Carbon sequestration by Australian tidal marshes

Peter I. Macreadie; Q. R. Ollivier; J. J. Kelleway; O. Serrano; P. E. Carnell; C. J. Ewers Lewis; T. B. Atwood; J. Sanderman; J. Baldock; R. M. Connolly; C. M. Duarte; P. S. Lavery; A. Steven; C. E. Lovelock

doi:10.1038/srep44071

Carbon sequestration by Australian tidal marshes

Peter I. Macreadie^*, Q. R. Ollivier, J. J. Kelleway, O. Serrano, P. E. Carnell, C. J. Ewers Lewis, T. B. Atwood, J. Sanderman, J. Baldock, R. M. Connolly, C. M. Duarte, P. S. Lavery, A. Steven, C. E. Lovelock

^*Corresponding author for this work

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Abstract

Australia’s tidal marshes have suffered significant losses but their recently recognised importance in CO₂ sequestration is creating opportunities for their protection and restoration. We compiled all available data on soil organic carbon (OC) storage in Australia’s tidal marshes (323 cores). OC stocks in the surface 1 m averaged 165.41 (SE 6.96) Mg OC ha⁻¹ (range 14–963 Mg OC ha⁻¹). The mean OC accumulation rate was 0.55 ± 0.02 Mg OC ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹. Geomorphology was the most important predictor of OC stocks, with fluvial sites having twice the stock of OC as seaward sites. Australia’s 1.4 million hectares of tidal marshes contain an estimated 212 million tonnes of OC in the surface 1 m, with a potential CO₂-equivalent value of $USD7.19 billion. Annual sequestration is 0.75 Tg OC yr⁻¹, with a CO₂-equivalent value of $USD28.02 million per annum. This study provides the most comprehensive estimates of tidal marsh blue carbon in Australia, and illustrates their importance in climate change mitigation and adaptation, acting as CO₂ sinks and buffering the impacts of rising sea level. We outline potential further development of carbon offset schemes to restore the sequestration capacity and other ecosystem services provided by Australia tidal marshes.

Original language	English
Article number	44071
Pages (from-to)	1-10
Number of pages	10
Journal	Scientific Reports
Volume	7
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1038/srep44071
Publication status	Published - 10 Mar 2017

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Copyright the Author(s) 2017. Version archived for private and non-commercial use with the permission of the author/s and according to publisher conditions. For further rights please contact the publisher.

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title = "Carbon sequestration by Australian tidal marshes",

abstract = "Australia{\textquoteright}s tidal marshes have suffered significant losses but their recently recognised importance in CO₂ sequestration is creating opportunities for their protection and restoration. We compiled all available data on soil organic carbon (OC) storage in Australia{\textquoteright}s tidal marshes (323 cores). OC stocks in the surface 1 m averaged 165.41 (SE 6.96) Mg OC ha⁻¹ (range 14–963 Mg OC ha⁻¹). The mean OC accumulation rate was 0.55 ± 0.02 Mg OC ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹. Geomorphology was the most important predictor of OC stocks, with fluvial sites having twice the stock of OC as seaward sites. Australia{\textquoteright}s 1.4 million hectares of tidal marshes contain an estimated 212 million tonnes of OC in the surface 1 m, with a potential CO₂-equivalent value of $USD7.19 billion. Annual sequestration is 0.75 Tg OC yr⁻¹, with a CO₂-equivalent value of $USD28.02 million per annum. This study provides the most comprehensive estimates of tidal marsh blue carbon in Australia, and illustrates their importance in climate change mitigation and adaptation, acting as CO₂ sinks and buffering the impacts of rising sea level. We outline potential further development of carbon offset schemes to restore the sequestration capacity and other ecosystem services provided by Australia tidal marshes.",

author = "Macreadie, {Peter I.} and Ollivier, {Q. R.} and Kelleway, {J. J.} and O. Serrano and Carnell, {P. E.} and {Ewers Lewis}, {C. J.} and Atwood, {T. B.} and J. Sanderman and J. Baldock and Connolly, {R. M.} and Duarte, {C. M.} and Lavery, {P. S.} and A. Steven and Lovelock, {C. E.}",

note = "Copyright the Author(s) 2017. Version archived for private and non-commercial use with the permission of the author/s and according to publisher conditions. For further rights please contact the publisher.",

year = "2017",

month = mar,

day = "10",

doi = "10.1038/srep44071",

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AU - Macreadie, Peter I.

