Professor Xia Xinghui's Team from the School of Environment Published an Article in National Science Review
On March 26, Professor Xia Xinghui's research team from the School of Environment published a study titled "Globally doubled methane emissions from nutrient-enriched rivers" in the National Science Review. The team collaborated with multiple domestic and international research institutions to systematically reveal the impact and mechanisms of nutrient enrichment on global river CH4 emissions by integrating independently conducted long-term China river observation data with the Global River Methane Database (GRiMeDB), and evaluated the CH4 emission reduction potential under different nutrient reduction scenarios.
The abstract is as follows:
Methane (CH4) accounts for about one third of the current anthropogenic greenhouse gas-driven warming. Rivers, particularly those draining human-impacted landscapes, are important sources of CH4 to the atmosphere. Yet, effective mitigation of this important flux remains elusive due to the lack of accurate quantification of human-induced emissions and a poor understanding of its key aquatic drivers. Here, we demonstrate that CH4 emission rates from global nutrient-enriched rivers in human-impacted regions more than double (2.5-fold) those from pristine rivers. Importantly, a strong association is identified between CH4 flux and concentrations of total phosphorus and ammonium nitrogen in these systems. This relationship is mediated by increased autochthonous and exogenous supplies of labile organic substrates, enhanced methanogen abundance and diversity, and extended anoxia in nutrient-enriched rivers. Quantitative modeling incorporating nutrient effects estimates global CH4 emissions from nutrient-enriched rivers at 9.7 ± 1.1 Tg CH4 yr?1, of which 22–49% could be mitigated by reducing current nutrient concentrations to levels constrained by sustainable development goals, half of their current levels, or pristine conditions. These findings highlight the substantial potential for effective mitigation of riverine CH4 emissions via coordinated riverine nutrient management at the global scale.
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