Vegetation and soil carbon storage in China

This study estimated the current vegetation and soil carbon storage in China using a biogeochemical model driven with climate, soil and vegetation data at 0.5° latitude-longitude grid spatial resolution. The results indicate that the total carbon storage in China's vegetation and soils was 13.33 Gt C and 82.65 Gt C respectively, about 3% and 4% of the global total. The nationally mean vegetation and soil carbon densities were 1.47 kg C/m2 and 9.17 kg C/m2, respectively, differing greatly in various regions affected by climate, vegetation, and soil types. They were generally higher in the warm and wet Southeast China and Southwest China than in the arid Northwest China; whereas vegetation carbon density was the highest in the warm Southeast China and Southwest China, soil carbon density was the highest in the cold Northeast China and southeastern fringe of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau. These spatial patterns are clearly correlated with variations in the climate that regulates plant growth and soil organi     

Helium and carbon isotopes in fluorites: implications for mantle carbon contribution in an ancient subduction zone

The concentrations of helium and carbon in fluorite associated with Cretaceous to Neogene (90–13 Ma) granitic magmatism in the Japanese arc have been measured. Concentrations of Li, U, Th and Gd were measured to correct for secondary generated ³He. The CO₂/³He of fluorites are almost uniform (1.5×10¹⁰–4×10¹⁰) and in fair agreement with the range of present island arc volcanic gases. The calculated mantle C contribution in the Mesozoic subduction zone appear to have been identical to the present one (7–19%) indicating that the C flux from the mantle in supra-subduction zone environments has remained fairly constant during the past 70 million years.     

Belowground carbon balance and carbon accumulation rate in the successional series of monsoon evergreen broad-leaved forest

The belowground part of terrestrial ecosystem is a huge carbon pool. It is believed that of the total 2500Gt carbon stored in global terrestrial ecosystem, soil carbon storage within the 1 m surface layer ac- counts for 2000Gt, which is 4-fold of vegetation car- bon storage[1,2]. Compared with the carbon in the vegetation, carbon in the deep soil layers is much more stable, and it will stay in soil profile permanentlyunless geological vicissitude occurs. Essentially, forest restoration is the…     

Advances in carbon flux observation and research in Asia

As an important component of FLUXNET, Asia is increasingly becoming the hotspot in global carbon research for its vast territory, complex climate type and vegetation diversity. The present three regional flux observation networks in Asia (i.e. AsiaFlux, KoFlux and ChinaFLUX)have 54 flux observation sites altogether, covering tropic rainforest, evergreen broad-leaved forest, broad-leaved and coniferous mixed forest, shrubland, grassland, alpine meadow and cropland ecosystems with a latitudinal distribution from 2°N to 63°N. Long-term and continuous fluxes of carbon dioxide, water vapor and energy between the biosphere and atmosphere are mainly measured with eddy covariance technique to (1) quantify and compare the carbon, water and energy budgets across diverse ecosystems; (2) quantify the environmental and biotic controlling mechanism on ecosystem carbon, water and energy fluxes; (3) validate the soil-vegetation-atmosphere model; and (4) serve the integrated study of terrestrial ecosystem carbon and water cycle. Over the last decades, great advancements have been made in the theory and technology of flux measurement, ecosystem flux patterns, simulation and scale conversion by Asian flux community. The establishment of ChinaFLUX has greatly filled the gap of flux observation and research in Eurasia. To further promote the flux measurement and research,accelerate data sharing and improve the data quality, it is necessary to present a methodological system of flux estimation and evaluation over complex terrain and to develop the integrated research that combines the flux measurement, stable isotope measurement, remote sensing observation and GIS technique. It also requires the establishment of the Joint Committee of Asian Flux Network in the Asia-Pacific region in order to promote the cooperation and communication of ideas and data by supporting project scientists, workshops and visiting scientists.     

Dissolved inorganic carbon in the ocean and climate

Changes in the climate conditions in the recent decade arouse the heightened interest to the problem of the greenhouse effect and consequently to studying the dynamics of CO₂ concentration in the ocean-atmosphere system. The modern changes in CO₂ concentration and temperature can result both from the anthropogenic influence and from the rhythms of natural processes. The results of modelling carbon equilibrium in the World Ocean water for the Quaternary suggest that the modern climate change is a part of natural climate variations having taken place for at least more than 400 thousand years.     

