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Sediment carbon accumulation is southern latitude saltmarsh communities of Tasmania, Australia
Citation
Ellison, JC and Beasy, KM, Sediment carbon accumulation is southern latitude saltmarsh communities of Tasmania, Australia, Biology, 7, (2) Article 27. ISSN 2079-7737 (2018) [Refereed Article]
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Copyright Statement
Copyright 2018 The Authors. Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
DOI: doi:10.3390/biology7020027
Abstract
Carbon sequestration values of wetlands are greatest in their sediments. Northern hemisphere research dominates the earlier saltmarsh carbon sequestration literature, recently augmented by analyses across mainland Australia where species assemblages, catchment histories and environmental settings differ. No previous assessment has been made for Tasmania. Carbon stores and accumulation rates in saltmarsh sediments of the Rubicon estuary, Tasmania, were investigated. Carbon was determined from sediment cores by Elemental Analyser, combined with analysis of organic content and bulk density. Carbon accumulation was determined using short-term and long-term sediment accretion indicators. Results showed carbon densities to be lower than global averages, with variation found between carbon stores of native and introduced species zones. Cores from introduced Spartina anglica indicated a trend of higher sediment carbon percentages relative to cores from native saltmarsh Juncus kraussii and Sarcocornia quinqueflora, and in finer grain sizes. Sediment carbon stock of 30 cm depths was 49.5 Mg C ha−1 for native saltmarsh and 55.5 Mg C ha−1 for Spartina. Carbon percentages were low owing to high catchment inorganic sediment yields, however carbon accumulation rates were similar to global averages, particularly under Spartina. Covering 85% of saltmarsh area in the estuary, Spartina contributes the majority to carbon stores, potentially indicating a previously unrecognized value for this invasive species in Australia.
Item Details
| Item Type: | Refereed Article |
|---|---|
| Keywords: | saltmarsh, sediment carbon, wetland, accumulation rates, Spartina, pollen analysis |
| Research Division: | Earth Sciences |
| Research Group: | Physical geography and environmental geoscience |
| Research Field: | Physical geography and environmental geoscience not elsewhere classified |
| Objective Division: | Environmental Management |
| Objective Group: | Coastal and estuarine systems and management |
| Objective Field: | Coastal erosion |
| UTAS Author: | Ellison, JC (Associate Professor Joanna Ellison) |
| UTAS Author: | Beasy, KM (Dr Kim Beasy) |
| ID Code: | 125733 |
| Year Published: | 2018 |
| Web of Science® Times Cited: | 3 |
| Deposited By: | Geography and Spatial Science |
| Deposited On: | 2018-05-02 |
| Last Modified: | 2019-03-14 |
| Downloads: | 107 View Download Statistics |
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