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2011 International Conference on Environment Science and Engineering IPCBEE vol.8 (2011) © (2011) IACSIT Press, Singapore Preliminary research of carbon-sink effect of Tianjin’s wetlands system in the context of global climate change Sandra Meng Ying Leea,b a School of Civil Engineering, Tsinghua University b School of Architecture, Tsinghua University Beijing, China [email protected] urban area is higher than peripheral region, which is due to decrease number of wetlands and other territorial waters caused by expansion of urban area.(Figure 2) This phenomenon is called “heat island effect”, which has exacerbated from 1998 to 2007 according to figure 2. Tianjin wetland has long been facing the same problem such as overpopulation, urban sprawl and most importantly the continuation of climate change. Under this given circumstance, Tianjin has been suffering from water shortage and water resources problem, resulting wetlands in Tianjin faceing more pressing crises. Abstract—Hydrosphere environment is the most susceptible fundamental systems subjects to current global climate change. The unique geographical feature and developing potential of Tianjin wetlands systems has impacted on the local water environment severely. In this article, preliminary estimation of restorable wetlands area and its atmosphere values has been made. Based on assessed potential carbon sink capacity, it is deduced that wetlands system would help restoring carbon sink in Tianjin area. The purpose of this research is to provide strategies aiming to improve the ecological security pattern, whilst maintaining economic development of Tianjin area. Keywords-wetland system; carbon sink; global Climate Change; Tianjin I. INTRODUCTION The ecological security pattern of wetlands system plays an important role of regulating climate change, and reduces greenhouse gases emission. A mature restoration of wetlands system possesses carbon sink function that features in regulating climate. Thus, the value of the wetland ecosystem service has been stand out. II. CURRENT CONDITION OF TIANJIN WETLAND Figure 1. Tianjin wetlands have valuable historical meaning because they were typical ancient low-lying lands ranged from “Qi-li-Hai” to “Huang-Zhuang-Wa” swamp series derived from Hai-He river basin. In the past century, ecosystems in Tianjin wetlands area had changed fundamentally. The decrease of water flow from outer region and over exploitation of groundwater has caused river interception in local Tianjin area. Currently, local rivers in Tainjin area are constructed rivers that relied on water pulling from Luan River and Yellow River. However, the water supplies continuing decrease and slowly diminish. The area of Natural wetlands has been decreasing from 45.9 % in the 20th century to 3.6% by the year of 2000. Remote sensing images from different periods illustrated in Figure 1indicate the obvious signs of construction, fragmentation, salinization, and the decline of ecological function of wetlands in Tianjin region. The declining land cover of wetlands and ecological service area would in turn diminish the ability of regulating climate. The results of remote sensing data analysis (1998, 2007, Landsat TM6) revealed a clear sign that temperature in Figure 2. Analysis diagram of land use of Tian Jin City in 2000 and 2007 (“Strategy of spatial planning of Tian Jin City” 2008) Comparison of island heat of Tian Jin City in1998 and 2007 (“Strategy of spatial planning of Tian Jin City” 2008) Tianjin wetlands ecosystem is a degrading ecological system shaped by human activities and nature environmental factors. This changing pattern of wetlands and ecological 46 function indicated a negative growth relationship between human activities and natural environment, which suggests the importance of Tianjin wetlands conservation and restoration management. In addition to maintaining the basic wetland ecosystem services function, "water security", it is more crucial to sustain its "ecological security" in order to enhance habitat of various species; by providing migratory birds and other valuable species an optimal habitat, Tianjin wetland biodiversity can be improved. Solution to the problems of Tianjin wetlands system should be mapped out based on the perspective of managing entire river basin. By exploring the problems in upstream, midpoint, and downstream individually, a plan of integral wetlands system is proposed to solve the problems of river basin step by step. Therefore, in order to fully understand the magnitude of this subject, it is important to tackle the problem from the perspective of the overall watershed management, and wetland system layout can be use in solving practical problems faced in Tianjin. III. Tianjin area. Moreover, water