Projected land use changes in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau at the carbon peak and carbon neutrality targets

Based on historical land use for eight periods from 1980 to 2020 and the projected land use under seven Shared Socioeconomic Pathways (SSPs:SSP1-1.9,SSP1-2.6,SSP2-4.5,SSP3-7.0,SSP4-3.4,SSP4-6.0,and SSP5-8.5) from 2021 to 2100,we conducted a study on past and future land use changes in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau (QTP).This work aims to reveal the land use changes during the carbon peak (2021–2040) and carbon neutrality (2051–2070) periods and at the end of the 21st century (2081–2100).The results ...     

Processes of coastal ecosystem carbon sequestration and approaches for increasing carbon sink

The oceans are the largest carbon pools on Earth, and play the role of a "buffer" in climate change. Blue carbon, the carbon(mainly organic carbon) captured by marine ecosystems, is one of the important mechanisms of marine carbon storage.Blue carbon was initially recognized only in the form of visible coastal plant carbon sequestration. In fact, microorganisms(phytoplankton, bacteria, archaea, viruses, and protozoa), which did not receive much attention in the past, account for more than 90% of the total marine biomass and are the main contributors to blue carbon. Chinese coastal seas, equivalent to 1/3 of China's total land area, have a huge carbon sink potential needing urgently research and development. In this paper, we focus on the processes and mechanisms of coastal ocean's carbon sequestration and the approaches for increasing that sequestration. We discuss the structures of coastal ecosystems, the processes of carbon cycle, and the mechanisms of carbon sequestration. Using the evolution of coastal ocean's carbon sinks in sedimentary records over geologic times, we also discuss the possible effects of natural processes and anthropogenic activities on marine carbon sinks. Finally, we discuss the prospect of using carbon sequestration engineering for increasing coastal ocean's carbon storage capacity.     

Banking carbon: a review of organic carbon storage and physical factors influencing retention in floodplains and riparian ecosystems

Rivers are dynamic components of the terrestrial carbon cycle and provide important functions in ecosystem processes. Although rivers act as conveyers of carbon to the oceans, rivers also retain carbon within riparian ecosystems along floodplains, with potential for long‐term (> 10² years) storage. Research in ecosystem processing emphasizes the importance of organic carbon (OC) in river systems, and estimates of OC fluxes in terrestrial freshwater systems indicate that a significant portion of terrestrial carbon is stored within river networks. Studies have examined soil OC on floodplains, but research that examines the potential mechanistic controls on OC storage in riparian ecosystems and floodplains is more limited. We emphasize three primary OC reservoirs within fluvial systems: (1) standing riparian biomass; (2) dead biomass as large wood (LW) in the stream and on the floodplain; (3) OC on and beneath the floodplain surface, including litter, humus, and soil organic carbon (SOC). This review focuses on studies that have framed research questions and results in the context of OC retention, accumulation and storage within the three primary pools along riparian ecosystems. In this paper, we (i) discuss the various reservoirs for OC storage in riparian ecosystems, (ii) discuss physical conditions that facilitate carbon retention and storage in riparian ecosystems, (iii) provide a synthesis of published OC storage in riparian ecosystems, (iv) present a conceptual model of the conditions that favor OC storage in riparian ecosystems, (v) briefly discuss human impacts on OC storage in riparian ecosystems, and (vi) highlight current knowledge gaps. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

亚热带河口区水库DOC和DIC浓度时空变化特征

沿海水库汇聚并埋藏着大量的碳,是全球碳循环的重要区域.水体溶解有机碳(DOC)和溶解无机碳(DIC)的生物地球化学行为是水库碳循环研究的重要组成部分,对其系统生物过程和生态环境变化具有重要的影响.为了解亚热带河口区文武砂水库表层水体DOC和DIC的时空分布特征,本研究于2018年11月、2019年3月和6月分别对库区表...     

Rare gases,water, and carbon in kaersutites

Kaersutites from Kakanui, New Zealand and from three localities in the southwestern United States have been analyzed for rare gases, water and carbon to investigate the volatile signature of the sub-continental mantle. This study does not confirm the high ³He/⁴He and ²¹Ne/²²Ne ratios reported by Saito et al. [1] for the Kakanui kaersutite. Instead, a ³He/⁴He ratio of 6 R_A and atmospheric ²¹Ne/²²Ne ratios were measured which are consistent with our current knowledge of the earth's mantle. A low ⁴⁰Ar/³⁶Ar of 320 and more than 10^?8 cm³/g of ³⁶Ar confirms the argon results of Saito et al. and indicates that significant quantities of ³⁶Ar reside in this portion of the mantle. Kaersutites from the southwestern United States (Arizona) have a heterogeneous helium isotope signature, ranging from 8.8 R_A at San Carlos to 0.46 at Hoover Dam. All D/H ratios for the water in kaersutites (?56‰ to ?78‰) represent typical mantle values with no apparent correlation with ³He/⁴He. The correlation of increasing carbon content (140–400 ppm) with increasing δ¹³C (?24.5‰ to ?16.7‰) may reflect differences in the proportions of oxidized and reduced carbon in these samples.     

