The influence of degradation of the swamp and alpine meadows on CH4 and CO2 fluxes on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau

CH₄ and CO₂ fluxes from a high-cold swamp meadow and an alpine meadow on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, subject to different degrees of degradation, were measured over a 12-month period. Air temperature, soil temperature and moisture, and the depths of the water table and thawing-freezing layer were determined. For swamp meadows, the greater the degradation, the lesser the carbon efflux. CH₄ emissions at the nondegraded swamp meadow site were 1.09–3.5 and 2.5–11.27 times greater, and CO₂ emissions 1.08–1.69 and 1.41–4.43 times greater, respectively, than those from moderately and severely degraded sites. For alpine meadows, the greater the degradation, the greater the CH₄ consumption and CO₂ emissions. CH₄ consumption at the severely degraded alpine meadow site was 6.6–21 and 1.1–5.25 times greater, and CO₂ emissions 1.05–78.5 and 1.04–6.28 times greater, respectively, than those from the nondegraded and moderately degraded sites. The CH₄ and CO₂ fluxes at both sites were significantly correlated (R ² > 0.59, P < 0.05) with air temperature, soil temperature, and topsoil (0–5 cm depth) moisture, indicating these to be the main environmental factors affecting such fluxes.