Carbon Sequestration and Sediment Accretion in San Francisco Bay Tidal Wetlands

Tidal wetlands play an important role with respect to climate change because of both their sensitivity to sea-level rise and their ability to sequester carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Policy-based interest in carbon sequestration has increased recently, and wetland restoration projects have potential for carbon credits through soil carbon sequestration. We measured sediment accretion, mineral and organic matter accumulation, and carbon sequestration rates using ¹³⁷Cs and ²¹⁰Pb downcore distributions at six natural tidal wetlands in the San Francisco Bay Estuary. The accretion rates were, in general, 0.2?C0.5?cm?year^?1, indicating that local wetlands are keeping pace with recent rates of sea-level rise. Mineral accumulation rates were higher in salt marshes and at low-marsh stations within individual sites. The average carbon sequestration rate based on ²¹⁰Pb dating was 79?g?C?m^?2?year^?1, with slightly higher rates based on ¹³⁷Cs dating. There was little difference in the sequestration rates among sites or across stations within sites, indicating that a single carbon sequestration rate could be used for crediting tidal wetland restoration projects within the Estuary.     

A detailed pyrolysis-GC/MS analysis of a black carbon-rich acidic colluvial soil (Atlantic ranker) from NW Spain

Despite the potentially large contribution of black carbon (BC) to the recalcitrant soil organic matter pool, the molecular-level composition of aged BC has hardly been investigated. Pyrolysis-GC/MS, which provides structural information on complex mixtures of organic matter, was applied to the NaOH-extractable organic matter of an acidic colluvial soil (Atlantic ranker) sampled with high resolution (5 cm) that harbours a fire record of at least 8.5 ka. Additionally, 5 charcoal samples from selected soil layers were characterised using pyrolysis-GC/MS for comparison. Pyrolysis-GC/MS allowed distinguishing between BC and non-charred organic matter. It is argued that a large proportion of the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), benzenes and benzonitrile in the pyrolysates of the extractable organic matter, together accounting for 21–54% of total identified peak area, derived from BC. In charcoal samples, these compounds accounted for 60–98% of the pyrolysis products. The large quantity of BC in almost all samples suggested a key role of fire in Holocene soil evolution. The high C content of the soil (up to 136 g C kg⁻¹ soil) may be attributed to the presence of recalcitrant organic C as BC, in addition to the sorptive preservation processes traditionally held responsible for long-term C storage in acid soils. Interactions between reactive Al hydroxides and BC could explain the longevity of BC in the soil. This work is the first thorough pyrolysis-GC/MS based study on ancient fire-affected organic matter.     

土壤呼吸作用和全球碳循环

土壤呼吸作用是全球碳循环中一个主要的流通途径 ,导致土壤碳以CO2 形式流向大气圈。全球土壤中碳贮存量的增加有助于缓和人为CO2 的进一步释放 ,而土壤CO2 的流失则显著地加剧大气CO2 的升高和增强温室效应。文章简单评述了土壤呼吸作用、大气CO2 升高、全球温度升高三者之间的关系 ,并提出 :改进的管理实践能减少农业土壤中CO2 净流失 ,增加有机碳贮存。减缓土壤呼吸作用的一项简单措施是减少土壤耕作。土壤扰动最小的耕作实践称为免耕作。实践证明 ,当实施免耕作时 ,土壤有机质的流失明显降低。     

Organic carbon and sulphur compounds in wetland soils: insights on structure and transformation processes using K-edge XANES and NMR spectroscopy

