Exploring the connection of physical habitat health of the wetland with its gas regulating services

Many scholars assessed habitat health and measured gas regulation service of wetlands separately. However, no such targeted work was done to answer how habitat health can control gas regulation? Therefore, the present study investigated the role of habitat health on the gas regulation service of wetlands. Multi-parametric Machine Learning (ML) based modelling approach was applied to assess habitat health considering physical wetland hydrological factors and habitat degrading factors. Three primary atmospheric gas regulation functions of wetland, namely Methane (CH₄) emission, Carbon (C) sequestration, and Oxygen (O₂) release, were observed associating with habitat health. Very poor habitat health prevailed over 227 km² of wetland, whereas very good habitat health covered 299 km² of wetland. But out of the very good habitat health zone, 69% belonged to the perennial river of this region. On the other hand, it was estimated that the amount of annual CH₄ emission, C sequestration, and O₂ release from the wetlands of this region were respectively 8.01 × 1000 tons, 908.98 × 1000 tons and 664.51 × 1000 tons. The association of habitat health was positive with CH₄ emission and negative with C sequestration and O₂ release. Following the association, habitat health zone-wise variation of emission, sequestration, and release was also very prominent. The very good zone of habitat health was observed to have 60% higher CH₄ average emission and 56% lesser C sequestration than very poor habitat health.