetlands on the Tibetan Plateau over the Past 60 Years: Influence of Climate Change and Wetland Loss |
| title_full | Modeling CH4 Emissions from Natural Wetlands on the Tibetan Plateau over the Past 60 Years: Influence of Climate Change and Wetland Loss |
| title_fullStr | Modeling CH4 Emissions from Natural Wetlands on the Tibetan Plateau over the Past 60 Years: Influence of Climate Change and Wetland Loss |
| title_full_unstemmed | Modeling CH4 Emissions from Natural Wetlands on the Tibetan Plateau over the Past 60 Years: Influence of Climate Change and Wetland Loss |
| title_short | Modeling CH4 Emissions from Natural Wetlands on the Tibetan Plateau over the Past 60 Years: Influence of Climate Change and Wetland Loss |
| title_sort | modeling ch4 emissions from natural wetlands on the tibetan plateau over the past 60 years influence of climate change and wetland loss |
| topic | wetlands Tibetan Plateau methane model climate change |
| url | http://www.mdpi.com/2073-4433/7/7/90 |
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