Understanding lateral terrestrial organic carbon transfer is challenging due to the unexplored nature of land-based organic carbon deposits. This study combines field surveys and remote sensing to estimate sediment retention and organic carbon burial by check dams on the Chinese Loess Plateau. Results indicate that 50,226 check dams intercepted 10.2 ± 0.6 Pg of eroded sediment (46% of the Yellow River's sediment load) from 1970–2020, burying 21.6 ± 9.9 Tg of organic carbon at a rate significantly higher than global lakes/reservoirs. The high organic carbon burial efficiency (~80%) suggests check dams are a significant terrestrial carbon sink, requiring inclusion in global carbon budgets.
Publisher
Communications Earth & Environment
Published On
Mar 09, 2023
Authors
Nufang Fang, Yi Zeng, Lishan Ran, Zhen Wang, Xixi Lu, Zhengang Wang, Xiankun Yang, Jinshi Jian, Qiang Yu, Lingshan Ni, Chun Liu, Chao Yue, Zhihua Shi
Tags
organic carbon
check dams
sediment retention
carbon sink
Loess Plateau
Yellow River
environmental studies
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