Journal
ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION
Volume 164, Issue -, Pages 89-101Publisher
ELSEVIER SCI LTD
DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2012.01.020
Keywords
Urbanization; Land-use change; Carbon dynamics; Dynamic Land Ecosystem Model (DLEM); The Southern United States
Categories
Funding
- NSFC [31170347]
- US Department of Energy NICCR [DUKE-UN-07-SC-NICCR-1014]
- NASA IDS [NNX10AU06G]
- Alabama Agricultural Experiment Station (AAES)
- Center for Forest Sustainability at Auburn University
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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. Published by Elsevier Ltd.
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