Quantification of blue carbon in salt marshes of the Pacific coast of Canada
<p>Tidal salt marshes are known to accumulate “blue carbon” at high rates relative to their surface area, which render these systems among the Earth's most efficient carbon (C) sinks. However, the potential for tidal salt marshes to mitigate global warming remains poorly constrained becau...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Copernicus Publications
2022-12-01
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| Series: | Biogeosciences |
| Online Access: | https://bg.copernicus.org/articles/19/5751/2022/bg-19-5751-2022.pdf |
| _version_ | 1811184453036277760 |
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| author | S. G. Chastain K. E. Kohfeld K. E. Kohfeld M. G. Pellatt M. G. Pellatt C. Olid C. Olid M. Gailis |
| author_facet | S. G. Chastain K. E. Kohfeld K. E. Kohfeld M. G. Pellatt M. G. Pellatt C. Olid C. Olid M. Gailis |
| author_sort | S. G. Chastain |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | <p>Tidal salt marshes are known to accumulate “blue
carbon” at high rates relative to their surface area, which render these
systems among the Earth's most efficient carbon (C) sinks. However, the
potential for tidal salt marshes to mitigate global warming remains poorly
constrained because of the lack of representative sampling of tidal marshes
from around the globe, inadequate areal extent estimations, and
inappropriate dating methods for accurately estimating C accumulation rates.
Here we provide the first estimates of organic C storage and accumulation
rates in salt marshes along the Pacific coast of Canada, within the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Clayoquot Sound Biosphere Reserve and Pacific Rim National Park
Reserve, a region currently underrepresented in global compilations. Within
the context of other sites from the Pacific coast of North America, these
young Clayoquot Sound marshes have relatively low C stocks but are
accumulating C at rates that are higher than the global average with
pronounced differences between high and low marsh habitats. The average C
stock calculated during the past 30 years is 54 <span class="inline-formula">±</span> 5 Mg C ha<span class="inline-formula"><sup>−1</sup></span>
(mean <span class="inline-formula">±</span> standard error), which accounts for 81 % of the C
accumulated to the base of the marsh peat layer (67 <span class="inline-formula">±</span> 9 Mg C ha<span class="inline-formula"><sup>−1</sup>)</span>. The total C stock is just under one-third of previous global
estimates of salt marsh C stocks, likely due to the shallow depth and young
age of the marsh. In contrast, the average C accumulation rate (CAR) (184 <span class="inline-formula">±</span> 50 g C m<span class="inline-formula"><sup>−2</sup></span> yr<span class="inline-formula"><sup>−1</sup></span> to the base of the peat layer) is higher
than both CARs from salt marshes along the Pacific coast (112 <span class="inline-formula">±</span> 12 g C m<span class="inline-formula"><sup>−2</sup></span> yr<span class="inline-formula"><sup>−1</sup>)</span> and global estimates (91 <span class="inline-formula">±</span> 7 g C m<span class="inline-formula"><sup>−2</sup></span> yr<span class="inline-formula"><sup>−1</sup>)</span>. This difference was even more pronounced when we considered
individual marsh zones: CARs were significantly greater in high marsh (303 <span class="inline-formula">±</span> 45 g C m<span class="inline-formula"><sup>−2</sup></span> yr<span class="inline-formula"><sup>−1</sup>)</span> compared to the low marsh sediments (63 <span class="inline-formula">±</span> 6 g C m<span class="inline-formula"><sup>−2</sup></span> yr<span class="inline-formula"><sup>−1</sup>)</span>, an observation unique to Clayoquot Sound
among NE Pacific coast marsh studies. We attribute low CARs in the low marsh
zones to shallow-rooting vegetation, reduced terrestrial sediment inputs,
negative relative sea level rise in the region, and enhanced erosional
processes. Per hectare, CARs in Clayoquot Sound marsh soils are
approximately 2–7 times greater than C uptake rates based on net ecosystem
productivity in Canadian boreal forests, which highlights their potential
importance as C reservoirs and the need to consider their C accumulation
capacity as a climate mitigation co-benefit when conserving for other salt
marsh ecosystem services.</p> |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-11T13:12:36Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-7393e20446234abf8f4c0a7be6a62c52 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1726-4170 1726-4189 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-11T13:12:36Z |
| publishDate | 2022-12-01 |
| publisher | Copernicus Publications |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Biogeosciences |
