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Greenhouse Gas Emission Dynamics in Aquaculture Ponds in Southern China
Ms YANG Qianqian
(Supervisor: Prof Lishan Ran)
Abstract:
Aquaculture ponds characteristic of shallow depth, abundant carbon and nutrient substrates, and strong human disturbances are hotspots of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. China is the largest aquaculture producer in the world with the largest aquaculture pond area. However, due to the small size of individual aquaculture ponds, the role of such small water bodies in GHG emissions is generally overlooked. Meanwhile, studies on aquatic carbon cycling and GHG emissions dynamics in aquaculture ponds in China are mainly concentrated within limited regions such as the Yangtze River basin and the Min River basin, with insufficient spatial coverage of regions with different climates and human impacts, posing a challenge to regional and global estimation of GHG emissions from inland waters. This proposed project aims to conduct a comparative study of GHG emissions and carbon cycling in representative subtropical aquaculture ponds in southern China. I selected 24 aquaculture ponds in six cities, including Zhongshan, Foshan, Maoming, Qingyuan, Huizhou, and Hong Kong, for diurnal, monthly, and seasonal field sampling and laboratory-based incubation experiments. The objectives of this research are to 1) examine the spatiotemporal variability of GHG fluxes in aquaculture ponds, 2) investigate the intrinsic effects and control mechanisms of natural environmental factors and major human activities, and 3) summarize the GHG emission pattern and construct GHG emission model for aquaculture ponds. This will advance our understanding of the mechanisms of GHG production, emission and the response to environmental and anthropogenic factors in aquaculture ponds. And further provide theoretical support for the study of regional and global carbon budget and the prediction of future climate change.