Impacts of urbanization on carbon balance in terrestrial ecosystems of the Southern United States

Chi Zhang; Hanqin Tian; Guangsheng Chen; Arthur Chappelka; Xiaofeng Xu; Wei Ren; Dafeng Hui; Mingliang Liu; Chaoqun Lu; Shufen Pan; Graeme Lockaby

doi:10.1016/j.envpol.2012.01.020

Impacts of urbanization on carbon balance in terrestrial ecosystems of the Southern United States

Chi Zhang, Hanqin Tian, Guangsheng Chen, Arthur Chappelka, Xiaofeng Xu, Wei Ren, Dafeng Hui, Mingliang Liu, Chaoqun Lu, Shufen Pan, Graeme Lockaby

Plant and Soil Sciences

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

149 Scopus citations

Abstract

Using a process-based Dynamic Land Ecosystem Model, we assessed carbon dynamics of urbanized/developed lands in the Southern United States during 1945-2007. The results indicated that approximately 1.72 (1.69-1.77) Pg (1P = 10 ¹⁵) carbon was stored in urban/developed lands, comparable to the storage of shrubland or cropland in the region. Urbanization resulted in a release of 0.21 Pg carbon to the atmosphere during 1945-2007. Pre-urbanization vegetation type and time since land conversion were two primary factors determining the extent of urbanization impacts on carbon dynamics. After a rapid decline of carbon storage during land conversion, an urban ecosystem gradually accumulates carbon and may compensate for the initial carbon loss in 70-100 years. The carbon sequestration rate of urban ecosystem diminishes with time, nearly disappearing in two centuries after land conversion. This study implied that it is important to take urbanization effect into account for assessing regional carbon balance.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	89-101
Number of pages	13
Journal	Environmental Pollution
Volume	164
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2012.01.020
State	Published - May 2012

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
This study has been supported by the NSFC program ( #31170347 ), US Department of Energy NICCR Program (DUKE-UN-07-SC-NICCR-1014), NASA IDS Program (NNX10AU06G), Alabama Agricultural Experiment Station ( AAES ) Hatch/Multistate Funding Program and the Center for Forest Sustainability at Auburn University .

Funding

This study has been supported by the NSFC program ( #31170347 ), US Department of Energy NICCR Program (DUKE-UN-07-SC-NICCR-1014), NASA IDS Program (NNX10AU06G), Alabama Agricultural Experiment Station ( AAES ) Hatch/Multistate Funding Program and the Center for Forest Sustainability at Auburn University .

Funders	Funder number
Center for Forest Sustainability at Auburn University
US Department of Energy	DUKE-UN-07-SC-NICCR-1014
National Aeronautics and Space Administration	NNX10AU06G
Alabama Agricultural Experiment Station
National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC)	31170347

Keywords

Carbon dynamics
Dynamic Land Ecosystem Model (DLEM)
Land-use change
The Southern United States
Urbanization

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Toxicology
Pollution
Health, Toxicology and Mutagenesis

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

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10.1016/j.envpol.2012.01.020

Cite this

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title = "Impacts of urbanization on carbon balance in terrestrial ecosystems of the Southern United States",

abstract = "Using a process-based Dynamic Land Ecosystem Model, we assessed carbon dynamics of urbanized/developed lands in the Southern United States during 1945-2007. The results indicated that approximately 1.72 (1.69-1.77) Pg (1P = 10 15) carbon was stored in urban/developed lands, comparable to the storage of shrubland or cropland in the region. Urbanization resulted in a release of 0.21 Pg carbon to the atmosphere during 1945-2007. Pre-urbanization vegetation type and time since land conversion were two primary factors determining the extent of urbanization impacts on carbon dynamics. After a rapid decline of carbon storage during land conversion, an urban ecosystem gradually accumulates carbon and may compensate for the initial carbon loss in 70-100 years. The carbon sequestration rate of urban ecosystem diminishes with time, nearly disappearing in two centuries after land conversion. This study implied that it is important to take urbanization effect into account for assessing regional carbon balance.",

