Journal article
Blue Carbon Stocks Along the Pacific Coast of North America Are Mainly Driven by Local Rather Than Regional Factors
Global biogeochemical cycles, v 39(3), e2024GB008239
Mar 2025
Featured in Collection : UN Sustainable Development Goals @ Drexel
Abstract
Coastal wetlands, including seagrass meadows, emergent marshes, mangroves, and temperate tidal swamps, can efficiently sequester and store large quantities of sediment organic carbon (SOC). However, SOC stocks may vary by ecosystem type and along environmental or climate gradients at different scales. Quantifying such variability is needed to improve blue carbon accounting, conservation effectiveness, and restoration planning. We analyzed SOC stocks in 1,284 sediment cores along >6,500 km of the Pacific coast of North America that included large environmental gradients and multiple ecosystem types. Tidal wetlands with woody vegetation (mangroves and swamps) had the highest mean stocks to 1 m depth (357 and 355 Mg ha −1 , respectively), 45% higher than marshes (245 Mg ha −1 ), and more than 500% higher than seagrass (68 Mg ha −1 ). Unvegetated tideflats, though not often considered a blue carbon ecosystem, had noteworthy stocks (148 Mg ha −1 ). Stocks increased with tidal elevation and with fine (<63 μm) sediment content in several ecosystems. Stocks also varied by dominant plant species within individual ecosystem types. At larger scales, marsh stocks were lowest in the Sonoran Desert region of Mexico, and swamp stocks differed among climate zones; otherwise stocks showed little correlation with ecoregion or latitude. More variability in SOC occurred among ecosystem types, and at smaller spatial scales (such as individual estuaries), than across regional climate gradients. These patterns can inform coastal conservation and restoration priorities across scales where preserving stored carbon and enhancing sequestration helps avert greenhouse gas emissions and maintains other vital ecosystem services.
Coastal blue carbon ecosystems such as seagrass meadows, marshes, mangroves, and other tidal wetlands, efficiently accumulate and store organic carbon in their sediments. For the west coast of North America, we investigated whether the amount of carbon stored in the sediment (“carbon stock”) differed by ecosystem type and whether differences were linked to local‐scale factors such as elevation and plant type or to regional‐scale factors such as latitude and climate conditions. We found the highest sediment carbon stocks in mangroves in Mexico and tidal swamps in the Pacific Northwest, ecosystems both dominated by woody plants. Tideflats had stocks at least as large as seagrass meadows, while marshes were intermediate among all ecosystems. Overall, differences in stocks were more related to factors like site elevation or the specific wetland sampled than broad geographic‐scale differences in climate conditions. Knowing how soil carbon stocks differ across various coastal conditions will help incorporate blue carbon information into planning and decision‐making in coastal conservation and restoration efforts.
Sediment organic carbon stocks were greatest in woody tidal wetlands, followed by marshes, mudflats, and seagrass habitats Unvegetated tideflats store much greater sediment carbon stocks than previously recognized Most stocks variability was explained by local‐scale drivers rather than large‐scale climate gradients
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Details
- Title
- Blue Carbon Stocks Along the Pacific Coast of North America Are Mainly Driven by Local Rather Than Regional Factors
- Creators
