Very high CO2 exchange fluxes at the peak of the rainy season in a West African grazed semi-arid savanna ecosystem

Africa is a sink of carbon, but there are large gaps in our knowledge regarding the CO₂ exchange fluxes for many African ecosystems. Here, we analyse multi-annual eddy covariance data of CO₂ exchange fluxes for a grazed Sahelian semi-arid savanna ecosystem in Senegal, West Africa. The aim of the study is to investigate the high CO₂ exchange fluxes measured at the peak of the rainy season at the Dahra field site: gross primary productivity and ecosystem respiration peaked at values up to ?48 μmol CO₂ m^?2 s^?1 and 20 μmol CO₂ m^?2 s^?1, respectively. Possible explanations for such high fluxes include a combination of moderately dense herbaceous C4 ground vegetation, high soil nutrient availability and a grazing pressure increasing the fluxes. Even though the peak net CO₂ uptake was high, the annual budget of ?229 ± 7 ± 49 g C m^?2 y^?1 (±random errors ± systematic errors) is comparable to that of other semi-arid savanna sites due the short length of the rainy season. An inter-comparison between the open-path and a closed-path infrared sensor indicated no systematic errors related to the instrumentation. An uncertainty analysis of long-term NEE budgets indicated that corrections for air density fluctuations were the largest error source (11.3% out of 24.3% uncertainty). Soil organic carbon data indicated a substantial increase in the soil organic carbon pool for the uppermost .20 m. These findings have large implications for the perception of the carbon sink/source of Sahelian ecosystems and its response to climate change.     

Latitudinal distribution of soil CO2 efflux and temperature along the Dalton Highway,Alaska

In this paper, we investigate spatial variations in soil CO₂ efflux and carbon dynamics across five sites located between 65.5°N and 69.0°N in tundra and boreal forest biomes of Alaska. Growing and winter mean CO₂ effluxes for the period 2006–2010 were 261 ± 124 (Coefficients of Variation: 48%) and 71 ± 42 (CV: 59%) gCO₂/m², respectively. This indicates that winter CO₂ efflux contributed 24% of the annual CO₂ efflux over the period of measurement. In tundra and boreal biomes, tussock is an important source of carbon efflux to the atmosphere, and contributes 3.4 times more than other vegetation types. To ensure that representativeness of soil CO₂ efflux was determined, 36 sample points were used at each site during the growing season, so that the experimental mean fell within ±20% of the full sample mean at 80% and 90% confidence levels. We found that soil CO₂ efflux was directly proportional to the seasonal mean soil temperature, but inversely proportional to the seasonal mean soil moisture level, rather than to the elevation-corrected July air temperature. This suggests that the seasonal mean soil temperature is the dominant control on the latitudinal distribution of soil CO₂ efflux in the high-latitude ecosystems of Alaska.     

A large daylight geodesic dome for quantification of whole-ecosystem CO2 and water vapour fluxes in arid shrublands

We designed, constructed, calibrated and field-tested a lightweight (30 kg), 4.2 m diameter, 16.4 m³ polyethylene-covered dome static chamber ecosystem gas exchange cuvette that can quantify ecosystem CO₂ and water vapour fluxes as low as 0.1 μmol CO₂ m⁻² s⁻¹ and 0.1 mmol H₂O m⁻² s⁻¹ with little impact on environmental conditions. Fluxes measured in May 2001 in an intact Great Basin sagebrush ecosystem at midday were significantly higher than in an adjacent post-wildfire successional ecosystem, with observed ranges from –0.71 to 1.49 μmol CO₂ m⁻² s⁻¹ for CO₂ and from –0.09 to 0.53 mmol H₂O m⁻² s⁻¹ for water vapour.     

