Spatial and temporal variability in blue carbon accumulation in the largest salt marsh in British Columbia, Canada

Preserving blue carbon ecosystems, such as salt marshes, for climate change mitigation requires quantifying their carbon (C) dynamics. Boundary Bay (BB) marsh is a 222-ha salt marsh in southern British Columbia, Canada, where construction began in 2023 to enhance the marsh as a natural defense again...

Descripción completa

Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores: Kohfeld, Karen E., Basnayake, Hasini, Pellatt, Marlow G., Olid Garcia, Carolina
Tipo de recurso: artículo
Estado:Versión publicada
Fecha de publicación:2025
País:España
Institución:Varias* (Consorci de Biblioteques Universitáries de Catalunya, Centre de Serveis Científics i Acadèmics de Catalunya)
Repositorio:Recercat. Dipósit de la Recerca de Catalunya
OAI Identifier:oai:recercat.cat:2445/224435
Acceso en línea:https://hdl.handle.net/2445/224435
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palabra clave:Carboni
Sedimentologia
Salines
Ecologia de les maresmes
Canvi climàtic
Protecció del litoral
Carbon
Sedimentology
Marsh ecology
Climatic change
Shore protection
id ES_36db39a0fc5a87a930e6e34636bcf88e
oai_identifier_str oai:recercat.cat:2445/224435
network_acronym_str ES
network_name_str España
repository_id_str
spelling Spatial and temporal variability in blue carbon accumulation in the largest salt marsh in British Columbia, CanadaKohfeld, Karen E.Basnayake, HasiniPellatt, Marlow G.Olid Garcia, CarolinaCarboniSedimentologiaSalinesEcologia de les maresmesCanvi climàticProtecció del litoralCarbonSedimentologySalinesMarsh ecologyClimatic changeShore protectionPreserving blue carbon ecosystems, such as salt marshes, for climate change mitigation requires quantifying their carbon (C) dynamics. Boundary Bay (BB) marsh is a 222-ha salt marsh in southern British Columbia, Canada, where construction began in 2023 to enhance the marsh as a natural defense against coastal flooding. This study provides a baseline understanding of C storage and sequestration in Boundary Bay marsh prior to foreshore enhancement. We collected 18 sediment cores and vegetation surveys across the middle (BBM), eastern (BBE), and Mud Bay (MB) areas of the marsh, along with 128 depth profiles (i.e., field measurements of marsh thickness to refusal) from BBM. We combined C measurements with 210Pb chronologies, in addition to existing data from western Boundary Bay (BBW), to estimate C stocks (g C m-2) and accumulation rates (g C m-2 yr-1) for the entire marsh. Total C stocks averaged 71 ± 37 Mg C ha-1 for high marsh and 41 ± 36 Mg C ha-1 for low marsh, with higher values in western Boundary Bay (BBW, BBM) compared to the east (BBE, MB). Total C storage (Mg C) at Boundary Bay was 17,360 ± 4,960 Mg C, with the western marsh (BBW, BBM) comprising 84% of the total. The C accumulation rates (CAR) for Boundary Bay marsh averaged 80 ± 45 g C m-2 yr-1, comparable to regional averages on the Pacific coast of North America. However, large spatial variability exists, with significantly lower average CARs in the east (35 ± 11 g C m-2 yr-1). Historical aerial photographs indicate that the eastern marsh area (BBE, MB) decreased by ~35% while BBW expanded by ~20% since 1930. These contrasting trends suggest dynamism in marsh development, likely driven by environmental factors and human influence. This work highlights the high spatial and temporal dynamics of blue C ecosystems, especially in urban settings, and how decadal changes induced by human activities could influence their short-term (years to decades) C storage capacity, with potential consequences for long-term (centuries to millennial) C sequestration.Frontiers Media2025202520252025info:eu-repo/semantics/articleinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion23 p.application/pdfhttps://hdl.handle.net/2445/224435Articles publicats en revistes (Dinàmica de la Terra i l'Oceà)reponame:Recercat. Dipósit de la Recerca de Catalunyainstname:Varias* (Consorci de Biblioteques Universitáries de Catalunya, Centre de Serveis Científics i Acadèmics de Catalunya)InglésReproducció del document publicat a: https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2025.1681794Frontiers In Marine Science, 2025, vol. 12https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2025.1681794cc-by (c) Kohfeld, K.E. et al., 2025http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccessoai:recercat.cat:2445/2244352026-05-29T05:05:01Z
dc.title.none.fl_str_mv Spatial and temporal variability in blue carbon accumulation in the largest salt marsh in British Columbia, Canada
title Spatial and temporal variability in blue carbon accumulation in the largest salt marsh in British Columbia, Canada
spellingShingle Spatial and temporal variability in blue carbon accumulation in the largest salt marsh in British Columbia, Canada
Kohfeld, Karen E.
Carboni
Sedimentologia
Salines
Ecologia de les maresmes
Canvi climàtic
Protecció del litoral
Carbon
Sedimentology
Salines
Marsh ecology
Climatic change
