Abstract
BackgroundOrganic carbon stored in coastal wetlands, which comprises the major part of oceanic “blue carbon,” is a subject of growing interest and concern. In this study, organic carbon storage in coastal wetlands and its economic value were estimated using the raw data of 25 studies related to soil carbon storage. Data were collected from three tidal flats (one protected and two developed areas) and two estuarine salt marshes (one protected and one restored area). Bulk density, soil organic matter content, and standing biomass of vegetation were all considered, with Monte Carlo simulation applied to estimate the uncertainty.ResultsMean carbon storage in two salt marshes ranged between 14.6 and 25.5 kg C m−2. Mean carbon storage in tidal flats ranged from 18.2 to 28.6 kg C m−2, with variability possibly related to soil texture. The economic value of stored carbon was estimated by comparison with the price of carbon in the emission trading market. The value of US $6600 ha−1 is ~ 45% of previously estimated ecosystem services from fishery production and water purification functions in coastal areas.ConclusionsAlthough our study sites do not cover all types of large marine ecosystem, this study highlights the substantial contribution of coastal wetlands as carbon sinks and the importance of conserving these habitats to maximize their ecosystem services.
Highlights
Organic carbon stored in coastal wetlands, which comprises the major part of oceanic “blue carbon,” is a subject of growing interest and concern
It is estimated that carbon accumulation rate per unit area is 30–50 times higher in coastal wetlands than in forest
The size difference in wetland area in the two regions is only 0.1 km[2], but the Pristine Salt Marsh contains more carbon per unit area than the impacted site. This implies that the Pristine Salt Marsh, a natural wetland, accumulates more organic matter in its soil
Summary
Organic carbon stored in coastal wetlands, which comprises the major part of oceanic “blue carbon,” is a subject of growing interest and concern. Organic carbon storage in coastal wetlands and its economic value were estimated using the raw data of 25 studies related to soil carbon storage. Important factor that has recently drawn much attention is the potential for carbon storage in coastal ecosystems (Choi and Wang 2004; Hopkinson et al 2012; Mitsch et al 2013). Byun et al Journal of Ecology and Environment (2019) 43:8 m−2 year−1 This value is much higher than typical net primary production of terrestrial ecosystems, which ranges from 1.12 to 2.55 kg−2 m−2 year−1 in Brookhaven Forest (Woodwell and Whittaker 1968) and 0.847 kg m−2 year−1 in the South East Asian tropical region (Potter et al 2012). The decomposition rate of organic matter is slow due to low oxygen availability and salinity, resulting in the accumulation of organic matter in sediments (Pendleton et al 2012)
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