内蒙古锡林河流域羊草草原植物生长旺季呼吸的影响因素分析和区分

Based on the static opaque chamber method,the respiration rates of soil microbial respiration,soil respiration,and ecosystem respiration were measured through continuous in-situ experiments during rapid growth season in semiarid Leymus chinensis steppe in the Xilin River Basin of Inner Mongolia,China. Soil temperature and moisture were the main factor affecting respiration rates. Soil temperature can explain most CO2 efflux variations (R2=0.376-0.655) excluding data of low soil water conditions. Soil moisture can also effectively explain most of the variations of soil and ecosystem respiration (R2=0.314-0.583),but it can not explain much of the variation of microbial respiration (R2=0.063). Low soil water content (≤5%) inhibited CO2 efflux though the soil temperature was high. Rewetting the soil after a long drought resulted in substantial increases in CO2 flux at high temperature. Bi-variable models based on soil temperature at 5 cm depth and soil moisture at 0-10 cm depth can explain about 70% of the variations of CO2 effluxes. The contribution of soil respiration to ecosystem respiration averaged 59.4%,ranging from 47.3% to 72.4%; the contribution of root respiration to soil respiration averaged 20.5%,ranging from 11.7% to 51.7%. The contribution of soil to ecosystem respiration was a little overestimated and root to soil respiration little underestimated because of the increased soil water content that occurred as a result of plant removal.     

干旱沙区典型人工植被群落下土壤剖面CO_2浓度变化特征及其驱动因子

对人工固沙植被区柠条(Caragana korshinskii)群落和油蒿(Caragana korshinskii)群落下不同深度的土壤气体采样,主要研究和讨论了不同类型人工植被区下土壤CO2浓度的变化特征及土壤温度和土壤水分对其的影响。结果表明:柠条和油蒿群落0~80cm处的土壤空气CO2浓度随着土壤深度的增加而增加,并且在0~40cm,油蒿群落下的土壤CO2浓度值大于柠条,而在40cm以下则相反。其平均值分别为1 229.3μmol·mol-1和1 242.7μmol·mol-1,大于同一深度流沙下土壤CO2浓度值978.9μmol·mol-1。土壤水分与二者的土壤CO2浓度变化趋势在年际尺度上具有一致性,浅层40cm内油蒿群落下的土壤CO2浓度和土壤水分含量的相关性明显大于柠条和流沙。而在40cm以下,则表现为柠条油蒿流沙。土壤温度对土壤CO2浓度的影响程度一般为流沙油蒿柠条,特别是流沙,在表层达到了极显著的水平,之后随着土壤深度的增加而降低。而土壤温度对油蒿和柠条样地土壤CO2浓度的影响较为复杂,呈现出先增加后减小的趋势。在年际尺度上,土壤水分含量是不同植被群落下土壤剖面CO2浓度的关键限制因子,而在日尺度上,土壤温度则为主要限制因子。据粗略估计,在0~80cm内,柠条和油蒿根系呼吸所占的比例约为30.7%和33.3%。     

Comparison of soil physico-chemical properties under different land-use and cover types in northeastern China's Horqin Sandy Land

The Horqin Sandy Land of northeastern China was originally a grassland with plenty of water and lush vegetation dominated by palatable grass species along with sparsely scattered woody species. However, it has experienced severe desertification in recent decades due to its fragile ecology together with inappropriate human activities. Currently, the landscape of the Horqin Sandy Land is dominated by irrigated croplands and sand dunes with different degrees of vegetation cover, as the region has become the most important part of the semiarid agro-pastoral ecotone of northern China. In this study, we compared soil physical and chemical properties under different land-use and cover types (irrigated cropland, rainfed cropland, sandy grassland, fixed dunes, and mobile dunes). We found that soil particle size distribution; organic C, total N, and total mineral element, microelement, and available microelement and nutrient contents; pH; CEC; and bulk density differed significantly among the land-use and cover types. In general, soil quality was highest in the cropland, intermediate in the sandy grassland, and lowest in the dunes. The most important soil quality attribute, soil organic carbon (SOC) storage, decreased in the following order: irrigated cropland (5,699 g/m²) > sandy grassland (3,390 g/m²) > rainfed cropland (2,411 g/m²) > fixed dunes (821 g/m²) > mobile dunes (463 g/m²). SOC was significantly positively correlated with a large proportion of the other soil physico-chemical parameters. Our results suggest that the key issue in restoration of the degraded soils will be to increase SOC storage, which would also create a high potential for sequestering soil C in desertified areas of the Horqin Sandy Land.     

