The carbon balance of terrestrial ecosystems in China

Shilong Piao (), Jingyun Fang (), Philippe Ciais, Philippe Peylin, Yao Huang, Stephen Sitch and Tao Wang
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Shilong Piao: College of Urban and Environmental Science, and Key Laboratory for Earth Surface Processes of the Ministry of Education, Peking University
Jingyun Fang: College of Urban and Environmental Science, and Key Laboratory for Earth Surface Processes of the Ministry of Education, Peking University
Philippe Ciais: LSCE, UMR CEA-CNRS-UVSQ, Bâtiment 709, CE L’Orme des Merisiers, Gif-sur-Yvette F-91191, France
Philippe Peylin: Laboratoire de Biogéochimie Isotopique, Bâtiment EGER, F-78026 Thiverval-Grignon, France
Yao Huang: State Key Laboratory of Atmospheric Boundary Layer Physics and Atmospheric Chemistry, Institute of Atmospheric Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences
Stephen Sitch: Met Office Hadley Centre (JCHMR), Maclean Building, Wallingford OX10 8BB, UK
Tao Wang: College of Urban and Environmental Science, and Key Laboratory for Earth Surface Processes of the Ministry of Education, Peking University

Nature, 2009, vol. 458, issue 7241, 1009-1013

Abstract: China's carbon balance The publication of a comprehensive assessment of China's terrestrial carbon budget fills a major gap in the geographical spread of carbon balance data, and helps to further reduce uncertainties in the Northern Hemisphere carbon balance. Three different indicators were used to monitor China's carbon balance and its driving mechanisms during the 1980s and 1990s: biomass and soil carbon inventories extrapolated from satellite greenness measurements, ecosystem models and atmospheric inversions. The three methods produce similar estimates for the net carbon sink at 0.19 to 0.26 petagrams per year. Global terrestrial ecosystems, in comparison, have absorbed carbon at a rate of 1 to 4 Pg carbon per year during the 1980s and 1990s, which offsets 10–60% of fossil fuel emissions. Northeast China is a net source of CO2 to the atmosphere as a result over-harvesting and degradation of forests. In contrast, southern China accounts for over 65% of the carbon sink, attributable to regional climate change, tree planting and shrub recovery.

Date: 2009
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DOI: 10.1038/nature07944

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