X-ray absorption near-edge structure (XANES) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy were used in combination to characterize organic carbon structures in a series of wetland soils in Saskatchewan, and XANES spectroscopy was also used to examine sulphur speciation in the soils. The organic C contents of most of the wetland soils are consistently higher by a factor of two to five times compared to adjacent well-drained soils. NMR analyses indicate that the organic matter in the wetland soils consists of predominantly aliphatic structures such as carbohydrates and long chain poly(methylene) units which are refractory structures found in plant waxes. The poly(methylene) structures have a significant capacity to sorb nonpolar organic molecules. The phenolic OH and carboxyl group content of the wetland soils studied is an additional significant factor in their sequestering ability for heavy metals or pesticides. Carbon XANES spectroscopy shows that the surface (∼10 nm) layer of particulate organic matter has a structure dominated by aromatic, carbohydrate and carboxylic acid-like material apparently derived from partially degraded lignin and cellulose polymers which are adsorbed onto clay minerals. The aliphatic structures remaining in this surface layer are probably recalcitrant (poly)methylene units. At a depth of ∼100 nm, the aliphatic content significantly increases suggesting the presence of more labile structures. The presence of these more labile aliphatic compounds may be due to slow decomposition rates in the wet, often cool environments present and to the protective action of the more refractory components in the surface ∼10 nm of the organic matter. Drying of the wetlands, either by draining or as a result of climate change, is likely to result in the rapid decomposition of these labile organic structures releasing carbon dioxide. Our data indicate that the preservation of the organic carbon compounds in these soils is a result of their presence as surface adsorbed layers on the soil mineral particles. The soils contain three different classes of sulphur compounds: reduced organic sulphur such as sulphides, low valent oxidized sulphur such as sulphoxides, and high valent oxidized sulphur such as sulphonate and sulphate. Of these, reduced sulphur species constitute between one-third and two-thirds of the total. Sulphonate structures comprise between a fifth and a third of the total. Sulphates exhibit a wide variation in content, and sulphoxides are either not detected or are present to a lesser extent (<5%). Drying of the wetlands would cause oxidation of sulphides to sulphates.     

The influence of wetland vegetation on tidal stream channel migration and morphology

Average relative stream channel migration rates of .21 meters per year (.72 feet per year) for saline tidal wetland stream channels, and .32 meters per year (1.04 feet per year) for freshwater tidal wetland channels were calculated for a 32 year period (1940 to 1972) using photogrammetric techniques. Saline wetland stream channels averaged higher indices of sinuosity, i.e., the ratio of total channel length to linear downstream distance (1.95), when compared with sinuosities of freshwater tidal channels (1.46). The difference is attributed to differences in vegetation types and consequent soil holding capacity between saline and freshwater tidal wetland environments. Saline channels become entrenched because the banks are supported by dense root systems, while freshwater tidal channels flow through a more homogenous substrate and behave much like channels which cross mud-flats in the intertidal zone. Higher average meander amplitudes (one-half the peak to trough distance of a given meander wave) for saline channels (171 meters) versus lower amplitudes for freshwater channels (114 meters) suggest that meander loops for saline channels are determined primarily by the erosional characteristics of stream banks and by other local factors rather than by hydrodynamic factors such as flow velocity or discharge. It has been stated that meander migration features do not occur in homogenous soil materials (Leopold, et al. 1964); the tendency of saline channels to form these features is attributed to differential erosion caused by variations in root system density. Conversely, the morphology of freshwater tidal channels is influenced by hydrodynamic factors including discharge, and is due to the existence of more homogenous materials, i.e., muddy soils devoid of extensive root systems. An analysis of ebb and flood discharge data arrived at for each tidal channel using existing tidal current velocity and upland discharge records supports the fact that relatively greater erosive forces occur in salt marsh than in fresh tidal marsh areas. A poor statistical correlation between rates of stream channel migration and hydraulic stream flow data such as velocity and discharge must be accepted with caution due to the method of approximating tidal discharge values. The correlation suggests that under normal tidal conditions both saline and freshwater tidal channels migrate little, if any, and thus represent an apparently balanced relatively low energy system. For this reason it is believed that most stream channel migration in both saline and freshwater wetlands occurs as a result of increased forces due to storms.     