Shore protection
title_short Spatial and temporal variability in blue carbon accumulation in the largest salt marsh in British Columbia, Canada
title_full Spatial and temporal variability in blue carbon accumulation in the largest salt marsh in British Columbia, Canada
title_fullStr Spatial and temporal variability in blue carbon accumulation in the largest salt marsh in British Columbia, Canada
title_full_unstemmed Spatial and temporal variability in blue carbon accumulation in the largest salt marsh in British Columbia, Canada
title_sort Spatial and temporal variability in blue carbon accumulation in the largest salt marsh in British Columbia, Canada
dc.creator.none.fl_str_mv Kohfeld, Karen E.
Basnayake, Hasini
Pellatt, Marlow G.
Olid Garcia, Carolina
author Kohfeld, Karen E.
author_facet Kohfeld, Karen E.
Basnayake, Hasini
Pellatt, Marlow G.
Olid Garcia, Carolina
author_role author
author2 Basnayake, Hasini
Pellatt, Marlow G.
Olid Garcia, Carolina
author2_role author
author
author
dc.subject.none.fl_str_mv Carboni
Sedimentologia
Salines
Ecologia de les maresmes
Canvi climàtic
Protecció del litoral
Carbon
Sedimentology
Salines
Marsh ecology
Climatic change
Shore protection
topic Carboni
Sedimentologia
Salines
Ecologia de les maresmes
Canvi climàtic
Protecció del litoral
Carbon
Sedimentology
Salines
Marsh ecology
Climatic change
Shore protection
description Preserving blue carbon ecosystems, such as salt marshes, for climate change mitigation requires quantifying their carbon (C) dynamics. Boundary Bay (BB) marsh is a 222-ha salt marsh in southern British Columbia, Canada, where construction began in 2023 to enhance the marsh as a natural defense against coastal flooding. This study provides a baseline understanding of C storage and sequestration in Boundary Bay marsh prior to foreshore enhancement. We collected 18 sediment cores and vegetation surveys across the middle (BBM), eastern (BBE), and Mud Bay (MB) areas of the marsh, along with 128 depth profiles (i.e., field measurements of marsh thickness to refusal) from BBM. We combined C measurements with 210Pb chronologies, in addition to existing data from western Boundary Bay (BBW), to estimate C stocks (g C m-2) and accumulation rates (g C m-2 yr-1) for the entire marsh. Total C stocks averaged 71 ± 37 Mg C ha-1 for high marsh and 41 ± 36 Mg C ha-1 for low marsh, with higher values in western Boundary Bay (BBW, BBM) compared to the east (BBE, MB). Total C storage (Mg C) at Boundary Bay was 17,360 ± 4,960 Mg C, with the western marsh (BBW, BBM) comprising 84% of the total. The C accumulation rates (CAR) for Boundary Bay marsh averaged 80 ± 45 g C m-2 yr-1, comparable to regional averages on the Pacific coast of North America. However, large spatial variability exists, with significantly lower average CARs in the east (35 ± 11 g C m-2 yr-1). Historical aerial photographs indicate that the eastern marsh area (BBE, MB) decreased by ~35% while BBW expanded by ~20% since 1930. These contrasting trends suggest dynamism in marsh development, likely driven by environmental factors and human influence. This work highlights the high spatial and temporal dynamics of blue C ecosystems, especially in urban settings, and how decadal changes induced by human activities could influence their short-term (years to decades) C storage capacity, with potential consequences for long-term (centuries to millennial) C sequestration.
publishDate 2025
dc.date.none.fl_str_mv 2025
2025
2025
2025
dc.type.none.fl_str_mv info:eu-repo/semantics/article
info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion
format article
status_str publishedVersion
dc.identifier.none.fl_str_mv https://hdl.handle.net/2445/224435
url https://hdl.handle.net/2445/224435
dc.language.none.fl_str_mv Inglés
language_invalid_str_mv Inglés
dc.relation.none.fl_str_mv Reproducció del document publicat a: https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2025.1681794
Frontiers In Marine Science, 2025, vol. 12
https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2025.1681794
dc.rights.none.fl_str_mv cc-by (c) Kohfeld, K.E. et al., 2025
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
rights_invalid_str_mv cc-by (c) Kohfeld, K.E. et al., 2025
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
eu_rights_str_mv openAccess
dc.format.none.fl_str_mv 23 p.
application/pdf
dc.publisher.none.fl_str_mv Frontiers Media
publisher.none.fl_str_mv Frontiers Media
dc.source.none.fl_str_mv Articles publicats en revistes (Dinàmica de la Terra i l'Oceà)
reponame:Recercat. Dipósit de la Recerca de Catalunya
instname:Varias* (Consorci de Biblioteques Universitáries de Catalunya, Centre de Serveis Científics i Acadèmics de Catalunya)
instname_str Varias* (Consorci de Biblioteques Universitáries de Catalunya, Centre de Serveis Científics i Acadèmics de Catalunya)
reponame_str Recercat. Dipósit de la Recerca de Catalunya
collection Recercat. Dipósit de la Recerca de Catalunya
repository.name.fl_str_mv
repository.mail.fl_str_mv
_version_ 1869405993024094208
score 15,811543

Similares en LA Referencia