Reviews and syntheses: &amp;lt;sup&amp;gt;210&amp;lt;/sup&amp;gt;Pb-derived sediment and carbon accumulation rates in vegetated coastal ecosystems – setting the record straight

Arias‐Ortiz, Ariane; Masqué, Pere; García-Orellana, Jordi; Serrano, Óscar; Mazarrasa, Inés; Marbà, Núria; Lovelock, Catherine E.; Lavery, Paul S.; Duarte, Carlos M.

doi:10.5194/bg-15-6791-2018

Cited by 141 publications

(65 citation statements)

References 143 publications

(212 reference statements)

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“…The rate of decline of this excess 210 Pb can be used to estimate the sediment age at various depths and thereby sediment accumulation rates. There are three models that can be used to interpret the excess 210 Pb profiles, outlined in Arias‐Ortiz et al (). Here we calculated sediment accumulation rates using the Constant Rate of Supply for the BC Central Coast, Southern Salish Sea, and South Slough sites, and we calculated accretion rates using the Constant Initial Concentration model for the Central Salish Sea sites.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Synthesis of Blue Carbon Stocks, Sources, and Accumulation Rates in Eelgrass (Zostera marina) Meadows in the Northeast Pacific

Prentice

Poppe

Lutz

et al. 2020

Global Biogeochemical Cycles

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There is increasing urgency to implement climate change mitigation strategies that enhance greenhouse gas removal from the atmosphere and reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. Recently, coastal “blue carbon” habitats⁠—mangroves, salt marshes, and seagrass meadows—have received attention for their ability to capture CO2 and store organic carbon (OC), primarily in their sediments. Across habitat types and regions, however, information about the sequestration rates and sources of carbon to local sediments remains sparse. Here we compiled recently obtained estimates of sediment OC stocks and sequestration rates from 139 cores collected from temperate seagrass (Zostera marina) meadows in Alaska, British Columbia, Washington, and Oregon. Across all cores sediment OC content averaged 0.75%. Organic carbon stocks in the top 25 cm and 1 m of the sediment averaged 1,846 and 7,168 g OC m−2, respectively. Carbon sequestration rates ranged from 4.6 to 93.0 g OC m−2 yr−1 and averaged 24.8 g OC m−2 yr−1. Isotopic data from this region suggest that OC in the sediments is largely from noneelgrass sources. In general, these values are comparable to those from other temperate Z. marina meadows, but significantly lower than previously reported values for seagrasses globally. These results further highlight the need for local and species‐level quantification of blue carbon parameters. While temperate eelgrass meadows may not sequester and store as much carbon as seagrass meadows elsewhere, climate policy incentives should still be implemented to protect existing sediment carbon stocks and the other critical ecosystem services associated with eelgrass habitats.

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Synthesis of Blue Carbon Stocks, Sources, and Accumulation Rates in Eelgrass (Zostera marina) Meadows in the Northeast Pacific

Prentice

Poppe

Lutz

et al. 2020

Global Biogeochemical Cycles

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“…The CIC method was chosen over other models for analyzing excess 210 Pb‐derived accumulation rates, specifically the constant‐flux‐constant sedimentation or constant rate of supply models, as it is a straightforward and widely used model (e.g., Callaway et al, ; Mudd et al, ). Based on the downcore profiles of excess 210 Pb decay (Figure S2), it seems that the assumptions of the CIC model, specifically that the initial excess 210 Pb activity at the sediment surface is constant and that excess 210 Pb activity monotonically decreases with depth (Arias‐Ortiz et al, ), are met.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Controls on Sediment Accretion and Blue Carbon Burial in Tidal Saline Wetlands: Insights From the Oregon Coast, USA

