Wetlands and Climate Change

Wetlands emit 20 to 25 percent of global methane emissions to Earth’s atmosphere, yet they also
have the best capacity of any ecosystem to retain carbon through permanent burial (sequestration).
Both processes have implications for climate change. Of the total storage of organic carbon
in Earth’s soils, 20 to 30 percent or more is stored in wetlands, and that storage is vulnerable to
loss back to the atmosphere if the climate warms or becomes drier. This book excerpt discusses
the significant, yet underappreciated role of wetlands in the global carbon cycle.