pollution, biodiversity decline and loss of wetlands resulted in decline of wetland ecosystem services function. By preserving the wetland resources in Tianjin area, not only the ecological security patter of downstream of Haihe River would be preserved, but also the effectiveness of ecological security patterns of Tianjin area would be improved. IV. COMPOSING OF ECOLOGICAL SECURITY PATTERN IN TIANJIN The main target of planning Tianjin wetlands system should be aiming to sustain and maintain wetlands’ “water security" and "ecological security" function as the basis for regional sustainable development. Only through the development of an overall well-established eco-network architecture can help adaptation and mitigation of climate change, and further contribute to safe living environment. THE IMPORTANCE OF PROTECTION AND RESTORATION OF WETLANDS SYSTEM IN TIANJIN Wetlands system is the second most important carbonsink other than forests system in lithosphere. Wetlands not only provide safe habitat for endangered animals and plants, but also serve as life support systems for regional ecological security pattern. Studies have shown that 35% of the terrestrial biosphere carbon is contained in only 6% of Earth's land area of wetlands. The capacity of carbon storage depends on the types of wetlands, wetland size, vegetation, soil thickness, groundwater, nutrients, pH values, and other factors [3]. Wetlands included approximately 770 billion tons of global carbon, more than agro-ecosystems (150 million tons), temperate forests (159 million tons) and the tropical rain forest (428 million tons). [3] “Carbon sink” would turn into “Carbon leak” if destruction of wetlands occurs, which diminishes carbon fixation function, and stimulates carbon oxidation process that contributes toward global warming process. Unrestrained land reclamation and destruction of wetlands will increase the greenhouse gas emissions. Therefore, prompt wetland protection management will in turn improve carbon fixation function. The key element in wetland protection and restoration in the hope for achieving “net carbon sink” is wetland habitat protection and preservation management. Wetlands restoration helps maintaining carbon fixation in terrestrial ecosystems, which decomposes atmospheric greenhouse gases, and mitigates global warming process. Consequently, preserving carbon cycling contained in wetlands system plays a significant role of serving it’s ecological service function in responding toward global climate change. Furthermore, this ecological service function improves the relationship between human and their environment in five scales, global, regional, urbanization, and social and architectural context. [2]. As in recent years, human over population and exploitation of land caused the reduction of wetlands in Figure 3. Ecological security pattern map in Tian-Jin (S.M.Y.Lee) “Water security” implies the function of water supply, flood control, water-logging, water purification, and “ecological security “should take account of mapping out the protection plan in ecologically sensitive areas for the Haihe River Basin. Ecological security also refers to the ecological safety toward human settlement and infrastructure development patterns. It should be integrate through wetland restoration from the perspective of governance in order to improve the security situation in Tianjin eco-quality. “Ecological security pattern” of wetlands system in Tianjin is consisted of “Water security” and “Ecological security”. Wetland management should use biogeography and ecological point of view in integrating ecological 47 Biomass of Reeds(tons/hm2)=5 tons/hm2; Biomass of Rice(tons/hm2) =19.44 tons/hm2 security pattern with regional land use. In order to regulate urban climate change, reduce heat island effect and improve urban ecological quality, the integration of wetland into urban area is critically important. Based on the principle of ecological security pattern strategic plan, wetlands work as the media in adjusting of entire Tianjin water environment. A complete wetland system reserve and restoration plan from foothills wetlands system to plain wetlands system to coastal wetlands system, and a regional ecological security connection made by construct wetlands and river wetlands system would increase the overall wetland area and distribution, and helps strengthening the ecological security pattern in Tianjin. Under this plan, the restored and reserved wetland areas are estimated to be 3055 km² in the future. (Figure. 