Comparative study on Co<Subscript>2</Subscript> emissions from different types of alpine meadows during grass exuberance period

Potentilla fruticosa scrub,Kobresia humilis meadow andKobresia tibetica meadow are widely distributed on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. During the grass exuberance period from 3 July to 4 September, based on close chamber-GC method, a study on CO₂ emissions from different treatments was conducted in these meadows at Haibei research station, CAS. Results indicated that mean CO₂ emission rates from various treatments were 672.09±152.37 mgm^-2h^-1 for FC (grass treatment); 425.41± 191.99 mgm^-2h^-1 for FJ (grass exclusion treatment); 280.36±174.83 mgm^-2h^-1 for FL (grass and roots exclusion treatment); 838.95±237.02 mgm^-2h^-1 for GG (scrub+grass treatment); 528.48±205.67 mgm^-2h^-1 for GC (grass treatment); 268.97±99.72 mgm^-2h^-1 for GL (grass and roots exclusion treatment); and 659.20±94.83 mgm^-2h^-1 for LC (grass treatment), respectively (FC, FJ, FL, GG, GC, GL, LC were the Chinese abbreviation for various treatments). Furthermore,Kobresia humilis meadow,Potentilla fruticosa scrub meadow andKobresia tibetica meadow differed greatly in average CO₂ emission rate of soil-plant system, in the order of GG>FC>LC>GC. Moreover, inKobresia humilis meadow, heterotrophic and autotrophic respiration accounted for 42% and 58% of the total respiration of soil-plant system respectively, whereas, inPotentilla fruticosa scrub meadow, heterotrophic and autotrophic respiration accounted for 32% and 68% of total system respiration from GG; 49% and 51% from GC. In addition, root respiration fromKobresia humilis meadow approximated 145 mgCO₂m^-2h^-1, contributed 34% to soil respiration. During the experiment period,Kobresia humilis meadow andPotentilla fruticosa scrub meadow had a net carbon fixation of 111.11 gm^-2 and 243.89 gm^-2, respectively. Results also showed that soil temperature was the main factor which influenced CO₂ emission from alpine meadow ecosystem, significant correlations were found between soil temperature at 5 cm depth and emission from GG, GC, FC and FJ treatments. In addition, soil moisture may be the inhibitory factor of CO₂ emission fromKobresia tibetica meadow, and more detailed analyses should be done in further research.     

Cold-season soil respiration in response to grazing and warming in High-Arctic Svalbard

The influence of goose grazing intensity and open-topped chambers (OTCs) on near-surface quantities and qualities of soil organic carbon (SOC) was evaluated in wet and mesic ecosystems in Svalbard. This study followed up a field experiment carried out in 2003–05 (part of the project Fragility of Arctic Goose Habitat: Impacts of Land Use, Conservation and Elevated Temperatures). New measurements of soil CO₂ effluxes, temperatures and water contents were regularly made from July to November 2007. SOC stocks were quantified, and the reactivity and composition measured by basal soil respiration (BSR) and solid-state ¹³C nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. Results reveal variations in soil carbon cycling, with significant seasonal trends controlled by temperature, water content and snow. Experimental warming (OTCs) increased near-surface temperatures in the growing season, resulting in significantly higher CO₂ effluxes. Different grazing intensities had no significant effects on observed soil respiration, but BSR rates at the mesic site (13–23 µg CO₂ g soil-C⁻¹ h⁻¹) were highest with moderate grazing and lowest in the absence of grazing. A limited effect of grazing on microbial respiration is consistent with a lack of significant differences in SOC quantity and quality. NMR data show that the composition of A-horizon SOC is dominated by O-N-alkyl C and alkyl C groups, and less by carboxyl C and aromatic C groups: but again no marked variation in response to grazing was evident. It can be concluded that two years after a goose grazing experiment, SOC cycling was less than the natural variation within contrasting vegetation types.     

Continuous measurement of CO2 flux through the snowpack in a dwarf bamboo ecosystem on Rishiri Island,Hokkaido, Japan

To investigate the dynamics and environmental drivers of CO₂ flux through the winter snowpack in a dwarf bamboo ecosystem (Hokkaido, northeast Japan), we constructed an automated sampling system to measured CO₂ concentrations at five different levels in the snowpack, from the base to the upper snow surface. Using a gas diffusion approach, we estimated an average apparent soil CO₂ flux of 0.26 μmol m⁻² s⁻¹ during the snow season (December–April); temporally, the CO₂ flux increased until mid-snow season, but showed no clear trend thereafter; late-season snow-melting events resulted in rapid decreases in apparent CO₂ flux values. Air temperature and subnivean CO₂ flux exhibited a positive linear relationship. After eliminating the effects of wind pumping, we estimated the actual soil CO₂ flux (0.41 μmol m⁻² s⁻¹) to be 54% larger than the apparent flux. This study provides new constraints on snow-season carbon emissions in a dwarf bamboo ecosystem in northeast Asia.     

