Impact of wetland change on local climate in semi-arid zone of Northeast China

Wetlands are sensitive to climate change, in the same time, wetlands can influence climate. This study analyzed the spatio-temporal characteristics of wetland change in the semi-arid zone of Northeast China from 1985 to 2010, and investigated the impact of large area of wetland change on local climate. Results showed that the total area of wetlands was on a rise in the study area. Although natural wetlands (marshes, riparians and lakes) decreased, constructed wetlands (rice fields) increased significantly, and the highest increase rate in many places exceeded 30%. Anthropogenic activities are major driving factors for wetland change. Wetland change produced an impact on local climate, mainly on maximum temperature and precipitation during the period of May–September. The increase (or decrease) of wetland area could reduce (or increase) the increment of maximum temperature and the decrement of precipitation. The changes in both maximum temperature and precipitation corresponded with wetland change in spatial distribution. Wetland change played a more important role in moderating local climate compared to the contribution of woodland and grassland changes in the study area. Cold-humid effect of wetlands was main way to moderating local climate as well as alleviating climatic warming and drying in the study area, and heterogeneity of underlying surface broadened the cold-humid effect of wetlands.