4) Under the plan of wetlands reservation and restoration, the preliminary estimated amount of carbon dioxide fixed by wetland reeds and rice are shown as followed. (Table1, 2) Preliminary estimation concluded that after actual execution of Tianjin wetlands system preserving and restoring plan, area of wetlands would increase, which improves the level of regulating climate. Therefore, it clearly indicates the importance in protecting and restoring wetlands system, ecosystem services management and stability as net carbon sink is crucial and urgent. TABLE 1 ESTIMATED AMOUNT OF CARBON DIOXIDE FIXED BY REEDS (T) Year 1985 Coastal Wetland 34858.35 River Wetland 166050.00 Lake Wetland 117.86 Swamp Wetland 2879.55 Man-made Wetland 246037.50 2000 21676.06 54414.78 88.78 2741.72 209660.50 2007 22392.23 56212.63 91.72 2832.30 216587.63 2010 24318.96 61049.41 99.61 3076.00 235223.78 (S.M.Y.Lee) TABLE 2 ESTIMATED AMOUNT OF CARBON DIOXIDE FIXED BY RICE (T) Figure 4. The changing pattern of Wetland areas (S.M.Y.Lee) V. Year THE IMPORTANCE OF COMBINING WETLANDS SYSTEM AND ITS CARBON-SINK FUNCTION It is important to fully integrate Tianjin's own natural wetland resources in the plan of restoring the local wetlands system. Constructed wetlands and flood detention wetlands assist in performing wetland functions. Wetlands, ponds, salt pans, reservoirs, rivers, road networks, etc form bases, patches, and corridor of the ecological security pattern, in which costal mudflat, downstream riverbank are ecological bases, reservoir wetland, flood detention wetlands, ancient lagoon wetlands, constructed wetlands are ecological patches, and river wetlands are ecological corridors that connect bases to patches. To strengthen the connecting network within wetlands system, the quality of ecological security patter and carbon sink formation would be improved. Reference to a number of scholars’ research results, preliminary calculations of the wetland carbon sinks between wetland reeds and rice fields had not fully integrated the data of carbon sink efficiency. If taking into account and consider the value of carbon fixation, the benefit from carbon fixation of wetland systems in Tianjin will be tremendous. The formula is as follows: 1985 Coastal Wetland 81317.6 River Wetland 387361.4 Lake Wetland 274.9 Swamp Wetland 6717.4 Man-made Wetland 573956.3 2000 50565.9 126938.8 207.1 6395.9 489096.1 2007 52236.6 131132.8 213.9 6607.2 505255.6 2010 56731.3 142416.1 232.37 7175.7 548730.1 (S.M.Y.Lee) VI. CONCLUSIONS The concept of global climate change integration had becoming publicized and being educated toward the general public. Under the influence of carbon trading, we often overlook the innate ability of nature carbon sink forming process, which can filter and provide cleaner water resource and better soil nutrient. Wetlands system is one of the systems that possesses carbon sink ecological service, Therefore, the key to achieve net carbon sink is through wetland restoration, preservation and development management. In the context of global climate change, the role of wetlands should be taken more seriously due to its ability in regulating climate change. In the composing plan, Tianjin wetlands system is divided into bases, patches, and corridors, preservation/restoration and construction of wetlands in each region ensures it’s ecological security function to work systematically. Tianjin wetlands’ most important goal is to protect "water security" and "ecological security" as the basis for sustainable urban development, and the establishment of Weight of fixed carbon dioxide(tons)= covering area (hm2)X biomass( tons/hm2)X Capacity of fixing carbon dioxide (1.62tons/tons[7] ) 48 better ecological network architecture. Adaptation and mitigation through better development and management of wetlands can further benefit and achieve safe living environment. Profound knowledge about carbon sink system should be included in the planning of straightening ecological security pattern in wetlands system. However, existing methods and data were insufficient; the next in-depth investigation on the basis of such research should be strengthened. 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BeiJing: China Agriculture Press, 2009 (4): p124. [9] Z. G. Liu. “Research of carbon storage and greenhouse gases emission of wetland ecological system.[J] Scientia Geographical Sinica, 2001(5): p 634-639. Article in a conference proceedings: [10] X. H. Ma et al. “Overview of Swamp carbon dioxide and ecological system” [A]. Chen Gang Chi. “Research of swamp of San Jiang Plain”[C]. BeiJing: Science Press, 1996:p165-168. ACKNOWLEDGMENT This Project was granted financial support from China Postdoctoral Science Foundation. China Postdoctoral Science Foundation Financial Number: 20100480016 REFERENCES [1] [2] A. Z. Liu. “Research of benefits evaluation and analysis of He Bei Province costal wetland kinetic equilibrium.” [D], 2007: p34 E. Maltby and C.P. Immirzi 1992. The Global Status of Peatlands and Their Role in Carbon Cycling. Publish by Friends of the Earth Trust Limited. 49