The relationship between dissolved organic carbon in stream water and soil organic carbon pools at different spatial scales

The relationship between stream water DOC concentrations and soil organic C pools was investigated at a range of spatial scales in subcatchments of the River Dee system in north‐east Scotland. Catchment percentage peat cover and soil C pools, calculated using local, national and international soils databases, were related to mean DOC concentrations in streams draining small‐ (<5 km²), medium‐ (12–38 km²) and large‐scale (56–150 km²) catchments. The results show that, whilst soil C pool is a good predictor of stream water DOC concentration at all three scales, the strongest relationships were found in the small‐scale catchments. In addition, in both the small‐ and large‐scale catchments, percentage peat cover was as a good predictor of stream water DOC concentration as catchment soil C pool. The data also showed that, for a given soil C pool, streams draining lowland (<700 m) catchments had higher DOC concentrations than those draining upland (>700 m) catchments, suggesting that disturbance and land use may have a small effect on DOC concentration. Our results therefore suggest that the relationship between stream water DOC concentration and catchment soil C pools exists at a range of spatial scales and this relationship appears to be sufficiently robust to be used to predict the effects of changes in catchment soil C storage on stream water DOC concentration. Copyright © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Deep carbon cycle in subduction zones

The carbon cycle between the deep Earth and the atmosphere(i.e., the deep carbon cycle) can significantly affect the global climate on both long and short time scales. Although carbon in the deep Earth can be released to the atmosphere in many ways, plate subduction is the only pathway for the return of carbon from the surface to the deep Earth. Owing to diversity in the forms of carbon and the special physicochemical property of carbonates, the behavior of carbon and carbonates in subduction zones significantly affects the products of subduction processes, the oxygen fugacity in subduction zones, and the activation and migration of elements during the crust-mantle interaction. Therefore, the carbon cycle in subduction zones plays an important role in maintaining a habitable climate by regulating the atmospheric CO_2 concentration, which significantly affects the global climate, and in causing fundamental changes in the physical and chemical properties of the mantle that result in a heterogeneous mantle. In this study, we review and discuss previous studies and scientific problems regarding the carbon cycle in subduction zones from four aspects: observation and tracing of the carbon cycle, migration and variation of carbon during subduction,carbon flux, and the effect of the carbon cycle.     

The effect of iron on the preservation of organic carbon in marine sediments and its implications for carbon sequestration

Marine sediments are the most significant reservoir of organic carbon(OC) in Earth′s surface system. Iron, a crucial component of the marine biogeochemical cycle, has a considerable impact on marine ecology and carbon cycling. Understanding the effect of iron on the preservation of OC in marine sediments is essential for comprehending biogeochemical processes of carbon and climate change. This review summarizes the methods for characterizing the content and structure of iron-bound OC and explore...     

Embodied carbon emissions in China-US trade

China-US trade holds great significance for the world's political and economic landscape. Since 2018, the US government has imposed additional tariffs on Chinese exports on the grounds of the US trade deficit with China. However, the transfer of pollutants embodied in trade and the differences in environmental costs between China and the US have not been widely recognized. In this study, we quantify the embodied carbon emissions(the "virtual" emissions associated with trade and consumption) in China-US trade by constructing a carbon dioxide emissions inventory and a multiregional input-output model.The study shows that the US benefits from a trade surplus of environmental costs by importing energy-intensive and pollutionintensive products from China, which increases China's environmental pollution and abatement costs. In 2017, 288 Mt CO_2 emissions were associated with products produced in China but finally consumed in the US, and only 46 Mt CO_2 were associated with the US products that were consumed in China. From this perspective, China-US trade results in a net transfer of 242 Mt CO_2 per year from the US to China, accounting for approximately 5% of the total CO_2 emissions in the US. More importantly, for Chinese products exported to the US, the carbon emissions embodied in one unit of economic value amount to 0.92 kg/$(RMB:USD=6.8:1), but for US products exported to China, the carbon emissions embodied in one unit of economic value amount to 0.53 kg/$, which means China will incur environmental costs that are 74% higher than those of the US while enjoying the same economic benefits. This environmental trade deficit has burdened China with higher environmental costs than economic benefits.To address this environmental trade deficit, China should actively promote further industrial upgrading and energy structure adjustment and increase investment in innovation and RD, thereby increasing the value added per unit of export products and reducing the environmental cost of producing export products.     