keywords = "Carbon dynamics, Dynamic Land Ecosystem Model (DLEM), Land-use change, The Southern United States, Urbanization",

author = "Chi Zhang and Hanqin Tian and Guangsheng Chen and Arthur Chappelka and Xiaofeng Xu and Wei Ren and Dafeng Hui and Mingliang Liu and Chaoqun Lu and Shufen Pan and Graeme Lockaby",

note = "Funding Information: This study has been supported by the NSFC program ( #31170347 ), US Department of Energy NICCR Program (DUKE-UN-07-SC-NICCR-1014), NASA IDS Program (NNX10AU06G), Alabama Agricultural Experiment Station ( AAES ) Hatch/Multistate Funding Program and the Center for Forest Sustainability at Auburn University . ",

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doi = "10.1016/j.envpol.2012.01.020",

language = "English",

volume = "164",

pages = "89--101",

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T1 - Impacts of urbanization on carbon balance in terrestrial ecosystems of the Southern United States

AU - Zhang, Chi

AU - Tian, Hanqin

AU - Chen, Guangsheng

AU - Chappelka, Arthur

AU - Xu, Xiaofeng

AU - Ren, Wei

AU - Hui, Dafeng

AU - Liu, Mingliang

AU - Lu, Chaoqun

AU - Pan, Shufen

AU - Lockaby, Graeme

N1 - Funding Information: This study has been supported by the NSFC program ( #31170347 ), US Department of Energy NICCR Program (DUKE-UN-07-SC-NICCR-1014), NASA IDS Program (NNX10AU06G), Alabama Agricultural Experiment Station ( AAES ) Hatch/Multistate Funding Program and the Center for Forest Sustainability at Auburn University .

PY - 2012/5

Y1 - 2012/5

N2 - Using a process-based Dynamic Land Ecosystem Model, we assessed carbon dynamics of urbanized/developed lands in the Southern United States during 1945-2007. The results indicated that approximately 1.72 (1.69-1.77) Pg (1P = 10 15) carbon was stored in urban/developed lands, comparable to the storage of shrubland or cropland in the region. Urbanization resulted in a release of 0.21 Pg carbon to the atmosphere during 1945-2007. Pre-urbanization vegetation type and time since land conversion were two primary factors determining the extent of urbanization impacts on carbon dynamics. After a rapid decline of carbon storage during land conversion, an urban ecosystem gradually accumulates carbon and may compensate for the initial carbon loss in 70-100 years. The carbon sequestration rate of urban ecosystem diminishes with time, nearly disappearing in two centuries after land conversion. This study implied that it is important to take urbanization effect into account for assessing regional carbon balance.

AB - Using a process-based Dynamic Land Ecosystem Model, we assessed carbon dynamics of urbanized/developed lands in the Southern United States during 1945-2007. The results indicated that approximately 1.72 (1.69-1.77) Pg (1P = 10 15) carbon was stored in urban/developed lands, comparable to the storage of shrubland or cropland in the region. Urbanization resulted in a release of 0.21 Pg carbon to the atmosphere during 1945-2007. Pre-urbanization vegetation type and time since land conversion were two primary factors determining the extent of urbanization impacts on carbon dynamics. After a rapid decline of carbon storage during land conversion, an urban ecosystem gradually accumulates carbon and may compensate for the initial carbon loss in 70-100 years. The carbon sequestration rate of urban ecosystem diminishes with time, nearly disappearing in two centuries after land conversion. This study implied that it is important to take urbanization effect into account for assessing regional carbon balance.

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KW - Dynamic Land Ecosystem Model (DLEM)

KW - Land-use change

KW - The Southern United States

KW - Urbanization

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Impacts of urbanization on carbon balance in terrestrial ecosystems of the Southern United States

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Funding

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

UN SDGs

Access to Document

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