Land use and land cover changes in coastal and inland wetlands cause soil carbon and nitrogen loss

Abstract Aim Natural wetlands are widely considered important for mitigation of climate change, but they have been impacted by land use and land cover change (LULCC), often resulting in ecosystem degradation and significant changes in soil carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) dynamics. However, the impact of various LULCC types on wetland soil C and N dynamics remains unclear. Location Global. Time period 1982–2021. Major taxa studied Wetland. Methods We present a global meta‐analysis using a database of 487 sites compiled from the literature, demonstrating the response of soil C and N concentrations and stocks in coastal wetlands, riparian wetlands and peatlands to various types of LULCCs, including agricultural lands, drained wetlands, aquaculture ponds, pastures and constructed wetlands. Results The conversion of coastal wetlands, riparian wetlands and peatlands to most LULCC types decreased the mean soil C and N concentrations and stocks by 17.8 ± 10.3, 25.3 ± 13.4 and 23.2 ± 6.3%, respectively. The loss of wetland soil C owing to LULCC is estimated to cause a potential CO 2 emission of 1.8–22.8 Mg CO 2 equivalent emission/ha/year, except for conversion to constructed wetlands. The soil C and N contents were more sensitive to LULCCs, relative to the stocks. We also found that the patterns of soil C and N variations were closely related to the conversion time since completion of LULCC. After LULCC, the response of soil C and N variables was sensitive to changes in plant biomass, soil water conditions, bulk density, pH and NH 4 + ‐N concentration, with the major controlling factors varying with the conversion age. Main conclusions Our results highlight the important role of LULCC in triggering soil C and N loss in natural wetlands, which enhances the greenhouse effect. As such, our study calls for sustainable land management strategies aiming at wetland conservation as a powerful tool to mitigate climate warming.