农业温室气体清单方法研究最新进展

为了履行气候变化框架公约的义务,缔约国要按时编制并提交国家温室气体清单。文章主要介绍温室气体清单指南中土壤CO2的排放和清除,稻田甲烷的排放,农业土壤中氧化亚氮的直接排放和间接排放等方面温室气体估算方法的研究进展。《2006年IPCC指南》中强调国家清单只报告管理土地CO2的排放和清除;采用六类土地利用类型体制,即：林地、农地、草地、湿地、居住地和其它地;提供了多层次的估算方法;稻田甲烷的季节排放因子变为日排放因子;农业土壤氧化亚氮的排放因子进一步修正;生物氮的固定不再作为氧化亚氮直接排放的排放源。清单方法改进的同时,我国编制农业温室气体清单面临巨大困难与挑战。     

水利工程对岩溶水体碳循环的影响

为认识水利工程建设对岩溶库区温室气体排放的影响,本文对岩溶区水利工程破坏岩溶水体DIC的稳定性、增加温室气体排放以及水利工程建设所带来的水体富营养化问题进行了初步总结。结果表明,水利工程不仅打破了岩溶水体DIC的自身稳定性,加速水体无机CO2逸出过程,导致CaCO3发生沉淀,而且还通过改变岩溶水动力条件、加速温室气体排放等途径来提高岩溶水体的碳储存、转移、形成与分解过程。与此同时作者还建议:(1)尽快开展岩溶水体温室气体排放的定性分析与定量计算工作,并与不同排放源的温室气体释放效应进行对比;(2)温室气体排放的估算须建立在岩溶碳循环研究基础上,从时间和空间尺度上分析影响岩溶水体温室气体排放过程的关键因素,并把岩溶水体温室气体排放纳入整个岩溶生态系统的生命周期中进行考虑。      

Molecular level analysis of long term vegetative shifts and relationships to soil organic matter composition

Soil organic matter (SOM) is one of the earth’s largest reservoirs of actively cycled carbon and plays a critical role in various ecosystem functions. In this study, mineral soils with the same parent material and of similar approximate age were sampled from the same climatic region in Halsey, Nebraska to determine the relationship between overlying vegetation inputs to SOM composition using complementary molecular level methods (biomarker analyses and solid state ¹³C nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy). Soil samples were collected from a native prairie and cedar and pine sites planted on the native prairie. Free and bound lipids isolated from the pine soil were more enriched in aliphatic and cutin-derived compounds than the other two soils. Cinnamyl type lignin-derived phenols were more abundant in the grassland soil than in the pine and cedar soils. Acid to aldehyde ratios (Ad/Al) for vanillyl and syringyl type phenols were higher for the pine soil indicating a more advanced stage of lignin oxidation (also observed by ¹³C NMR) in the soil that has also been reported to have accelerated carbon loss. In agreement with the more abundant aliphatic lipids and cutin-derived compounds, solid state ¹³C NMR results also indicated that the SOM of the pine soil may have received more aliphatic carbon inputs or may have lost other components during enhanced decomposition. The observed relationship between vegetation and SOM composition may have important implications for global carbon cycling as some structures (e.g. aliphatics) are hypothesized to be more recalcitrant compared to others and their accumulation in soils may enhance below ground carbon storage.     

Carbon,nitrogen and phosphorus coupling relationships and their influencing factors in the critical zone of Dongting Lake wetlands,China

Wetland is a transition zone between terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems, and is the source and sink of various biogenic elements in the earth’s epipelagic zone. In order to investigate the driving force and coupling mechanism of carbon (C), nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) migration in the critical zone of lake wetland, this paper studies the natural wetland of Dongting Lake area, through measuring and analysing the C, N and P contents in the wetland soil and groundwater. Methods of Pearson correlation, non-linear regression and machine learning were employed to analyse the influencing factors, and to explore the coupling patterns of the C, N and P in both soils and groundwater, with data derived from soil and water samples collected from the wetland critical zone. The results show that the mean values of organic carbon (TOC), total nitrogen (TN) and total phosphorus (TP) in groundwater are 1.59 mg/L, 4.19 mg/L and 0.5 mg/L, respectively, while the mean values of C, N and P in the soils are 18.05 g/kg, 0.86 g/kg and 0.52 g/kg. The results also show that the TOC, TN and TP in the groundwater are driven by a variety of environmental factors. However, the concentrations of C, N and P in the soils are mainly related to vegetation abundance and species which influence each other. In addition, the fitted curves of wetland soil C-N and C-P appear to follow the power function and S-shaped curve, respectively. In order to establish a multivariate regression model, the soil N and P contents were used as the input parameters and the soil C content used as the output one. By comparing the prediction effects of machine learning and nonlinear regression modelling, the results show that coupled relationship equation for the C, N and P contents is highly reliable. Future modelling of the coupled soil and groundwater elemental cycles needs to consider the complexity of hydrogeological conditions and to explore the quantitative relationships among the influencing factors and chemical constituents.     

