Half of all of China's lakes are on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau(QTP),which are mainly distributed at altitudes above 4000 m asl.Being under conditions of progressively intensifying anthropogenic activities and cli-mate change,the debate on whether QTP lakes act as carbon(C)sinks or sources remains unresolved.This study explores QTP lake C exchange processes and characteristics over the past two decades through field monitoring and data integration.Results reveal high lake carbon dioxide(CO2)exchange flux distribu-tion patterns in its western and southern regions and correspondingly low values in its eastern and north-ern regions.Lake CO2 exchange flux rates also show significant temporal differences where those in the 2000s and 2010s were significantly higher compared to the 2020s.Annual total CO2 emission flux from QTP lakes has increased from 1.60 Tg C a-1 in the 2000s to 6.87 Tg C a-1 in the 2010s before decreasing to 1.16 Tg C a-1 in the 2020s.However,QTP lakes have generally acted as C sinks when annual ice-cover periods are included in the estimation of annual C budgets,Consequently,QTP lakes are gradually evolving towards C sinks.Some small-sized freshwater lakes on the QTP exhibit C sequestration characteristics while low-mid altitude saltwater lakes also act as C sinks.Therefore,owing to the high uncertainties in the estimation of C exchange flux,the QTP lake C sink capacity has been largely underestimated.

Junjie Jia;Kun Sun;Sidan Lü;Mingxu Li;Yafeng Wang;Guirui Yu;Yang Gao

Key Laboratory of Ecosystem Network Observation and Modeling,Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research,Chinese Academy of Sciences,Beijing 100101,China;College of Resources and Environment,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences,Beijing 100049,China;Key Laboratory of Alpine Ecology,Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research,Chinese Academy of Sciences,Beijing 100101,China

科学通报（英文版）

[1]Junjie Jia;Kun Sun;Sidan Lü;Mingxu Li;Yafeng Wang;Guirui Yu;Yang Gao-.Determining whether Qinghai-Tibet Plateau waterbodies have acted like carbon sinks or sources over the past 20 years)[J].科学通报（英文版）,2022(22):2345-2357

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Determining,whether,Qinghai,Tibet,Plateau,waterbodies,have,acted,like,carbon,sinks,sources,past,years,Half,China,lakes,QTP,which,mainly,distributed,altitudes,above,Being,conditions,progressively,intensifying,anthropogenic,activities,cli,debate,remains,unresolved,This,study,explores,exchange,processes,characteristics,two,decades,through,field,monitoring,data,integration,Results,reveal,dioxide,flux,patterns,its,western,southern,regions,correspondingly,low,values,eastern,north,Lake,rates,also,show,temporal,differences,where,those,2000s,2010s,were,significantly,higher,compared,2020s,Annual,total,emission,from,has,increased,Tg,before,decreasing,However,generally,when,annual,ice,cover,periods,included,estimation,budgets,Consequently,gradually,evolving,towards,Some,small,sized,freshwater,exhibit,sequestration,while,mid,saltwater,Therefore,owing,uncertainties,capacity,been,largely,underestimated

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