Carbon Sequestration Potential in the Restoration of Highly Eutrophic Shallow Lakes

Abstract

The primary goal of the study was to determine the quantity of carbon accumulated in shallow fertile water bodies that were restored after a long period of drainage. Massive drainage of mid-field water bodies took place in north-eastern Poland in the 19th century. Of 143 identified drained lakes (each of more than 1 ha before drying) in the Olsztyn Lakeland, 27 have been restored to their original state through natural rewilding processes or recovery projects. From among the variety of drained water bodies, 8 which have been naturally or artificially restored to their original condition 13 to 47 years ago, were the subject of a detailed study on carbon sequestration. The studied water bodies had high productivity, and they were classified as moderately eutrophic to extremely hypertrophic. An analysis of bottom sediments revealed that, after restoration, the examined water bodies have accumulated 275.5 g C m−2 a−1 on average, which is equivalent to 10.1 Mg ha−1 a−1 of carbon dioxide (CO2) removed from the atmosphere. Results showed that the evaluated water bodies are effective carbon sinks. Most of the lakes drained in the 19th century are wastelands today, and they can be relatively easily restored to their original condition to create additional carbon sequestration sites. Lake restoration seems to be a cost-effective method both for carbon capture (as additional potential capacity as part of carbon dioxide removal (CDR) methods) and to support the sustainable use of agricultural areas. However, this second goal may be limited by the poor ecological status of such facilities.

Pollution and Potential Ecological Risk Evaluation of Heavy Metals in the Bottom Sediments: A Case Study of Eutrophic Bukwałd Lake Located in an Agricultural Catchment

“…The substantial land drainage occurring in this part of the watershed further facilitates this process. A similar relationship has also been noted by other researchers [32][33][34].…”

“…Such a relationship was observed in the case of the studied Bukwałd Lake, where higher concentrations of trace metals were observed in sediments collected on the side of the catchment used as farmland than on the side of the catchment used in other ways. Metals present in the surface layer of bottom sediments can be reactivated under unfavorable conditions and become a source of secondary pollution [9,32,40]. Metals dissolved in water are biologically absorbed and accumulated by living organisms.…”

Estimation of summer CO2 emission from the littoral of lakes of different trophic levels in North-Eastern Poland

“…On the other hand, high primary production is deposited in bottom sediments and permanent sequestration of carbon dioxide takes place. [75][76][77] This thesis also confirms Adams' 78 finding who states that the greater the trophic status the higher the sediment carbon gases. As a consequence, the diffusion of CO 2 from the sediments to the overlying waters and then to the entire water column increases according to oligotrophic < mesotrophic < eutrophic < hypereutrophic.…”

Determining the Effects of Changes in Land Use on Carbon Amount in Above-Ground Biomass with NDVI

“…In addition, WB also contributes to carbon storage, although in small quantities. In his research, Skwierawski (2022) determined that an average of 275.5 g of carbon is stored in a lake with a size of about 1 acre. The results obtained to support our study.…”