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Nature
02, 2023;614 (7947): 281-286.

Extensive global wetland loss over the past three centuries.

Etienne Fluet-Chouinard, Benjamin D Stocker, Zhen Zhang, Avni Malhotra, Joe R Melton, Benjamin Poulter, Jed O Kaplan, Kees Klein Goldewijk, Stefan Siebert, Tatiana Minayeva, Gustaf Hugelius, Hans Joosten, Alexandra Barthelmes, Catherine Prigent, Filipe Aires, Alison M Hoyt, Nick Davidson, C Max Finlayson, Bernhard Lehner, Robert B Jackson, Peter B McIntyre
Author Information
  1. Etienne Fluet-Chouinard: Department of Earth System Science, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA. efluet@stanford.edu. ORCID
  2. Benjamin D Stocker: Department of Environmental Systems Science, ETH Zurich, Zürich, Switzerland.
  3. Zhen Zhang: Earth System Science Interdisciplinary Center, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA.
  4. Avni Malhotra: Department of Earth System Science, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA. ORCID
  5. Joe R Melton: Climate Research Division, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. ORCID
  6. Benjamin Poulter: NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Biospheric Sciences Laboratory, Greenbelt, MD, USA. ORCID
  7. Jed O Kaplan: Department of Earth Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China.
  8. Kees Klein Goldewijk: Faculty of Geosciences, Copernicus Institute of Sustainable Development, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
  9. Stefan Siebert: Department of Crop Sciences, Georg-August-Universität Göttingen, Goettingen, Germany. ORCID
  10. Tatiana Minayeva: Care for Ecosystems, Goerlitz, Germany. ORCID
  11. Gustaf Hugelius: Department of Earth System Science, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA. ORCID
  12. Hans Joosten: Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Peatland Studies and Paleoecology, University of Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany. ORCID
  13. Alexandra Barthelmes: Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Peatland Studies and Paleoecology, University of Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany.
  14. Catherine Prigent: Sorbonne Université, Observatoire de Paris, Université PSL, CNRS, LERMA, Paris, France.
  15. Filipe Aires: Sorbonne Université, Observatoire de Paris, Université PSL, CNRS, LERMA, Paris, France.
  16. Alison M Hoyt: Department of Earth System Science, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA. ORCID
  17. Nick Davidson: Nick Davidson Environmental, Queens House, Wigmore, UK.
  18. C Max Finlayson: Gulbali Institute for Land, Water and Society, Charles Sturt University, Elizabeth Mitchell Drive, Albury, New South Wales, Australia.
  19. Bernhard Lehner: Department of Geography, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada. ORCID
  20. Robert B Jackson: Department of Earth System Science, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA. ORCID
  21. Peter B McIntyre: Center for Limnology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA.
PMID: 36755174 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-022-05572-6

Abstract

Wetlands have long been drained for human use, thereby strongly affecting greenhouse gas fluxes, flood control, nutrient cycling and biodiversity. Nevertheless, the global extent of natural wetland loss remains remarkably uncertain. Here, we reconstruct the spatial distribution and timing of wetland loss through conversion to seven human land uses between 1700 and 2020, by combining national and subnational records of drainage and conversion with land-use maps and simulated wetland extents. We estimate that 3.4 million km (confidence interval 2.9-3.8) of inland wetlands have been lost since 1700, primarily for conversion to croplands. This net loss of 21% (confidence interval 16-23%) of global wetland area is lower than that suggested previously by extrapolations of data disproportionately from high-loss regions. Wetland loss has been concentrated in Europe, the United States and China, and rapidly expanded during the mid-twentieth century. Our reconstruction elucidates the timing and land-use drivers of global wetland losses, providing an improved historical baseline to guide assessment of wetland loss impact on Earth system processes, conservation planning to protect remaining wetlands and prioritization of sites for wetland restoration.

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Grants

  1. DEB-1115025/National Science Foundation

MeSH Term

Humans
Biodiversity
China
Europe
Wetlands
Natural Resources
Spatio-Temporal Analysis
United States
History, 18th Century
History, 19th Century
History, 20th Century
History, 21st Century
Journal Article Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.
Article has an altmetric score of 1163

Word Cloud

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