Blue Carbon Sink Function of Chinese Coastal Wetlands and Carbon Neutrality Strategy

Authors

Faming WANG, 1.Xiaoliang Research Station for Tropical Coastal Ecosystems, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510650, China;2.Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Guangzhou), Guangzhou 511458, China;3.State Key Laboratory of Estuarine and Coastal Research/Institute of Eco-Chongming, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200062, ChinaFollow
Jianwu TANG, State Key Laboratory of Estuarine and Coastal Research/Institute of Eco-Chongming, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200062, China
Siyuan YE, Qingdao Institute of Marine Geology, China Geological Survey, Qingdao 266273, China
Jihua LIU, Institute of Marine Science and Technology, Shandong University, Qingdao 266273, ChinaFollow

Keywords

coastal wetland, carbon (C) neutrality, C sequestration, blue carbon, mangrove, salt marsh, tidal flat, restoration

Document Type

Technical Roadmap and Strategic Thinking of Ocean Negative Emissions Aiming Carbon Neutrality

Abstract

Coastal wetlands are the main body of the coastal "blue carbon (C)" ecosystem, and their "blue C" and ecosystem service function are important ocean-based climate change governance methods, which is a "nature-based solution". Chinese coastal wetlands are dominated by salt marshes, with little area of mangroves, while the area of unvegetated tidal flats is large. According to conservative estimation, the current C sequestration of coastal wetlands through sediment burial in China reaches to 0.97 Tg C·a-1, and would increase to 1.82-3.64 Tg C·a-1 at the end of this century. To achieve the commitment of "C neutrality" in 2060, China should strengthen scientific research on coastal wetlands, protect the integrity of the structure and function of the existing coastal wetland ecosystems, stop destructive coastal wetlands development activities, and actively and steadily promote the ecological restoration of coastal wetlands, restore and enhance its "blue C" function, and benefit from C sink gains while protecting the nature.

First page

241

Last Page

251

Language

Chinese

Publisher

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences

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Recommended Citation

WANG, Faming; TANG, Jianwu; YE, Siyuan; and LIU, Jihua (2021) "Blue Carbon Sink Function of Chinese Coastal Wetlands and Carbon Neutrality Strategy," Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version): Vol. 36 : Iss. 3 , Article 2.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.16418/j.issn.1000-3045.20210215101
Available at: https://bulletinofcas.researchcommons.org/journal/vol36/iss3/2