Comparative assessment of soil greenhouse gas fluxes (carbon dioxide and methane) and climate effects across wetland types in South Bali, Indonesia

Wetlands help keep the Earth’s carbon in check. They do this by storing carbon over long periods and releasing greenhouse gases. In Indonesia, even though land use is changing quickly, there hasn’t been much research comparing different wetland types. This study focused on six wetlands in South Bali, ranging from healthy and degraded mangroves to marshes, rice fields, mudflats, and abandoned aquaculture ponds. Researchers collected data on soil traits like organic carbon content, moisture, pH, bulk density, and texture. During the dry season, we measured fluxes of carbon dioxide (CO₂) and methane (CH₄) using static closed chambers and gas chromatography, then calculated its climate impact in CO₂-equivalent terms. The results varied across sites: degraded mangroves had the highest emissions, while mudflats and rice paddies absorbed more carbon than they released. CO₂ emissions tended to be higher in more acidic soils, but CH₄ wasn’t as clearly linked to soil features. Overall, wetlands in poor condition were shown to contribute more to warming, while healthy or managed ones offered climate benefits. These findings support efforts to conserve undisturbed wetlands and restore damaged ones to help tackle climate change more naturally.