| spelling | doaj.art-7393e20446234abf8f4c0a7be6a62c522022-12-22T04:22:32ZengCopernicus PublicationsBiogeosciences1726-41701726-41892022-12-01195751577710.5194/bg-19-5751-2022Quantification of blue carbon in salt marshes of the Pacific coast of CanadaS. G. Chastain0K. E. Kohfeld1K. E. Kohfeld2M. G. Pellatt3M. G. Pellatt4C. Olid5C. Olid6M. Gailis7School of Resource & Environmental Management, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, Coast Salish Territories of the Musqueam, Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish), and Tsleil-Waututh, V5A 1S6, CanadaSchool of Resource & Environmental Management, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, Coast Salish Territories of the Musqueam, Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish), and Tsleil-Waututh, V5A 1S6, CanadaSchool of Environmental Science, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, V5A 1S6, CanadaSchool of Resource & Environmental Management, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, Coast Salish Territories of the Musqueam, Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish), and Tsleil-Waututh, V5A 1S6, CanadaParks Canada, Protected Areas Establishment and Conservation Directorate, Vancouver, British Columbia, V6B 6B4, CanadaDepartment of Forest Ecology and Management, Swedish University of Agricultural Science, Umeå, SwedenDepartament de Dinàmica de la Terra i l'Oceà, UB-Geomodels Research Institute, Facultat de Ciències de la Terra, Universitat de Barcelona, 08028 Barcelona, SpainEnvironment and Climate Change Canada, Climate Change Branch, Ottawa, Ontario, K1A 0H3, Canada<p>Tidal salt marshes are known to accumulate “blue carbon” at high rates relative to their surface area, which render these systems among the Earth's most efficient carbon (C) sinks. However, the potential for tidal salt marshes to mitigate global warming remains poorly constrained because of the lack of representative sampling of tidal marshes from around the globe, inadequate areal extent estimations, and inappropriate dating methods for accurately estimating C accumulation rates. Here we provide the first estimates of organic C storage and accumulation rates in salt marshes along the Pacific coast of Canada, within the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Clayoquot Sound Biosphere Reserve and Pacific Rim National Park Reserve, a region currently underrepresented in global compilations. Within the context of other sites from the Pacific coast of North America, these young Clayoquot Sound marshes have relatively low C stocks but are accumulating C at rates that are higher than the global average with pronounced differences between high and low marsh habitats. The average C stock calculated during the past 30 years is 54 <span class="inline-formula">±</span> 5 Mg C ha<span class="inline-formula"><sup>−1</sup></span> (mean <span class="inline-formula">±</span> standard error), which accounts for 81 % of the C accumulated to the base of the marsh peat layer (67 <span class="inline-formula">±</span> 9 Mg C ha<span class="inline-formula"><sup>−1</sup>)</span>. The total C stock is just under one-third of previous global estimates of salt marsh C stocks, likely due to the shallow depth and young age of the marsh. In contrast, the average C accumulation rate (CAR) (184 <span class="inline-formula">±</span> 50 g C m<span class="inline-formula"><sup>−2</sup></span> yr<span class="inline-formula"><sup>−1</sup></span> to the base of the peat layer) is higher than both CARs from salt marshes along the Pacific coast (112 <span class="inline-formula">±</span> 12 g C m<span class="inline-formula"><sup>−2</sup></span> yr<span class="inline-formula"><sup>−1</sup>)</span> and global estimates (91 <span class="inline-formula">±</span> 7 g C m<span class="inline-formula"><sup>−2</sup></span> yr<span class="inline-formula"><sup>−1</sup>)</span>. This difference was even more pronounced when we considered individual marsh zones: CARs were significantly greater in high marsh (303 <span class="inline-formula">±</span> 45 g C m<span class="inline-formula"><sup>−2</sup></span> yr<span class="inline-formula"><sup>−1</sup>)</span> compared to the low marsh sediments (63 <span class="inline-formula">±</span> 6 g C m<span class="inline-formula"><sup>−2</sup></span> yr<span class="inline-formula"><sup>−1</sup>)</span>, an observation unique to Clayoquot Sound among NE Pacific coast marsh studies. We attribute low CARs in the low marsh zones to shallow-rooting vegetation, reduced terrestrial sediment inputs, negative relative sea level rise in the region, and enhanced erosional processes. Per hectare, CARs in Clayoquot Sound marsh soils are approximately 2–7 times greater than C uptake rates based on net ecosystem productivity in Canadian boreal forests, which highlights their potential importance as C reservoirs and the need to consider their C accumulation capacity as a climate mitigation co-benefit when conserving for other salt marsh ecosystem services.</p>https://bg.copernicus.org/articles/19/5751/2022/bg-19-5751-2022.pdf |
| spellingShingle | S. G. Chastain K. E. Kohfeld K. E. Kohfeld M. G. Pellatt M. G. Pellatt C. Olid C. Olid M. Gailis Quantification of blue carbon in salt marshes of the Pacific coast of Canada Biogeosciences |
| title | Quantification of blue carbon in salt marshes of the Pacific coast of Canada |
| title_full | Quantification of blue carbon in salt marshes of the Pacific coast of Canada |
| title_fullStr | Quantification of blue carbon in salt marshes of the Pacific coast of Canada |
| title_full_unstemmed | Quantification of blue carbon in salt marshes of the Pacific coast of Canada |
| title_short | Quantification of blue carbon in salt marshes of the Pacific coast of Canada |
| title_sort | quantification of blue carbon in salt marshes of the pacific coast of canada |
| url | https://bg.copernicus.org/articles/19/5751/2022/bg-19-5751-2022.pdf |
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