ORCID
- Alistair G.L. Borthwick: 0000-0001-6053-7764
Abstract
Significance The role of soil erosion as a net sink or source of atmospheric CO 2 remains highly debated. This work quantifies national-scale land−atmosphere CO 2 fluxes induced by soil erosion. Severe water erosion in China has caused displacement of 180 ± 80 Mt C⋅y -1 of soil organic carbon during the last two decades, and the consequent land−atmosphere CO 2 flux from water erosion is a net CO 2 sink of 45 ± 25 Mt C⋅y -1 , equivalent to 8–37% of the terrestrial carbon sink previously assessed in China. This closes an important gap concerning large-scale estimation of lateral and vertical CO 2 fluxes from water erosion and highlights the importance of reducing uncertainty in assessing terrestrial carbon balance.
Publication Date
2016-06-14
Publication Title
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
Volume
113
Issue
24
ISSN
0027-8424
First Page
6617
Last Page
6622
Recommended Citation
Ni, J., Yue, Y., Ciais, P., Piao, S., Wang, T., Huang, M., Borthwick, A., Li, T., Wang, Y., Chappell, A., & Van, O. (2016) 'Lateral transport of soil carbon and land−atmosphere CO 2 flux induced by water erosion in China', Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 113(24), pp. 6617-6622. Available at: 10.1073/pnas.1523358113
