Riverine CO2 emissions in the Wuding River catchment on the Loess Plateau: Environmental controls and dam impoundment impact

Abstract

AbstractRiver ecosystems contribute significantly to CO2 emissions. However, estimates of global riverine CO2 emissions remain greatly uncertain owing to the absence of a comprehensive and spatially resolved CO2 emission measurement. Based on intensive field measurements using floating chambers, riverine CO2 evasion in the Wuding River catchment on the Loess Plateau was investigated. Lateral carbon derived from soil respiration and chemical weathering played a central role in controlling the variability of riverine CO2 partial pressure (pCO2). In addition, in‐stream processing of allochthonous organic carbon was an also important source of CO2 excess, modulating the influence of lateral carbon inputs. All the surveyed streams were net CO2 sources, exhibiting pronounced spatial and seasonal variabilities. The mean CO2 efflux was 172, 116, and 218 mmol m−2 d−1 in spring, summer, and autumn, respectively. Unlike the commonly observed strongest CO2 emissions in headwater streams, the increasing CO2 efflux with stream order in the Wuding River catchment reflects its unique geomorphologic landscape in controlling CO2 emissions. While in reservoirs, the pCO2 was more controlled by primary production with aquatic photosynthetic assimilation constraining it to a lower level. Both the magnitude and direction of CO2 evasion from reservoirs have been greatly altered. Contrast to streams with large CO2 effluxes, reservoirs were small carbon sources and even carbon sinks, due primarily to greatly reduced turbulence and enhanced photosynthesis. In view of the large number of reservoirs on the Loess Plateau, assessing the resulting changes to CO2 emissions and their implications for regional carbon budgets warrants further research.