Persistent vegetation greening trends across China’s wetlands

Monitoring changes in aboveground biomass of wetland vegetation is crucial for understanding the response of wetland ecosystems to global climate change. Here we compiled a new wetland aboveground biomass dataset with 1087 sites covering all wetland regions in China. Based on this dataset, we mapped the spatial distribution of wetland aboveground biomass in China using machine learning algorithms to understand its historical and future changes. The wetland aboveground biomass density of China in 2020 was 352.23 g C m−2 on average and the total wetland aboveground biomass stock was 57.51 Tg C. During the past two decades, wetland aboveground biomass has gradually increased, indicating a notable greening trend in China’s wetlands. Our results project that China’s wetlands could continue to green-up rapidly and sustainably under various future climate change scenarios, but with varying degrees of greening. This highlights the difference in wetland ecosystem response to various climate conditions.