Reduced Carbon Dioxide Sink and Methane Source under Extreme Drought Condition in an Alpine Peatland

Xiaoming Kang, Liang Yan, Lijuan Cui, Xiaodong Zhang, Yanbin Hao, Haidong Wu, Yuan Zhang, Wei Li, Kerou Zhang, Zhongqing Yan, Yong Li and Jinzhi Wang
Additional contact information
Xiaoming Kang: Institute of Wetland Research, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing 100091, China
Liang Yan: Institute of Wetland Research, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing 100091, China
Lijuan Cui: Institute of Wetland Research, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing 100091, China
Xiaodong Zhang: Institute of Wetland Research, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing 100091, China
Yanbin Hao: University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
Haidong Wu: Institute of Wetland Research, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing 100091, China
Yuan Zhang: University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
Wei Li: Institute of Wetland Research, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing 100091, China
Kerou Zhang: Institute of Wetland Research, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing 100091, China
Zhongqing Yan: Institute of Wetland Research, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing 100091, China
Yong Li: Institute of Wetland Research, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing 100091, China
Jinzhi Wang: Institute of Wetland Research, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing 100091, China

Sustainability, 2018, vol. 10, issue 11, 1-15

Abstract: Potential changes in both the intensity and frequency of extreme drought events are vital aspects of regional climate change that can alter the distribution and dynamics of water availability and subsequently affect carbon cycles at the ecosystem level. The effects of extreme drought events on the carbon budget of peatland in the Zoige plateau and its response mechanisms were studied using an in-field controlled experimental method. The results indicated that the peatland ecosystem of the Zoige plateau functioned as a carbon sink while under the control (CK) or extreme drought (D) treatment throughout the entire growing season. Maximum fluxes of methane (CH 4 ) emissions and the weakest carbon sink activity from this ecosystem were in the early growth stage, the most powerful carbon sink activity was during the peak growth stage, while the absorption sink activity of carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) and CH 4 was present during the senescence stage. Extreme drought reduced the gross primary productivity (GPP) and ecosystem respiration (R e ) of the peatland ecosystem by 14.5% and 12.6%, respectively ( p < 0.05) and the net ability to store carbon was reduced by 11.3%. Overall, the GPP was highly sensitive to extreme drought. Moreover, extreme drought significantly reduced the CH 4 fluxes of the ecosystem and even changed the peatland from a CH 4 emission source to a CH 4 sink. Subsequent to drought treatment, extreme drought was also shown to have a carry-over effect on the carbon budget of this ecosystem. Soil water content and soil temperature were the main driving factors of carbon budget change in the peatland of the Zoige plateau, but with the increase in soil depth, these driving forces were decreased. The findings indicated that frequent extreme drought events in the future might reduce the net carbon sink function of peatland areas, with an especially strong influence on CO 2 .

Keywords: extreme drought; alpine peatland; carbon budget; controlled experiment (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2018
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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