Carbon sequestration potential and its eco-service function in the karst area, China

doi:10.1007/s11442-017-1415-3

Abstract

Abstract:

The karst critical zone is an essential component of the carbon (C) pool, constituting the global C cycle. It is referred to as one of the “residual land sink” that remains largely indeterminate. Karst area (2.2×10⁷ km²) comprises 15% of the world’s land area, and karst area comprises 3.44×10⁶ km² of area in China. Due to the complexity of karst structure and its considerable heterogeneity, C sequestration rate estimations contain large inaccuracies, especially in relation to the different methods used in calculations. Therefore, we reevaluated rock weathering-related C sink estimations in China (approximately 4.74 Tg C yr^-1), which we calibrated from previous studies. Additionally, we stipulated that more comprehensive research on rock-soil-biology-atmosphere continuum C migration is essential to better understand C conversion mechanisms based on uncertainty analyses of C sink estimations. Moreover, we stressed that a collective confirmation of chemical methods and simulated models through a combined research effort could at least partially eliminate such uncertainty. Furthermore, integrated C cycling research need a long-term observation of the carbon flux of multi-interfaces. The enhanced capacity of ecosystem C and soil C pools remains an effective way of increasing C sink. Karst ecosystem health and security is crucial to human social development, accordingly, it is critical that we understand thresholds or potential C sink capacities in karst critical zones now and in the future.

Key words: karst, karst critical zone, carbon sink, carbon sequestration rate, China

Xianwei SONG, Yang GAO, Xuefa WEN, Dali GUO, Guirui YU, Nianpeng HE, Jinzhong ZHANG. Carbon sequestration potential and its eco-service function in the karst area, China[J].Journal of Geographical Sciences, 2017, 27(8): 967-980.

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Karst regions	Area (10⁴ km²)	HCO^- 3 (g L^-1)	Runoff modulus (10⁷ L km^-2 yr^-1)	Correction coefficient	CO₂ sink (10⁴ t yr^-1)
Southern karst	56.48	0.23	40.59	0.65	1241.5
Northern karst	32.58	0.25	6.31	0.65	118.1
Tibetan Plateau karst	55.60	0.15	19.95	0.65	377.0
Buried karst	200.01	0.23	0.01	0.65	1.1
Total	344.67				1737.6

Estimation method	Study area^*	Average C sequestration/ (Tg C yr^-1)	Global average C sequestration/ (Pg C yr^-1)	Data source
Solute load method	Bare karst in China	12	—	Yan et al., 2011
Solute load method	Bare karst in China	4.8	—	Jiang and Yuan, 1999
Carbonate-rock-tablet test	Bare karst in China	3.2	—	Jiang and Yuan, 1999
DBL theory (potential C sink)	China	64.2	0.41	Liu and Zhao, 2000
Solute load method	China	17.9	0.11	Liu and Zhao, 2000
Carbonate-rock-tablet test	China	17.5	0.11	Liu and Zhao, 2000
Carbonate-rock-tablet test	China	3.21	—	Jiang et al., 2013
Solute load method	China	4.84	—	Jiang et al., 2013
Simple accumulate method (By province)	China	5.07	—	Jiang et al., 2013
GIS-based carbonate-rock- tablet test	China	3.88	—	Jiang et al., 2013
GEM-CO₂ Model	China	14.1	—	Qiu et al., 2004
Solute load method	China	10.09	—	Li et al., 2014
Comprehensive method	—	—	0.7052	Liu et al., 2010
Solute load method	China	4.74	—	This research

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