Best practice for upscaling soil organic carbon stocks in salt marshes

Ladd, Cai; Smeaton, Craig; Skov, Martin W.; Austin, William E. N.

doi:10.1016/j.geoderma.2022.116188

Cited by 10 publications

(8 citation statements)

References 70 publications

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“…Calculating the amount of C stored in coastal environments, including biomass‐bound C stocks, is needed to determine their role in mitigating the impacts of global warming (Mcleod et al 2011; Kennedy et al 2022). Several techniques exist to upscale C content from multiple samples to a unit of land, a commonly used technique is the back‐of‐envelope calculation, where the C content of collected samples is multiplied by habitat extent (Ladd et al 2022). The habitat extent of vegetated seascapes is frequently quantified through photographic characterization of aquatic vegetation (e.g., Rodil et al 2019; Rende et al 2022).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Biomass‐bound C stocks of the destructively harvested plant material within a quadrat were calculated by multiplying the measured dry weight of each tissue with their median C content value for each respective survey. For each field survey, back‐of‐envelope calculations were used to upscale C content from multiple macrophyte samples (g C quadrat −1 ) to a unit of area (g C m −2 ) for the six soft bottom sites (Ladd et al 2022), accounting for the bare seabed interspersed within these sites. Biomass‐bound C stocks of the sampled sites were calculated by multiplying the mean coverage of the aquatic plants within a site, calculated by overlaying the photographs with a grid using the GNU Image Manipulation Program, with the median biomass‐bound C stocks within a quadrat to create a representative C stock for the sampled community.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Seasonality strongly affects short‐term C‐storage in coastal macrophyte communities

Lammerant,

Rohlfer,

Norkko

et al. 2024

Limnology & Oceanography

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Ecosystem functions provided by aquatic plants are context dependent and mediated by environmental conditions and plant growth form. This impedes our ability to predict the carbon (i.e., C) sink potential of multispecies coastal meadows characterized by marked seasonal succession of environmental conditions, causing a clear need to explore the distinct patterns of both C capture and release associated with seasonal succession of macrophyte growth forms and life‐history strategies in aquatic plant communities. We conducted four field surveys throughout 2022–2023 (i.e., October, March, June, and August), where we sampled six soft bottom locations dominated by aquatic vascular plants in the northern Baltic Sea. Temporal differences in biomass‐bound C stocks (i.e., structural elements and non‐structural carbohydrates) were linked to the plant production‐decomposition cycle and peaked when environmental conditions became increasingly permissive for growth and development (i.e., summer). Species identity influenced seasonal patterns of non‐structural carbohydrate concentrations in both leaf and rhizome tissue by shaping the timing of short‐term accumulation (i.e., photosynthesis) of C in plant tissue or release through respiration. Overall, our study illustrates that biomass‐bound C stocks were shaped by both seasonality and the variation of functional structure and life history strategies found within the vegetated seascapes. This highlights the importance of addressing both biodiversity and short‐term C dynamics and suggests that estimations of C budgets or stock assessments should be based on data incorporating the intra‐annual variation in C dynamics to fully comprehend the C sink potential of vegetated seascapes.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Seasonality strongly affects short‐term C‐storage in coastal macrophyte communities

Lammerant,

Rohlfer,

Norkko

et al. 2024

Limnology & Oceanography

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“…To enhance the precision of carbon stock mapping across the lagoon, when compared to areabased estimations, ensemble regression models could be used if data on soil composition, climate, vegetation, relief, or geology are available in the area. (Ladd et al, 2022). To fully understand this variability, further research is needed to explore how local ecological configuration, composition, and connectivity influence carbon stocks (Huxham et al, 2018;Asplund et al, 2021).…”

Section: Future Researchmentioning

confidence: 99%

Multi-habitat carbon stock assessments to inform nature-based solutions for coastal seascapes in arid regions

Carpenter,

Evans,

Pittman

et al. 2023

Front. Mar. Sci.