A compound-specific n-alkane δC and δD approach for assessing source and delivery processes of terrestrial organic matter within a forested watershed in northern Japan

We measured molecular distributions and compound-specific hydrogen (δD) and stable carbon isotopic ratios (δ¹³C) of mid- and long-chain n-alkanes in forest soils, wetland peats and lake sediments within the Dorokawa watershed, Hokkaido, Japan, to better understand sources and processes associate with delivery of terrestrial organic matter into the lake sediments. δ¹³C values of odd carbon numbered C₂₃-C₃₃n-alkanes ranged from −37.2‰ to −31.5‰, while δD values of these alkanes showed a large degree of variability that ranged from −244‰ to −180‰. Molecular distributions in combination with stable carbon isotopic compositions indicate a large contribution of C3 trees as the main source of n-alkanes in forested soils whereas n-alkanes in wetland soil are exclusively derived from marsh grass and/or moss. We found that the n-alkane δD values are much higher in forest soils than wetland peat. The higher δD values in forest samples could be explained by the enrichment of deuterium in leaf and soil waters due to increased evapotranspiration in the forest or differences in physiology of source plants between wetland and forest. A δ¹³C vs. δD diagram of n-alkanes among forest, wetland and lake samples showed that C₂₅-C₃₁n-alkanes deposited in lake sediments are mainly derived from tree leaves due to the preferential transport of the forest soil organic matter over the wetland or an increased contribution of atmospheric input of tree leaf wax in the offshore sites. This study demonstrates that compound-specific δD analysis provides a useful approach for better understanding source and transport of terrestrial biomarkers in a C3 plant-dominated catchment.     

Modified method for estimating the organic carbon density of discontinuous soils in peak-karst regions in southwest China

Precise estimation of soil organic carbon storage is essential to assess carbon sequestration in soils at a regional scale. However, there is great uncertainty regarding such estimations for discontinuous soils, especially in peak-karst regions where soil is distributed between horizontal cracks and vertical fissures. In this study, a modified method was developed to estimate the soil organic carbon density (SOCD) in peak-karst regions in southwest China, and four typical sites were selected to evaluate this methodology. Compared with the conventional method, additional soil distribution characters, such as the average depth and the proportions of the ground surface area represented by continuous soil, soil in cracks and fissures, soil on rocks, and rocky soil, were considered in the estimation. The SOCD under each vegetation type was calculated by totaling the SOCD values for the various types of soil surfaces, and the SOCD for a site was then totaled using the weighted mean method based on vegetation. Using the modified method, the SOCD values were estimated for the four typical sites selected. The estimation results demonstrated that the SOCD values for the karst sites (6.39, 7.52, and 9.22?kg?m^?2) were lower than that for the red soil site (10.01?kg?m^?2). The SOCD values estimated for the karst sites using the proposed method ranged from 24.3 to 89.6% of the estimates obtained using the conventional method, reflecting previous overestimations. The differences in the estimated SOCD values were mainly due to soil distribution characters.     

中国农田的温室气体排放

中国是一个农业大国,拥有约1.33百万平方公里的农田。这些田地的种植、翻耕、施肥、灌溉等管理措施不仅长期改变着农田生态系统中的化学元素循环,而且给全球气候变化带来影响。农业生态系统对全球变化的影响主要是通过改变3种温室气体,即二氧化碳(CO₂)、甲烷(CH4)和氧化亚氮(N₂O)在土壤-大气界面的交换而实现的。为了分析多种因素(如气候、土壤质地、农作物品种及各种农田经营管理措施等)对农业土壤释放CO_22222222     

Soil Organic Carbon Storage Changes in Coastal Wetlands of the Liaohe Delta,China, Based on Landscape Patterns