- Christopher N. Janousek - Oregon State UniversityJohannes R. Krause - Florida International UniversityJudith Z. Drexler - United States Geological SurveyKevin J. Buffington - United States Geological SurveyKatrina L. Poppe - Western Washington UniversityErin Peck - University of Rhode IslandMaria Fernanda Adame - Griffith UniversityElizabeth B. Watson - Stony Brook UniversityJames Holmquist - Smithsonian Environmental Research CenterScott D. Bridgham - University of OregonScott F. Jones - United States Geological SurveyMelissa Ward - San Diego State UniversityCheryl A. Brown - Environmental Protection AgencyLisa Beers - Smithsonian Environmental Research CenterMatthew T. Costa - University of California, San DiegoHeida L. Diefenderfer - Pacific Northwest National LaboratoryAmy B. Borde - Pacific Northwest National LaboratoryLindsey Sheehan - Southall Environmental AssociatesJohn Rybczyk - Western Washington UniversityCarolyn Prentice - Hakai InstituteAndrew B. Gray - University of California, RiversideAlejandro Hinojosa-Corona - Center for Scientific Research and Higher Education at EnsenadaAna Carolina Ruiz-Fernández - Universidad Nacional Autónoma de MéxicoJoan‐Albert Sanchez-Cabeza - Universidad Nacional Autónoma de MéxicoKaren E. Kohfeld - Simon Fraser UniversityPaula Ezcurra - Climate Science Alliance San Diego CA USAJonathan Ochoa-Gómez - Universidad Autónoma de Baja California SurKaren M. Thorne - United States Geological SurveyMarlow G. Pellatt - Parks CanadaAurora M. Ricart - Institut Català de Ciències del ClimaAmanda M. Nahlik - Environmental Protection AgencyLaura S. Brophy - Institute for Culture and EcologyRichard F. Ambrose - University of California, Los AngelesMira Lutz - Western Washington UniversityCraig Cornu - Institute for Culture and EcologyStephen Crooks - Silvestrum Climate AssociatesLisamarie Windham-Myers - United States Geological SurveyMargot Hessing-Lewis - Hakai InstituteFredrick T. Short - University of New Hampshire Durham NH USAStephen Chastain - Simon Fraser UniversityTrevor Williams - Oregon State UniversityTristan Douglas - University of British ColumbiaElizabeth Fard - University of California, Los AngelesLauren Brown - Bowling Green State UniversityMichelle Goman - Sonoma State University
- Publication Details
- Global biogeochemical cycles, v 39(3), e2024GB008239
- Publisher
- AMER GEOPHYSICAL UNION; WASHINGTON
- Number of pages
- 23
- Grant note
- NERRS Science Collaborative: NA14NOS4190145, NA19NOS4190058 National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration: NA19NOS4780176 Pew Charitable TrustsUSDA NIFA Hatch Project: CA-R-ENS-5120-H USDA Multi-State Project: W4188 Tula FoundationHakai Institute
We thank the many researchers who conducted the field and laboratory work to generate the data used in this study or compile data sets including but not limited to Kristin Byrd, John Callaway, Darwyn Coxson, Brandon Drucker, Exequiel Ezcurra, Leila Giovanonni, Tessa Hill, J. Boone Kauffman, T Chris Mochon Collura, Heather Perillat, Victoria Postlethwaite, Paul Sanborn, Tiffany Stephens, Ron Thom, Rob Wheatcroft, Jude Apple, and Libia Perez-Bernal. Major funding for development of the Northeast Pacific Blue Carbon Database and this paper was provided by the NERRS Science Collaborative (Grants NA14NOS4190145 and NA19NOS4190058), the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (Grant NA19NOS4780176), and the Pew Charitable Trusts. A. Gray was supported in part by USDA NIFA Hatch Project CA-R-ENS-5120-H and USDA Multi-State Project W4188. M. Hessing-Lewis and C. Prentice were supported by the Tula Foundation and the Hakai Institute. The views expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the views or policies of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency or the U.S. Geological Survey. Any use of trade, firm, or product names is for descriptive purposes only and does not imply endorsement by the US government or the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. This paper is a contribution of the Pacific Northwest Blue Carbon Working Group and contribution #1809 from the Coastlines and Oceans Division of the Institute of Environment at Florida International University.
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Language
- English
- Academic Unit
- Biodiversity, Earth, and Environmental Science (BEES)
- Web of Science ID
- WOS:001446990200001
- Scopus ID
- 2-s2.0-105000543281
- Other Identifier
- 991022041973104721
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- Collaboration types
- Domestic collaboration
- International collaboration
- Web of Science research areas
- Environmental Sciences
- Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
- Meteorology & Atmospheric Sciences