Dissolved carbon dioxide in basaltic glasses: concentrations and speciation

Carbon dioxide dissolved in both synthetic Ca±Mg-bearing silicate glasses and natural basaltic glasses has been characterized using infrared spectroscopy. CO₂ is inferred to be dissolved in these glasses as distorted Ca or Mg carbonate ionic complexes that result in unique infrared absorption bands at 1515 cm⁻¹ and 1435 cm⁻¹. This speciation contrasts with the case of CO₂-bearing sodium aluminosilicate glasses, which contain both dissolved molecular CO₂ and dissolved Na-carbonate ionic-complexes. The difference in speciation in Ca±Mg-bearing melts may result in part from a higher activity of oxygens that react with CO₂ molecules to produce carbonate.Dissolved CO₂ contents of natural basaltic glasses can be determined from the intensities of the carbonate absorption bands at 1515 cm⁻¹ and 1435 cm⁻¹. The uncertainty of the method is estimated to be ± 15% of the amount present. The infrared technique is a powerful tool for the measurement of dissolved CO₂ contents in natural basaltic glasses since it is non-destructive, can be aimed at regions of glass a few tens of microns in size, and can discriminate between dissolved carbonate and carbon present as carbonate alteration, contained in fluid inclusions, or adsorbed on the glass.A set of submarine basaltic glasses dredged from a variety of locations contain 0–400 ppm dissolved CO₂, measured using the infrared technique. These concentrations are lower than most previous reports for similar basaltic glasses. No general relationship is observed between dissolved CO₂ content and depth of magmatic eruption, although some correlation might be present in restricted geographic locales.     

The nature and distribution of carbon in submarine basalts and peridotite nodules

Primary carbonaceous material has been identified in submarine basaltic glasses and mantle-derived peridotite nodules from alkali basalts using electron microprobe techniques. In the submarine rocks carbon occurs (1) in quench-produced microcracks in glasses and phenocrysts, (2) in vesicles, where it is preferentially concentrated on the sulfide spherules attached to vesicle walls, and (3) in microcracks and CO₂-rich bubbles in inclusions of glass completely enclosed by phenocrysts. In peridotite nodules carbon exists in intergrain cracks, along grain boundaries, and on the walls of fluid inclusions disposed in two dimensional arrays. The carbonaceous material is believed to consist of a mixture of graphite, other forms of elemental carbon, and possibly small amounts of organic matter.It is suggested that carbon precipitates by disproportionation of CO according to the reaction 2 CO→C+CO₂ and that this reaction is catalyzed by sulfide-oxide surfaces in vesicles. Once deposition has begun, the reaction continues on carbon surfaces as well. Based on the large amounts of condensed carbon observed in some vapor inclusions and the apparent lack of oxidation features associated with them, it is proposed that carbon condensed from a magmatic vapor in which CO was a significant constituent. This implies that oxygen fugacities of undegassed basaltic melts under confining pressures of the shallow crust are typically lower than those of the QFM buffer at equivalent temperatures. This is in agreement with some intrinsic oxygen fugacity measurements on similar undegassed materials.Regardless of the mechanism of its formation, the presence of carbon in CO₂-rich vesicles and inclusions in basaltic glasses and mantle nodules adds uncertainty to estimates of minimum pressures of entrapment based on measurements of fluid densities. Condensed carbon also accounts for some of the carbon isotopic characteristics of these rocks.     

呼伦湖东露天矿剖面有机碳的总量及其稳定碳同位素和古环境演化

湖泊沉积物中有机碳的总量（TOC）取决于湖泊的初始生产力及有机质沉积后的保存能力,而有机碳的稳定同位素（δ~(13)C）值则反映了不同来源有机质的组成以及流域古植被状况。本文通过对内蒙呼伦湖东露天煤矿剖面TOC及δ~(13)C值的垂直分布的研究,结合剖面的沉积特征及孢粉、硅藻分析结果,讨论了呼伦湖地区末次冰期以来古气候古环境演化过程。结果表明有机碳的总量及其稳定碳同位素可作为分析古气候环境的一种有效的代用指标。     

The carbon dioxide system in the oceans

A model of the carbon dioxide system in nature is derived and is used to further our understanding of the factors which control this system in the oceans, the atmosphere, and the sediments.