Wetland Restoration Is Effective but Insufficient to Compensate for Soil Organic Carbon Losses From Degradation

作者：Yanan Wu, Ruiyang Zhang, Andrew S. MacDougall, Dashuan Tian, Jinsong Wang, Shuli Niu · 发表于：Global Ecology and Biogeography · 年份：2025 · DOI：10.1111/geb.70063 · 被引用次数：8 · 研究领域：Coastal wetland ecosystem dynamics、Peatlands and Wetlands Ecology、Soil erosion and sediment transport

ABSTRACT Aim To assess the effectiveness of wetland restoration in reversing soil organic carbon (SOC) loss from degradation. Location Global. Time Period 1996–2023. Major Taxa Studied Wetland. Methods We conducted a global meta‐analysis to compare SOC levels in restored, degraded, and natural wetlands across different restoration approaches and wetland types and to examine the dynamic trajectories of SOC recovery and the influence of climatic and edaphic factors. Results We found that passive restoration increased SOC in degraded sites by 141%, compared to an 8% increase from active restoration. Restored inland wetlands showed an increase in SOC of 118%, while coastal wetlands showed a limited improvement of 5%, in comparison with degraded wetlands. Increases in SOC primarily occurred within the first 10 years after restoration and then levelled off. That being said, SOC accumulation in restored wetlands rarely approached the levels found in natural wetlands, highlighting the importance of protecting wetlands from degradation for SOC targets. Key factors for wetland SOC restoration were total soil nitrogen and mean annual temperature. Main Conclusions We conclude that wetland restoration is effective but insufficient to compensate for SOC losses from degradation. This study provides valuable insights for climate change mitigation through wetland restoration, supporting the goals of the United Nations Decade on Ecosystem Restoration and the Paris Agreement.