Growing wetland loss along a coastal area in China was examined through shoreline recession and land use changes. Carbon storage or sequestration in coastal wetland soils was based on vertical marsh accretion and aerial change data. Marshes sequester significant amounts of carbon through vertical accretion; however, large amounts of carbon previously sequestered in the soil profile are lost through rapid land use changes and shoreline recessions. The Liaohe Delta (LHD) was divided into nine landscape types based on Landsat TM digital images from 1991 to 2011. The distributed areas and transfer matrices of each landscape type were calculated. Combined with the organic carbon content and bulk density of 202 soil surface samples from field investigations in 2012, the soil organic carbon pools and stocks were estimated. Results showed that the soil organic carbon pools varied from 0.58 to 9.75 kg m^?2, and organic carbon storage in the upper 20 cm of soil was 1935.92 × 10⁴ and 1863.87 × 10⁴ t in 1991 and 2011, respectively. We attributed these large losses of carbon to rapid land use changes. The construction of levees along the shoreline has triggered large instantaneous losses of previously sequestered carbon through the destruction of 278.06 km² of tidal flats. Our results reveal that the LHD wetlands might not serve as a desired sink of carbon if maladministration practices are applied. These results can provide scientific guidance for decision makers in determining an effective way to maintain the soil carbon pool in the wetlands of the LHD.     

The hydromagnesite playas of Atlin, British Columbia, Canada: A biogeochemical model for CO2 sequestration

Anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions may be offset by sequestering carbon dioxide (CO₂) through the carbonation of magnesium silicate minerals to form magnesium carbonate minerals. The hydromagnesite [Mg₅(CO₃)₄(OH)₂·4H₂O] playas of Atlin, British Columbia, Canada provide a natural model to examine mineral carbonation on a watershed scale. At near surface conditions, CO₂ is biogeochemically sequestered by microorganisms that are involved in weathering of bedrock and precipitation of carbonate minerals. The purpose of this study was to characterize the weathering regime in a groundwater recharge zone and the depositional environments in the playas in the context of a biogeochemical model for CO₂ sequestration with emphasis on microbial processes that accelerate mineral carbonation.Regions with ultramafic bedrock, such as Atlin, represent the best potential sources of feedstocks for mineral carbonation. Elemental compositions of a soil profile show significant depletion of MgO and enrichment of SiO₂ in comparison to underlying ultramafic parent material. Polished serpentinite cubes were placed in the organic horizon of a coniferous forest soil in a groundwater recharge zone for three years. Upon retrieval, the cube surfaces, as seen using scanning electron microscopy, had been colonized by bacteria that were associated with surface pitting. Degradation of organic matter in the soil produced chelating agents and acids that contributed to the chemical weathering of the serpentinite and would be expected to have a similar effect on the magnesium-rich bedrock at Atlin. Stable carbon isotopes of groundwater from a well, situated near a wetland in the southeastern playa, indicate that  12% of the dissolved inorganic carbon has a modern origin from soil CO₂.The mineralogy and isotope geochemistry of the hydromagnesite playas suggest that there are three distinct depositional environments: (1) the wetland, characterized by biologically-aided precipitation of carbonate minerals from waters concentrated by evaporation, (2) isolated wetland sections that lead to the formation of consolidated aragonite sediments, and (3) the emerged grassland environment where evaporation produces mounds of hydromagnesite. Examination of sediments within the southeastern playa–wetland suggests that cyanobacteria, sulphate reducing bacteria, and diatoms aid in producing favourable geochemical conditions for precipitation of carbonate minerals.The Atlin site, as a biogeochemical model, has implications for creating carbon sinks that utilize passive microbial, geochemical and physical processes that aid in mineral carbonation of magnesium silicates. These processes could be exploited for the purposes of CO₂ sequestration by creating conditions similar to those of the Atlin site in environments, artificial or natural, where the precipitation of magnesium carbonates would be suitable. Given the vast quantities of Mg-rich bedrock that exist throughout the world, this study has significant implications for reducing atmospheric CO₂ concentrations and combating global climate change.     

