Carpinteria Salt Marsh Reserve

17 Jun, 02 AM - 28 Feb, 11 AM

California?s coastal salt marshes may be ideal ecosystems for mitigating the impacts of greenhouse gas emissions. They are highly productive, depositing large amounts of carbon in their soil, but emit relatively negligible amounts of methane (CH4) nitrous oxide (N2O) and carbon dioxide (CO2). Freshwater wetlands are carbon sinks over long periods (> 10 years) but emit more greenhouse gases, acting as C sources on shorter time scales. Mary Nichols, Chairman of the California Air Resources Board has expressed an interest in incorporating wetlands in the carbon emissions trading program, which currently is being devised for California. While this is a compelling idea, very little research about the C sequestration capacity of California?s wetlands is available to inform the process and to our knowledge there is no published information on C sequestration of restored salt marshes. We are requesting Sea Grant Program Development funds to collect initial data in support of a proposal for a larger, more thorough investigation of C sequestration of natural and restored temperate salt marshes. There is an immediate need for this work since the emissions trading program is in the process of being developed. We will determine the amount of C stored in both natural and restored sections of three southern California salt marshes. C accumulation over time will be evaluated in the upland, middle and nearshore areas of both tidal plains and tidal creeks. This information will begin to clarify how coastal wetlands should be weighted in a California carbon trading program and identify where we should continue to focus this work

Visit #21838 @Carpinteria Salt Marsh Reserve

Approved

Under Project # 21956 | Research

CARBON STORAGE IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA?S NATURAL AND RESTORED COASTAL WETLANDS

research_scientist - University of California, Berkeley

Reservation Members(s)

Monique Myers Jun 17, 2010 - Feb 28, 2011 (257 days)
Group of 2 Faculty Jun 17, 2010 - Feb 28, 2011 (257 days)
Monique Myers Jun 17, 2010 - Feb 28, 2011 (257 days)

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