Carbon Stocks and Accumulation Rates in Salt Marshes of
the Pacific Coast of Canada

Chastain, Stephen; Kohfeld, Karen E.; Pellatt, Marlow G.

doi:10.5194/bg-2018-166

Cited by 11 publications

(15 citation statements)

References 40 publications

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“…However, some of the studies included in those global reviews used shorter-term accretion methods such as feldspar, which overestimate long-term accretion. Other studies along the west coast of North America report natural marsh rates more comparable to ours (all using 210 Pb dating), including an estimated 79 g C m -2 yr -1 from San Francisco Bay [29], 77 g C m -2 yr -1 from Oregon [25], and 115 g C m -2 yr -1 from British Columbia, Canada [30]. Within the Puget Sound, Crooks et al [12] reported 110 g C m -2 yr -1 from a natural marsh in the Snohomish estuary and Drexler et al [13] reported a 50-year rate of 118 g C m -2 yr -1 from the Nisqually River estuary, both similar to our Stillaguamish average of 123 g C m -2 yr -1 .…”

Section: Carbon Stocks and Accumulation Ratessupporting

confidence: 82%

Tidal marsh restoration enhances sediment accretion and carbon accumulation in the Stillaguamish River estuary, Washington

Poppe

Rybczyk

2021

PLoS ONE

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Tidal marshes have been recognized globally for their ability to sequester “blue carbon” but there is still a need for studies investigating the marsh response to restoration, particularly in the Pacific Northwest United States. Here we report carbon stocks and accumulation rates for restored and natural tidal marshes in the Stillaguamish River estuary in Puget Sound, Washington, where a 60-hectare marsh was reintroduced to the tidal regime from its previous use as diked and drained farmland. We found that the restoration not only maximized carbon accumulation but also enhanced resilience to rising sea levels. Four years after restoration, mean sediment carbon stocks in the upper 30 cm within the restored marsh (4.43 kg C m-2) were slightly lower than those measured in the adjacent natural marshes (5.95 kg C m-2). Mean carbon accumulation rates, however, were nearly twice as high in the restored marsh (230.49 g C m-2 yr-1) compared to the natural marshes (123.00 g C m-2 yr-1) due to high rates of accretion in the restored marsh (1.57 cm yr-1). Mean elevation change rates were nearly twice that of corresponding 210Pb accretion rates, but all were greater than the current rate of sea level rise.

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Section: Carbon Stocks and Accumulation Ratessupporting

confidence: 82%

Tidal marsh restoration enhances sediment accretion and carbon accumulation in the Stillaguamish River estuary, Washington

Poppe

Rybczyk

2021

PLoS ONE

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“…We do not use the same background value to estimate supported 210Pb in all 5 cores, as the lowest observed activity varies from core to core. This methodology is consistent with previously published papers using alpha spectrometric techniques to estimate 210Pb systematics and SARs in sedimentary systems (e.g., Brossier et al, 2014;Chambers et al, 2017;Galka et al, 2017;Greiner et al, 2013, Kolker et al 2009Wachnicka et al, 2013). based on the inventories, it is possible to calculate directly age of each layer, and then to estimate SAR and MAR, such values would have been interesting to discuss also (temporal trends, potential change in accretion regarding sea level rise).…”

supporting

confidence: 82%

Reply to Anonymous Reviewer #1

Chastain¹

2018

Preprint

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SHORT RESPONSE TO ANONYMOUS REVIEWER #1 ON "Carbon stocks and accumulation rates in salt marshes of the Pacific Coast of Canada" by Chastain et al. We thank anonymous reviewer 1 for comments which we think will help clarify the paper. Here we provide a brief response detailing how we intend to address reviewer concerns. #1. Reviewer 1 writes: ".. .I have a major problem with the estimate of the mass accumulation rate. There is no details on 210Pb data and not enough on the dating method.. .. " RESPONSE: (1) A raw data file including 210Pbxs and original 210Po activity was C1

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“…High and low marsh zones were delineated by eye using differences in vegetation color on Google Satellite base map imagery (Figure 4 and Figure A5). The halophyte-dominated low-marsh plant assemblage was a lighter shade of green compared to the darker green of the high marsh plant assemblages (Chastain 2017). Additionally, high and low marsh zones were identified using vegetation surveys at 176 sample points (22 sediment core sites and 154 additional sample sites).…”

Section: Marsh Area and Volumementioning

confidence: 99%

Quantifying blue carbon for the largest salt marsh in southern British Columbia: implications for regional coastal management

Newman

Kohfeld

Pellatt³

et al. 2021

Coastal Engineering Journal

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Understanding blue carbon storage and accumulation prior to engineering projects is essential for assessing the potential co-benefit of carbon storage for natural climate solutions. This study collected sediment cores from the western portion of Boundary Bay, Delta, British Columbia (BC), where implementation of a living dike pilot project is planned to alleviate impacts of sea level rise. Total carbon stocks were 10,034 ± 3,148 Mg C for the western 140 ha of marsh, with stocks averaging 83.3 ± 29.3 Mg C/ha (high marsh) and 39.3 ± 24.2 Mg C/ha (low marsh). Carbon accumulation rates (CARs) exhibited substantial variability, ranging from 19.5 to 454 g C/m 2 /yr (median 70.1 g C/m 2 /yr). Both stocks and accumulation rates were at least 45% lower than globally averaged estimates, likely due to the shallow depth and dominant vegetation type of the marsh. Despite historical modifications to the marsh, our study indicates that the western marsh has expanded by about 20% since 1930, which we estimate increased carbon stocks by about 1,549-1,698 Mg C. This study's quantification of carbon stocks and CARs is an important first step towards leveraging the co-benefit of salt marshes for improved management, restoration, and preservation. However, additional data are needed to document the greenhouse gas budgets for carbon accounting purposes, along with exploration of law and policy issues related to carbon stewardship in a multi-jurisdictional coastal environment. We outline subsequent research needed for salt marshes such as Boundary Bay to be included in voluntary carbon markets in British Columbia.

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Carbon Stocks and Accumulation Rates in Salt Marshes of the Pacific Coast of Canada

Cited by 11 publications

References 40 publications

Tidal marsh restoration enhances sediment accretion and carbon accumulation in the Stillaguamish River estuary, Washington

Tidal marsh restoration enhances sediment accretion and carbon accumulation in the Stillaguamish River estuary, Washington

Reply to Anonymous Reviewer #1

Quantifying blue carbon for the largest salt marsh in southern British Columbia: implications for regional coastal management

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