Wetlands are one of the three major ecosystems in the world, which play an important role in the global carbon cycle. The research on carbon sequestration of the wetland has become a research hotspot.  

Aboveground biomass of vegetation is a key parameter indicating the carbon storage of marsh vegetation. China has the third largest area of marshland in the world, and herbaceous marsh is the most widely distributed marsh type in China. However, the aboveground biomass of herbaceous marsh in China remains unclear. 

In a study published in Science China Earth Sciences, Prof. JIANG Ming from the Northeast the Institute of Geography and Agroecology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the collaborators analyzed for the first time the aboveground biomass and its spatial distribution pattern of herbaceous marsh in China based on field survey data of aboveground biomass of herbaceous marsh on a national scale. 

The researchers found that the average aboveground biomass density of herbaceous marsh vegetation was about 227.5 g C m^-2, and the total area of herbaceous marsh is about 9.7 × 10⁴ km² in China. As a result, the total aboveground biomass of China's herbaceous marsh vegetation was about 22.2 Tg C.  

For the spatial pattern, the aboveground biomass density of herbaceous marsh is low biomass in the Northeast China and the Tibetan Plateau, but high in central North China and coastal regions. The aboveground biomass density of herbaceous marsh decreases with the increasing elevation in the Tibetan Plateau, and increases with increasing temperature in the temperate humid and semi-humid region. In temperate regions, it first decreases and then shows no significant change with the aggravation of drought.  

This study provides the scientific basis for carbon storage estimation and adaptive management of marsh wetland ecosystem in China.