Journal article
Large porewater exchange reshapes saltmarsh carbon and greenhouse gas budgets on local and global scales
Science China. Earth sciences, Vol.67(7), pp.2195-2209
07/2024
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Abstract
Saltmarshes are carbon-rich ecosystems that play a role in climate regulation by efficiently sequestrating atmospheric CO2. Climate change is a major threat to saltmarshes and will impact saltmarsh carbon sequestration. Notably, porewater-derived carbon outwelling emerges as a crucial pathway for carbon sequestration, but it has been largely overlooked in saltmarshes. Here, we assessed the drivers of dissolved carbon exports and greenhouse gas emissions in a saltmarsh and placed those observations into a global context. In our study site, porewater exchange (PEX) was the major process controlling dissolved carbon and greenhouse gas dynamics. Combining our results with 33 other studies in saltmarshes worldwide, porewater-derived carbon fluxes were equivalent to similar to 48% of average global saltmarsh primary productivity and 2.2 times greater than global organic carbon burial. Hence, our local observations and global upscaling demonstrate the major role played by PEX in saltmarsh carbon budgets. While part of dissolved inorganic carbon returns to the atmosphere as CO2, the remaining bicarbonate fraction is stored in the ocean over long time scales. Our findings strengthen global blue carbon assessments and build arguments for the use of saltmarshes as nature-based solutions for global climate change.
Details
- Title
- Large porewater exchange reshapes saltmarsh carbon and greenhouse gas budgets on local and global scales
- Creators
- Xiaogang Chen - Westlake UniversityIsaac R. Santos - University of GothenburgLucheng Zhan - Hohai UniversityYu Yan Yau - University of GothenburgYan Zhang - Westlake UniversityLing Li - Westlake University
- Publication Details
- Science China. Earth sciences, Vol.67(7), pp.2195-2209
- Publisher
- Science Press
- Number of pages
- 15
- Grant note
- LQ21D060005 / Zhejiang Provincial Natural Science Foundation of China; Natural Science Foundation of Zhejiang Province 42006152 / National Natural Science Foundation of China; National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) 2020-00457 / Swedish Research Council
- Identifiers
- 991013204177102368
- Copyright
- © Science China Press 2024.
- Academic Unit
- Faculty of Science and Engineering
- Language
- English
- Resource Type
- Journal article