Anaerobic Metabolism in Tidal Freshwater Wetlands: II. Effects of Plant Removal on Archaeal Microbial Communities

The interaction of plant and microbial communities are known to influence the dynamics of methane emission in wetlands. Plant manipulations were conducted in an organic rich (JB-organic) and a mineral rich (JB-mineral) site in a tidal freshwater wetland to determine if plant removal impacted archaeal populations. In concert, a suite of process-based measurements also determined the effects of plant removal on rates of methanogenesis and Fe-reduction. The microbial populations were analyzed with clone libraries of the SSU ribosomal RNA (rRNA) gene from selected plots, and terminal restriction length polymorphism (tRFLP) of the SSU rRNA and the methyl-coenzyme M reductase (mcrA) gene. Overall, methanogenesis dominated anaerobic carbon mineralization at both sites during the most active growing season. A total of 114 SSU rRNA clones from four different plots revealed a diversity of Euryarchaeota including representatives of the Methanomicrobiales, Methanosarcinales and Thermoplasmatales. The clone libraries were dominated by the Thaumarchaeota, accounting for 65 % of clones, although their diversity was low. A total of 112 tRFLP profiles were generated from 56 samples from 25 subplots; the patterns for both SSU rRNA and mcrA showed little variation between sites, either with plant treatment or with the growing season. Overall these results suggest that wetland soil archaeal populations were resilient to changes in the associated surface plant communities. The work also revealed the presence of novel, mesophilic Thaumarchaeota of unknown metabolic function.     

不同自然环境和城市功能区的土壤黑碳特征及来源研究综述

黑碳是由生物质和化石燃料等燃烧产生的一系列含碳物质,长期广泛分布于土壤、大气等多种载体中,且表现出不同的环境效应。土壤作为一种不可再生的自然资源,是人类生存与发展不可缺少的物质基础,也是支撑城市发展的空间和生态基础。土壤中的黑碳构成土壤有机碳库的重要组分,且影响着土壤肥力、结构、有机污染物等多方面。目前,对黑碳的研究集中在其对环境的影响,我国在这方面的研究开始较晚,特别是对土壤中黑碳的研究还处于起步阶段。本文详细分析了土壤黑碳的可能来源（自然火灾、人类农业活动、化石燃料燃烧以及汽车尾气排放等）,概括了常见的土壤黑碳来源辨析方法（黑碳形态特征分析、黑碳/有机碳比值分析、黑碳碳同位素分析）,总结了国内外对不同自然环境、不同城市功能区的土壤黑碳研究现状。最后,提出了全球黑碳研究亟待关注和解决的关键问题,以期为将来合理制定控制黑碳排放的相关政策,减缓黑碳对环境质量和人体健康的影响,提供重要的理论依据。     

Diurnal Variations of Carbon Dioxide, Methane, and Nitrous Oxide Vertical Fluxes in a Subtropical Estuarine Marsh on Neap and Spring Tide Days

Measuring fluxes of greenhouse gases (GHGs) is fundamental to estimating their impact on global warming. We examined diurnal variations of carbon dioxide (CO₂), methane (CH₄), and nitrous oxide (N₂O) vertical fluxes in a tidal marsh ecosystem. Measurements were recorded on neap and spring tide days in April and September 2010 in the Shanyutan wetland of the Min River estuary, southeast China. Here, we define a positive flux as directing into the atmosphere. CH₄ fluxes on the diurnal scale were positive throughout, and CH₄ emissions into the atmosphere on neap tide days were higher than on spring tide days. CH₄ releases from the marsh ecosystem on neap tide days were higher in the daytime; however, on spring tide days, daily variations of CH₄ emissions were more complex. The marsh ecosystem plays a twofold role in both releasing and assimilating CO₂ and N₂O gases on the diurnal scale. Average CO₂ fluxes were positive on the daily scale both on neap and spring days and were greater on the neap tide days than on spring tide days. Diurnal variations of N₂O fluxes fluctuated more. Over the diurnal period, soil temperature markedly controlled variations of CH₄ emissions compared to other soil factors, such as salinity and redox potential. Tidal water height was a key factor influencing GHGs fluxes at the water–air interface. Compared with N₂O, the diurnal course of CO₂ and CH₄ fluxes in the marsh ecosystem appeared to be directly controlled by marsh plants. These results have implications for sampling and scaling strategies for estimating GHGs fluxes in tidal marsh ecosystems.     