AU - Ollivier, Q. R.

AU - Kelleway, J. J.

AU - Serrano, O.

AU - Carnell, P. E.

AU - Ewers Lewis, C. J.

AU - Atwood, T. B.

AU - Sanderman, J.

AU - Baldock, J.

AU - Connolly, R. M.

AU - Duarte, C. M.

AU - Lavery, P. S.

AU - Steven, A.

AU - Lovelock, C. E.

N1 - Copyright the Author(s) 2017. Version archived for private and non-commercial use with the permission of the author/s and according to publisher conditions. For further rights please contact the publisher.

PY - 2017/3/10

Y1 - 2017/3/10

N2 - Australia’s tidal marshes have suffered significant losses but their recently recognised importance in CO₂ sequestration is creating opportunities for their protection and restoration. We compiled all available data on soil organic carbon (OC) storage in Australia’s tidal marshes (323 cores). OC stocks in the surface 1 m averaged 165.41 (SE 6.96) Mg OC ha⁻¹ (range 14–963 Mg OC ha⁻¹). The mean OC accumulation rate was 0.55 ± 0.02 Mg OC ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹. Geomorphology was the most important predictor of OC stocks, with fluvial sites having twice the stock of OC as seaward sites. Australia’s 1.4 million hectares of tidal marshes contain an estimated 212 million tonnes of OC in the surface 1 m, with a potential CO₂-equivalent value of $USD7.19 billion. Annual sequestration is 0.75 Tg OC yr⁻¹, with a CO₂-equivalent value of $USD28.02 million per annum. This study provides the most comprehensive estimates of tidal marsh blue carbon in Australia, and illustrates their importance in climate change mitigation and adaptation, acting as CO₂ sinks and buffering the impacts of rising sea level. We outline potential further development of carbon offset schemes to restore the sequestration capacity and other ecosystem services provided by Australia tidal marshes.

AB - Australia’s tidal marshes have suffered significant losses but their recently recognised importance in CO₂ sequestration is creating opportunities for their protection and restoration. We compiled all available data on soil organic carbon (OC) storage in Australia’s tidal marshes (323 cores). OC stocks in the surface 1 m averaged 165.41 (SE 6.96) Mg OC ha⁻¹ (range 14–963 Mg OC ha⁻¹). The mean OC accumulation rate was 0.55 ± 0.02 Mg OC ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹. Geomorphology was the most important predictor of OC stocks, with fluvial sites having twice the stock of OC as seaward sites. Australia’s 1.4 million hectares of tidal marshes contain an estimated 212 million tonnes of OC in the surface 1 m, with a potential CO₂-equivalent value of $USD7.19 billion. Annual sequestration is 0.75 Tg OC yr⁻¹, with a CO₂-equivalent value of $USD28.02 million per annum. This study provides the most comprehensive estimates of tidal marsh blue carbon in Australia, and illustrates their importance in climate change mitigation and adaptation, acting as CO₂ sinks and buffering the impacts of rising sea level. We outline potential further development of carbon offset schemes to restore the sequestration capacity and other ecosystem services provided by Australia tidal marshes.

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UR - http://purl.org/au-research/grants/arc/LP160100242

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VL - 7

SP - 1

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JO - Scientific Reports

JF - Scientific Reports

M1 - 44071

ER -

Carbon sequestration by Australian tidal marshes

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