Estoque de Carbono em Marismas

Abstract

Salt marshes are typical of temperate climate regions that border estuarine margins, covering intertidal areas subject to regular or irregular flooding. Among the many benefits they provide to the ecosystem, their remarkable ability to sequester carbon from the atmosphere and store it in their substrate for periods ranging from centuries to millennia is particularly noteworthy. This carbon, retained in the form of CO2 in coastal and estuarine environments by salt marshes, is known as "blue carbon." This study aimed to investigate the current state of knowledge about carbon stocks in salt marshes through a systematic bibliographic approach. Three databases were selected for the research: Springer, ScienceDirect, and Periódicos Capes. In each of them, the keywords "tidal salt marsh" and "carbon stock" were used, employing quotation marks around each term and the AND operator. It was observed that, given the urgency to develop actions to mitigate the effects of climate change, studies focusing on salt marshes have received increasing attention globally. However, this interest is recent, and knowledge on the subject is still limited, focusing on specific regions of the planet. The complexity of these habitats is a frequently neglected topic, although of great importance. Invasive plants have an impact on the dynamics of the carbon cycle in these areas. Additionally, the heterogeneity of salt marshes is a crucial factor to be considered in studies to avoid errors in carbon inventories. Salt marsh restoration activities are considered appropriate approaches to coastal management, potentially transforming degraded areas into carbon sinks.