Welcome to Chinese Journal of Applied Ecology! Today is Share:

Chinese Journal of Applied Ecology ›› 2012, Vol. 23 ›› Issue (05): 1195-1202.

• Articles • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Organic carbon storage in urban built-up areas of China in 1997-2006.

ZHU Chao, ZHAO Shu-qing, ZHOU De-cheng   

  1. (Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Earth Surface Processes, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China)
  • Online:2012-05-18 Published:2012-05-18

Abstract: With the increase of greenhouse gases emission in urban regions, urban carbon cycle plays a more and more important role in global carbon cycle. To estimate urban carbon emission and carbon storage is crucial for understanding urban carbon cycle. By using China’s statistics data and the results from recent publications, this paper estimated the organic carbon storage in China’s urban built-up areas in 1997-2006. From 1997 to 2006, the total organic carbon storage in the urban built-up areas increased from 0.13-0.19 Pg C (averagely 0.16 Pg C) to 0.28-0.41 Pg C (averagely 0.34 Pg C), and the organic carbon density increased from 9.86-14.03 kg C·m-2 (averagely 11.95 kg C·m-2) to 10.54-15.54 kg C·m-2 (averagely 13.04 kg C·m-2). The total organic carbon storage in the urban builtup areas was mainly contributed by soils (78% in 1997 and 73% in 2006), followed by buildings (12% in 1997 and 16% in 2006) and green spaces (9% in 1997 and 10% in 2006), while the carbon storage in resident bodies only accounted for less than 1%, which could be neglected.