Impact of Coastal Beach Reclamation on Seasonal Greenhouse Gas Emissions: A Study of Diversified Saline–Alkaline Land Use Patterns

Jiayi Xie, Ye Yuan, Xiaoqing Wang, Rui Zhang, Rui Zhong, Jiahao Zhai, Yumeng Lu, Jiawei Tao, Lijie Pu and Sihua Huang ()
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Jiayi Xie: School of Geography and Ocean Science, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China
Ye Yuan: School of Geography and Ocean Science, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China
Xiaoqing Wang: School of Geography and Ocean Science, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China
Rui Zhang: School of Geography and Ocean Science, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China
Rui Zhong: School of Geography and Ocean Science, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China
Jiahao Zhai: School of Geography and Ocean Science, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China
Yumeng Lu: School of Geography and Ocean Science, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China
Jiawei Tao: School of Geography and Ocean Science, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China
Lijie Pu: School of Geography and Ocean Science, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China
Sihua Huang: School of Environmental Engineering, Nanjing Institute of Technology, Nanjing 211167, China

Agriculture, 2025, vol. 15, issue 13, 1-23

Abstract: Reclaiming coastal wetlands for agricultural purposes has led to intensified farming activities, which are anticipated to affect greenhouse gas (GHG) flux processes within coastal wetland ecosystems. However, how greenhouse gas exchanges respond to variations in agricultural reclamation activities across different years remains uncertain. To address this knowledge gap, this study characterized dynamic exchanges within the soil–plant–atmosphere continuum by employing continuous monitoring across four representative coastal wetland soil–vegetation systems in Jiangsu, China. The results show the carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) and nitrous oxide (N 2 O) flux exchanges between the system and the atmosphere and soil–vegetation carbon pools, which revealed the drivers of carbon dynamics in the coastal wetland system. The four study sites, converted from coastal wetlands to agricultural lands at different times (years), generally act as CO 2 sinks and N 2 O sources. Higher levels of CO 2 sequestration occur as the age of reclamation rises. In terms of time scale, crops lands were found to be CO 2 sinks during the growing period but became CO 2 sources during the crop fallow period. Although the temporal trend of the N 2 O flux was generally smooth, reclaimed farmlands acted as net sources of N 2 O, particularly during the crop-growing period. The RDA and PLS-PM models illustrate that soil salinity, acidity, and hydrothermal conditions were the key drivers affecting the magnitude of the GHG flux exchanges under reclamation. This study demonstrates that GHG emissions from reclaimed wetlands can be effectively regulated through science-based land management, calling for prioritized attention to post-development practices rather than blanket restrictions on coastal exploitation.

Keywords: greenhouse gases; soil–vegetation systems; reclamation activities; coastal wetlands; land use change (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q1 Q10 Q11 Q12 Q13 Q14 Q15 Q16 Q17 Q18 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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