大气CO2浓度升高和施氮对棉田土壤理化性质及微生物区系的影响

针对耕地非农转化过程中产生的一系列社会问题,采用参与性农户调查方法,对西部欠发达地区西宁市郊区5个样本村190户农户进行了随机入户调查。根据城市开发进程、到市区距离和种植类型等条件,将调查样本村分为近郊城区化农村、近郊农村和远郊农村,就农户对耕地非农转换的基本认知及耕地非农转换的经济、社会和环境价值感知进行分析。结果表明:耕地征用后农户能理性感知和判别耕地非农转换价值,并普遍认为失去耕地后生活费用增加、生活保障降低、收入来源和就业机会少;感知主要受耕地数量、区位条件、耕地开发阶段等因素的影响;处于不同区位条件的农户对耕地非农转换的价值感知存在差异性,城区化农户已逐渐适应城市生活,近郊农户的非农转换经济和社会感知压力最大,远郊农民也感知经济和生活保障压力,但更希望能通过打工增加收入。     

Effects of land-use changes on organic carbon in bulk soil and associated physical fractions in China's Horqin Sandy Grassland

The Horqin Sandy Grassland is one of the most seriously desertified areas in China's agro-pastoral ecotone due to its fragile ecology, combined with improper and unsustainable land management. We inves...     

科尔沁沙地玉米(Zea mays)田垄上和垄间土壤呼吸比较

采用动态密闭气室法测定分析了科尔沁沙地典型玉米(Zea mays)农田垄上和垄间土壤呼吸速率的差异及自养和异养呼吸特征,并估算了生态系统碳平衡。结果表明:(1)垄上和垄间土壤呼吸速率存在极显著差异(p0.001),且存在线性关系(p0.05);季节水平上垄上土壤呼吸可解释垄间土壤呼吸98.4%的变异。(2)季节水平上土壤总呼吸(RS)、异养呼吸(RH)和自养呼吸(RA)的温度敏感性指数Q10大小顺序为:RA(4.35)RS(3.10)RH(2.08)。(3)RS和RH之间存在显著差异,RA与RS和RH之间不存在显著差异;RA占RS比例的季节变化范围为28.1%~71.1%,生长季RH和RA占RS的比例均值分别为44.4%和55.6%。(4)科尔沁沙地典型农田生态系统在生长季为碳汇,可净固存大气CO2-C的量为659.1g·m-2。     

Temporal and spatial variation in soil respiration of poplar plantations at different developmental stages in Xinjiang, China

Soil respiration is essential for the understanding of carbon sequestration of forest plantations. Soil respiration of poplar plantations at three developmental stages was investigated in 2007 and 2008. The results showed that mean soil respiration rate was 5.74, 5.10 and 4.71 μmol CO₂ m⁻² s⁻¹ for stands of 2-, 7- and 12-year-old, respectively, during the growing season. Soil temperature decreased with increasing plantation age and canopy cover. As plantation matured, fine root biomass also declined. Multiple regression analysis suggested that soil temperature in the upper layer could explain 73-77% of the variation in soil respiration and fine root biomass in the upper layer could explain further 5-8%. The seasonal dynamics of soil respiration was mainly controlled by soil temperature rhythm and fine root growth since soil water availability remained adequate due to monthly irrigation. Spatial variability of soil respiration varied considerably among three age classes, with the coefficient of variation of 28.8%, 22.4% and 19.6% for stands of 2-, 7- and 12-year-old, respectively. The results highlight the importance of the development stage in soil carbon budget over a rotation, since both temporal and spatial variation in soil respiration displayed significant differences at different developmental stages.     

Photosynthetic responses of Larrea tridentata to a step-increase in atmospheric CO2at the Nevada Desert FACE Facility