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Coastal ecosystems are integral to global carbon cycling and are increasingly recognised for their role in mitigating climate change. Within these ecosystems, the dynamics of carbon storage are diverse, varying significantly across different habitats. However, existing management strategies often focus predominantly on vegetated habitats neglecting the contributions of non-vegetated areas. We address this knowledge gap by providing a quantitative spatial assessment of carbon storage across coastal seascapes varying in plant biomass. Our comprehensive multi-habitat inventory of carbon stocks in the United Arab Emirates confirmed that mangroves are the largest carbon-storing habitat per hectare (94.3 t/ha), followed by saltmarshes (63.6 t/ha), microbial mats (51.6 t/ha), mudflats (46.8 t/ha), seagrass (32.5 t/ha), and coastal sabkha (31.0 t/ha).Mean carbon content in the top 50 cm of mangrove soils (53.9 t/ha) was similar to saltmarshes (52.7 t/ha), microbial mats (51.6 t/ha), and mudflats (46.8 t/ha). We highlight the importance of including non-vegetated habitats in carbon accounting and management strategies. Our findings suggest that a more context-specific whole-system approach is essential for guiding effective ecosystem management and designing ecologically meaningful Nature-based Solutions (NbS). Adopting this broader perspective in NbS can ensure more comprehensive conservation and restoration outcomes, which not only protect and enhance blue carbon ecosystems but also contribute to broader ecological and social benefits. This approach is pivotal for advancing our understanding of interconnected coastal ecosystems and their role in climate change mitigation.

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“…Wetlands in the early stages of development (1-3 years) have higher rates of carbon and nitrogen accumulation than mature wetlands [14]. Organic carbon storage in nascent salt marsh wetlands is primarily derived by endogenous plant photosynthesis or exotic organic materials input [15]. Complex root systems and dense vegetation stems can also allow salt marsh wetlands to capture more sediment and organic matter from tides, thus enhancing carbon sequestration [16].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Chronosequence Changes of Soil Organic Carbon in Salt Marshes under Artificial Intervention: A Case Study of Hengsha Island in the Yangtze Estuary

Zhang,

Sha,

et al. 2024

Sustainability

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Land formation seriously disturbs coastal salt marsh wetland ecosystems, while its influences on soil organic carbon (SOC) under chronosequences remain unclear. In this study, the impacts of the land formation time (from one to fourteen years) and soil properties on the chronosequences changes of SOC in the nascent wetland of Hengsha Island were investigated. The study results showed the following. (1) As the land-formation time extended, the SOC experienced a significant increase, tripling after a period of 14 years. The changes in SOC occurred mainly in the surface layer but not in the deep soil layer. Specifically, the surface layer’s average SOC reached 5.52 g·kg−1, markedly higher than 3.17 g·kg−1 in the deeper layer. (2) Spearman correlation analysis revealed that the ammonium nitrogen (NH4+-N), aboveground biomass (AGB), and soil water content (SWC) were positively correlated with the SOC. Methane emissions (CH4) and SOC exhibited a negative correlation. (3) The structural equation model (SEM) illustrated that the duration of soil deformation directly impacted the vegetation growth and affected the distribution characteristics of the SOC by modifying the soil environmental conditions. Changes in SOC following land formation influenced the rapid succession of soil properties and vegetation, with the modification of carbon sinks in the ecosystems.

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Best practice for upscaling soil organic carbon stocks in salt marshes

Cited by 10 publications

References 70 publications

Seasonality strongly affects short‐term C‐storage in coastal macrophyte communities

Seasonality strongly affects short‐term C‐storage in coastal macrophyte communities

Multi-habitat carbon stock assessments to inform nature-based solutions for coastal seascapes in arid regions

Chronosequence Changes of Soil Organic Carbon in Salt Marshes under Artificial Intervention: A Case Study of Hengsha Island in the Yangtze Estuary

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