Carbon sequestration function of check-dams: a case study of the Loess plateau in China.
Check-dams are the most common structures for controlling soil erosion in the Loess Plateau. However, the effect of check-dams on carbon sequestration, along with sediment transport and deposition, has not been assessed over large areas. In this study, we evaluated the carbon sequestration function of check-dams in the Loess Plateau. The results indicate that there were approximately 11 000 check-dams distributed in the Loess Plateau, with an estimate of the amount of sediment of 21 × 10⁹ m³ and a soil organic carbon storage amount of 0.945 Pg. Our study reveals that check-dams in the Loess Plateau not only conserve soil and water but also sequester carbon.
State Key Laboratory of Urban and Regional Ecology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, PO Box 2871, Beijing, 100085, China, yfwang@rcees.ac.cn.
Yafeng
Y
Wang
Liding
L
Chen
Yang
Y
Gao
Shuai
S
Wang
Yihe
Y
Lü
Bojie
B
Fu
D002244:Carbon; D002681:China; D003247:Conservation of Natural Resources; D019015:Geologic Sediments; D045483:Rivers; D012988:Soil Microbiology; D014872:Water Movements; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000737:chemistry*
D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; D002244:Carbon