Of all terrestrial ecosystems, the productivity of deserts has been suggested to be the most responsive to increasing atmospheric CO₂. The extent to which this prediction holds will depend in part on plant responses to elevated CO₂under the highly variable conditions characteristic of arid regions. The photosynthetic responses ofLarrea tridentata , an evergreen shrub, to a step-increase in atmospheric CO₂(to 550 μmolmol⁻¹) were examined in the field using Free-Air CO₂Enrichment (FACE) under seasonally varying moisture conditions. Elevated CO₂substantially increased net assimilation rate (A_net) in Larrea during both moist and dry periods of the potential growing season, while stomatal conductance (g_s) did not differ between elevated and ambient CO₂treatments. Seasonal and diurnal gas exchange dynamics in elevated CO₂mirrored patterns in ambient CO₂, indicating that elevated CO₂did not extend photosynthetic activity longer into the dry season or during more stressful times of the day. Net assimilation vs. internal CO₂(A/C_i) responses showed no evidence of photosynthetic down-regulation during the dry season. In contrast, after significant autumn rains, A_max(the CO₂saturated rate of photosynthesis) and CE (carboxylation efficiency) were lower in Larrea under elevated CO₂. In situ chlorophyll fluorescence estimation ofLarrea Photosystem II efficiency (F_v/F_m) responded more to water limitation than to elevated CO₂. These findings suggest that predictions regarding desert plant responses to elevated CO₂should account for seasonal patterns of photosynthetic regulatory responses, which may vary across species and plant functional types.     

青藏高原生态系统固碳释氧价值动态测评

本文旨在定量评价青藏高原生态系统的固碳释氧价值及其动态变化,为改善区域生态环境提供参考。基于MODIS/NDVI数据,利用光能利用率模型测算净第一性生产(NPP)物质量,并通过光合作用方程式换算成固定CO₂和释放O₂的物质量,以此为基础,采用造林成本法和工业制氧法对青藏高原固碳释氧价值量进行估算。结果表明:2000年、2005年和2010年固定CO₂的价值分别为384.36×10⁹元、393.23×10⁹元和356.41×10⁹元,释放O₂的价值分别为408.31×10⁹元、415.02×10⁹元和378.61×10⁹元。2000-2005年固碳释氧价值增加了15.58×10⁹元,2005-2010年下降了73.23×10⁹元,而2000-2010年下降了57.65×10⁹元。固碳释氧价值在空间上呈现出从东南向西北递减的趋势,这与青藏高原的水热条件分布基本一致。在价值构成中,草原>森林>草甸>其它类型>灌丛>农田。2000-2010年青藏高原生态系统固碳释氧价值呈现减小趋势,表明近年来气候变化和人类活动导致青藏高原的生态环境出现了退化趋势。     

中国亚热带地区造林对土壤碳周转的影响

Afforestation in China’s subtropics plays an important role in sequestering CO2 from the atmosphere and in storage of soil carbon (C). Compared with natural forests,plantation forests have lower soil organic carbon (SOC) content and great potential to store more C. To better evaluate the effects of afforestation on soil C turnover,we investigated SOC and its stable C isotope (δ13C) composition in three planted forests at Qianyanzhou Ecological Experimental Station in southern China. Litter and soil samples were collected and analyzed for total organic C,δ13C and total nitrogen. Similarly to the vertical distribution of SOC in natural forests,SOC concentrations decrease exponentially with depth. The land cover type (grassland) before plantation had a significant influence on the vertical distribution of SOC. The SOC ?13C composition of the upper soil layer of two plantation forests has been mainly affected by the grass biomass 13C composition. Soil profiles with a change in photosynthetic pathway had a more complex 13C isotope composition distribution. During the 20 years after plantation establishment,the soil organic matter sources influenced both the δ13C distribution with depth,and C replacement. The upper soil layer SOC turnover in masson pine (a mean 34% of replacement in the 10 cm after 20 years) was more than twice as fast as that of slash pine (16% of replacement) under subtropical conditions. The results demonstrate that masson pine and slash pine plantations cannot rapidly sequester SOC into long-term storage pools in subtropical China.     

Effect of nitrogen amendments on microbial biomass, above-ground biomass and nematode population in the Negev Desert soil

Nitrogen amendments (0, 25, 50 and 100 kg NH₄NO₃/ha) were used to study the responses of primary production, microbial biomass and nematode population in desert soil. The study was conducted in the Israeli Negev Desert, a region characterized by low and randomly distributed rainfall. Over a 1-year study period, nitrogen amendments resulted in a significant (p<0·01) increase in soil microbial biomass. Soil microbial biomass also increased concomitantly with the increase in soil organic matter. The number of free-living nematodes in the soil increased with the increase in soil moisture, ranging from 43,000 individuals per square metre at the end of the summer to 351,000 individuals per square metre during the rainy season. No significant correlation was found between the nitrogen treatments and the nematode population, whereas a significant positive correlation was found between the nitrogen amendments and the above-ground biomass (r²=0·94, p<0·03). The nitrate proportion of the total soluble nitrogen in the soil also increased with the increase in soil moisture. This study provides baseline data for nitrogen amendments on soil microbial status, as well as insights into the importance of nitrogen in fertility in arid environments.     