Provincial variation of carbon emissions from bituminous coal: influence of inertinite and other factors

We observe a 1.3 kg C/net GJ variation of carbon emissions due to inertinite abundance in some commercially available bituminous coal. An additional 0.9 kg C/net GJ variation of carbon emissions is expected due to the extent of coalification through the bituminous rank stages. Each percentage of sulfur in bituminous coal reduces carbon emissions by about 0.08 kg C/net GJ. Other factors, such as mineral content, liptinite abundance and individual macerals, also influence carbon emissions, but their quantitative effect is less certain.The large range of carbon emissions within the bituminous rank class suggests that rank-specific carbon emission factors are provincial rather than global. Although carbon emission factors that better account for this provincial variation might be calculated, we show that the data used for this calculation may vary according to the methods used to sample and analyze coal. Provincial variation of carbon emissions and the use of different coal sampling and analytical methods complicate the verification of national greenhouse gas inventories.     

Evaluating Tidal Wetland Restoration Performance Using National Estuarine Research Reserve System Reference Sites and the Restoration Performance Index (RPI)

Evaluations of tidal wetland restoration efforts suffer from a lack of appropriate reference sites and standardized methods among projects. To help address these issues, the National Estuarine Research Reserve System (NERRS) and the NOAA Restoration Center engaged in a partnership to monitor ecological responses and evaluate 17 tidal wetland restoration projects associated with five reserves. The goals of this study were to (1) determine the level of restoration achieved at each project using the restoration performance index (RPI), which compares change in parameters over time between reference and restoration sites, (2) compare hydrologic and excavation restoration projects using the RPI, (3) identify key indicator parameters for assessing restoration effectiveness, and (4) evaluate the value of the NERRS as reference sites for local restoration projects. We found that the RPI, modified for this study, was an effective tool for evaluating relative differences in restoration performance; most projects achieved an intermediate level of restoration from 2008 to 2010, and two sites became very similar to their paired reference sites, indicating that the restoration efforts were highly effective. There were no differences in RPI scores between hydrologic and excavation restoration project types. Two abiotic parameters (marsh platform elevation and groundwater level) were significantly correlated with vegetation community structure and thus can potentially influence restoration performance. Our results highlight the value of the NERRS as reference sites for assessing tidal wetland restoration projects and provide improved guidance for scientists and restoration practitioners by highlighting the RPI as a trajectory analysis tool and identifying key monitoring parameters.     

Contribution of Mangroves and Salt Marshes to Nature-Based Mitigation of Coastal Flood Risks in Major Deltas of the World

Nature-based solutions are rapidly gaining interest in the face of global change and increasing flood risks. While assessments of flood risk mitigation by coastal ecosystems are mainly restricted to local scales, our study assesses the contribution of salt marshes and mangroves to nature-based storm surge mitigation in 11 large deltas around the world. We present a relatively simple GIS model that, based on globally available input data, provides an estimation of the tidal wetland’s capacity of risk mitigation at a regional scale. It shows the high potential of nature-based solutions, as tidal wetlands, to provide storm surge mitigation to more than 80% of the flood-exposed land area for 4 of the 11 deltas and to more than 70% of the flood-exposed population for 3 deltas. The magnitude of the nature-based mitigation, estimated as the length of the storm surge pathway crossing through tidal wetlands, was found to be significantly correlated to the total wetland area within a delta. This highlights the importance of conserving extensive continuous tidal wetlands as a nature-based approach to mitigate flood risks. Our analysis further reveals that deltas with limited historical wetland reclamation and therefore large remaining wetlands, such as the Mississippi, the Niger, and part of the Ganges-Brahmaputra deltas, benefit from investing in the conservation of their vast wetlands, while deltas with extensive historical wetland reclamation, such as the Yangtze and Rhine deltas, may improve the sustainability of flood protection programs by combining existing hard engineering with new nature-based solutions through restoration of former wetlands.