2020

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Oregon estuaries provide important opportunities to assess controls on tidal saline wetland carbon burial and sediment accretion as both rates of relative sea level rise (RSLR; −1.4 ± 0.9 to 2.8 ± 0.8 mm yr−1) and fluvial suspended sediment load relative to estuary area (0.23 to 17 × 103 t km−2 yr−1) vary along the coast. We hypothesized that vertical accretion, measured using excess 210Pb in least‐disturbed wetlands within seven Oregon estuaries, would vary with either RSLR or sediment load relative to estuary area, and carbon burial would correlate strongly to sediment accretion. Mean rates of high marsh accretion (0.8 ± 0.2 to 4.1 ± 0.2 mm yr−1) indicate that Oregon tidal wetlands have mainly kept pace with twentieth‐century RSLR with the exception that the accretionary balance in the central coast is negative, suggesting drowning. Experiencing the fastest rates of RSLR, central‐coast estuaries may foreshadow the fates of other Oregon estuaries under future accelerated sea level rise. Comparison of mass accumulation rates with sediment loads, however, indicates low trapping efficiency and therefore no fluvial sediment limitation. Thus, nonlinear feedback between RSLR and sediment accretion may enhance wetland resistance to drowning. Among wetlands keeping pace with or exceeding RSLR, sediment accretion displays no significant relationship with elevation but rather appears controlled by both the rate of RSLR and relative sediment load, highlighting the importance of incorporating both factors into future studies of tidal saline wetlands. Carbon burial rates, controlled by sediment accretion, will likely increase with future accelerated sea level rise.

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“…The 210 Pb dating method is commonly used to measure the rate of OC accumulation in vegetated coastal ecosystems (Arias-Ortiz et al 2018). For our samples, 210 Pb analysis of sediment samples was conducted by MyCore Scientific in Dunrobin, Ontario, Canada.…”

Section: Geochronological Analysesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Increased replication at the regional scale is necessary to obtain a better understanding of large-scale drivers of variability relevant to management. Additionally, finer scale within-core resolution, and the use of additional tracers, would help improve OC accumulation rate accuracy obtained through 210 Pb dating (Arias-Ortiz et al 2018). Balancing sample allocations within cores, within meadows, and among meadows is an important consideration for all blue carbon studies.…”

Section: Future Directionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Reduced water motion enhances organic carbon stocks in temperate eelgrass meadows

Prentice

Hessing‐Lewis

Sanders‐Smith

et al. 2019

Limnology & Oceanography

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Organic carbon (OC) storage in coastal vegetated ecosystems is increasingly being considered in carbon financing and climate change mitigation strategies. However, spatial heterogeneity in these “blue carbon” stocks among and within habitats has only recently been examined, despite its considerable implications. Seagrass meadows have potential to store significant amounts of carbon in their sediments, yet studies comparing sediment OC content at regional and meadow scales remain sparse. Here, we collected sediment cores from six temperate eelgrass (Zostera marina) meadows on the coast of British Columbia, Canada, to quantify sediment OC stocks, accumulation rates, and sources, and to examine local and regional drivers of variability. Sediment OC content was highly variable—across all sites, stocks in the top 0–5 cm ranged from 83 to 1089 g OC m−2, while the 15–20 cm stocks exhibited a 24‐fold difference, from 59 to 1407 g OC m−2. Carbon accumulation rates ranged from 4 to 33 g OC m−2 yr−1. Isotopic mixing models revealed that sediment OC was primarily terrestrial carbon (41.3%) and canopy‐forming kelps (33.3%), with a smaller contribution of eelgrass (25.3%). Here, we show that regional variability in OC content exceeds meadow‐scale variability. This result is likely driven by landscape factors, most notably relative water motion, representing a more dominant control on seagrass OC accumulation than meadow‐scale factors such as canopy complexity. These findings elicit caution when scaling up seagrass meadow OC content and demonstrate that measures of the hydrodynamic environment could improve estimates of carbon storage in temperate soft sediment habitats.

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Reviews and syntheses: <sup>210</sup>Pb-derived sediment and carbon accumulation rates in vegetated coastal ecosystems – setting the record straight

Cited by 141 publications

References 143 publications

A Synthesis of Blue Carbon Stocks, Sources, and Accumulation Rates in Eelgrass (Zostera marina) Meadows in the Northeast Pacific

A Synthesis of Blue Carbon Stocks, Sources, and Accumulation Rates in Eelgrass (Zostera marina) Meadows in the Northeast Pacific

Controls on Sediment Accretion and Blue Carbon Burial in Tidal Saline Wetlands: Insights From the Oregon Coast, USA

Reduced water motion enhances organic carbon stocks in temperate eelgrass meadows

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