Tree biomass and soil organic carbon densities across the Sudanese woodland savannah: A regional carbon sequestration study

Mean tree biomass and soil carbon (C) densities for 39 map sheet grids (1° lat. × 1.5° long.) covering the Acacia woodland savannah region of Sudan (10–16° N; 21–36° E) are presented. Data from the National Forest Inventory of Sudan, Harmonized World Soil Database and FAO Local Climate Estimator were used to calculate C densities, mean annual precipitation (MAP) and mean annual temperature (MAT). Above-ground biomass C and soil organic carbon (SOC, 1 m) densities averaged 112 and 5453 g C m⁻², respectively. Below-ground biomass C densities, estimated using root shoot ratios, averaged 33 g C m⁻². Biomass C densities and MAP increased southwards across the region while SOC densities were lowest in the centre of the region and increased westwards and eastwards. Both above-ground biomass C and SOC densities were significantly (p < 0.05) correlated with MAP (r_s = 0.84 and r_s = 0.34, respectively) but showed non-significant correlations with MAT (r_s = −0.22 and r_s = 0.24, respectively). SOC densities were significantly correlated with biomass C densities (r_s = 0.34). The results indicated substantial under stocking of trees and depletion of SOC, and potential for C sequestration. Up-to-date regional and integrated soil and forest inventories are required for planning improved land-use management and restoration.     

SOIL CARBON DIOXIDE CONCENTRATIONS AND CLIMATE IN A HUMID SUBTROPICAL ENVIRONMENT

Soil carbon dioxide content, temperature, and moisture were measured biweekly for one year at Pigeon Mountain, GA. Levels of soil CO₂ ranged from 0.04% to 2.4% and were highest during the growing season, lowest during the winter. Soil temperature correlated positively with soil CO₂, accounting for 90% of CO₂ variation. Soil moisture variations decreased CO₂ concentration at times of high soil water content when CO₂ was flushed downward, and also at times of low soil moisture content when CO₂ production was inhibited. A predictive model of logistic form using 14-day means of daily actual evapotranspiration fit the data well (R²= 0.83). The model also tested well against soil CO₂ data acquired in the coastal plain at Rocky Point, NC. If actual evapotranspiration rates are known, the model permits estimation of soil CO₂ without preliminary field work, and can be used for studies of karst denudation, which require soil CO₂ data for seasonal and regional comparison of solution rates.     

Chemical weathering and CO2 consumption in the Xijiang River basin, South China

Monthly samples of riverine water were collected and analyzed for the concentrations of major ions (Ca²⁺, Mg²⁺, K⁺, Na⁺, HCO₃⁻, SO₄²⁻, Cl⁻, NO₃⁻), dissolved silicon, and total dissolved solids (TDS) at Wuzhou hydrological station located between the middle and lower reaches of the Xijiang River (XJR) from March 2005 to April 2006. More frequent sampling and analysis were carried out during the catastrophic flooding in June 2005. Stoichiometric analysis was applied for tracing sources of major ions and estimating CO₂ consumption from the chemical weathering of rocks. The results demonstrate that the chemical weathering of carbonate and silicate rocks within the drainage basin is the main source of the dissolved chemical substances in the XJR. Some 81.20% of the riverine cations originated from the chemical weathering processes induced by carbonic acid, 11.32% by sulfuric acid, and the other 7.48% from the dissolution of gypsum and precipitates of sea salts within the drainage basin. The CO₂ flux consumed by the rock chemical weathering within the XJR basin is 2.37 × 10¹¹ mol y^− 1, of which 0.64 × 10¹¹ mol y^− 1 results from silicate rock chemical weathering, and 1.73 × 10¹¹ mol y^− 1 results from carbonate rock chemical weathering. The CO₂ consumption comprises 0.38 × 10¹¹ mol during the 9-d catastrophic flooding. The CO₂ consumption from rock chemical weathering in humid subtropical zones regulates atmospheric CO₂ level and constitutes a significant part of the global carbon budget. The carbon sink potential of rock chemical weathering processes in the humid subtropical zones deserves extra attention.