Letter/Communication
Reply to Comment by R. Parkinson on “Increasing Rates of Carbon Burial in Southwest Florida Coastal Wetlands” by J. Breithaupt et al
Journal of Geophysical Research: Biogeosciences, Vol.126(4), e2021JG006245
04/2021
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Source: InCites
Abstract
Breithaupt et al. (2020, https://doi.org/10.1029/2019JG005349) investigated why rates of organic carbon (OC) burial in coastal wetlands appear to increase over the past ∼120 years. After comparing dating methods and applying biogeochemical analyses, we concluded that neither dating method nor carbon degradation contribute to the observed trend. Rather, we concluded that OC burial has increased in the past century. Parkinson's (2021) Comment disagrees with our conclusion, contending that: (1) use of a density correction to account for soil auto‐compaction is a flawed methodology that artificially shortens a core's length, (2) there is limited evidence for an acceleration in the regional sea‐level rise (SLR) rate, and (3) vertical accretion rates in previous papers by Breithaupt et al. (2014, https://doi.org/10.1002/2014JG002715; 2017, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.margeo.2017.07.002) are lower than the regional mean rate of SLR and are not to be believed as these wetlands should have converted to open water by now. We reject these contentions because: (1) no density correction was applied to the cores in this study, (2) local tide gauge records and analyses in the literature support an increase in SLR rates coinciding with the timeframe of our OC burial records, and (3) Parkinson's comparison of the 100‐yr mean rate of SLR neglects temporal variability and uncertainties in the long‐term sea‐level record, as well as biophysical feedbacks between wetland surface elevation and SLR. Here, we provide detailed responses to Parkinson's contentions and establish the importance of differentiating operational definitions of OC burial and accretion to clarify why an auto‐compaction correction is not applicable for OC burial measurements.
Details
- Title
- Reply to Comment by R. Parkinson on “Increasing Rates of Carbon Burial in Southwest Florida Coastal Wetlands” by J. Breithaupt et al
- Creators
- Joshua L Breithaupt (Author) - Florida State UniversityJoseph M Smoak - University of South FloridaThomas S Bianchi - University of FloridaDerrick Vaughn - Florida State UniversityChristian J Sanders - Southern Cross UniversityKara R Radabaugh - Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation CommissionMichael J Osland - U.S. Geological SurveyLaura C Feher - U.S. Geological SurveyJames C Lynch - U.S. National Park ServiceDonald R Cahoon - U.S. Geological SurveyGordon H Anderson - U.S. Geological SurveyKevin R. T Whelan - U.S. National Park ServiceBrad E Rosenheim - University of South FloridaRyan P Moyer - Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation CommissionLisa G Chambers - University of Central Florida
- Publication Details
- Journal of Geophysical Research: Biogeosciences, Vol.126(4), e2021JG006245
- Publisher
- Wiley-Blackwell Publishing, Inc.
- Number of pages
- 7
- Grant note
- USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture USGS Land Change Science's R&D Program National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (2320.17.059025) USGS Greater Everglades Priority Ecosystem Science (GEPES) Program Australian Research Council (DE160100443) National Science Foundation (DEB‐1237517) National Science Foundation Water, Sustainability & Climate Program (EAR‐1204079) USGS Ecosystems Mission Area Interagency Climate Change NASA Program (2017‐67003‐26482)
- Identifiers
- 991012932396602368
- Academic Unit
- National Centre for Flood Research; National Marine Science Centre
- Language
- English
- Resource Type
- Letter/Communication