{"id":35575,"date":"2024-09-26T11:00:15","date_gmt":"2024-09-26T09:00:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/resoilfoundation.org\/articles\/mare-carbonio-zone-umide\/"},"modified":"2024-09-30T10:52:03","modified_gmt":"2024-09-30T08:52:03","slug":"sea-carbon-wetlands","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/resoilfoundation.org\/en\/environment\/sea-carbon-wetlands\/","title":{"rendered":"Sea level rises threatening wetland carbon"},"content":{"rendered":"

Rising sea levels threaten carbon storage capacity by altering microbes and vegetation, US researchers say<\/h2>\n

by Matteo Cavallito<\/p>\n

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Coastal wetlands – including marshes and mangrove forests – are limited in size but they store nearly half of all the carbon<\/strong> in ocean sediments. Rising sea levels<\/strong>, however, put this crucial mitigation service at risk. This threat is widely known to researchers at the University of Southern California<\/strong> who have been studying for some time the dynamics occurring in the wetlands of the Upper Newport Bay Ecological Reserve, an estuary located in Orange County, in the southern part of the state.<\/p>\n

The goal? \u2018To develop methods to predict and mitigate carbon loss, quantify the amount of carbon at risk, and identify restoration techniques to ensure continued carbon capture and storage well into the next century,\u2019 explains David Ba\u00f1uelas<\/strong>, research coordinator quoted in an article<\/a> published by the same university.<\/p>\n

\"Previsioni

Sea-level rise predictions. The table presents assumptions based on observation and five predictive scenarios for both global mean sea level and sea level in the contiguous United States. The change in mean level is expressed in metres. SOURCE: The Sea Level Rise Technical Report 2022 – NASA, NOAA, EPA, FEMA, Department of Defense, Department of Homeland Security.<\/p><\/div>\n

Salt endangers the carbon cycle<\/h5>\n

Soil microorganisms<\/strong> play a crucial role. In these areas, they absorb CO2 and convert it into organic matter that is made available to other living things in the food chain. Vegetation<\/strong>, which captures carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and sequesters it in the soil, also contributes to the process. The problem, however, is that rising sea levels cause salt water intrusion, altering the presence of microbes and making the environment unsuitable for plants.<\/p>\n

\u2018We know that in 50 to 100 years,<\/strong> much of the salt marsh will turn into mudflats<\/strong>, which are actually sources of carbon emissions,\u2019 Ba\u00f1uelas explained. \u2018Without vegetation, a lot of the carbon<\/strong> that would otherwise be stored is going to be released back into the atmosphere\u2019.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

In order to understand what might happen in the future scenario, the scientists began collecting water samples in the marsh to study its chemistry and identify microbes<\/strong>. Analyses in the laboratory would allow them to decode the genomic data of the microorganisms to understand their carbon processing capabilities. The idea is to predict the distribution of microbes based on salinity predictions by anticipating and responding to the impacts of climate change.<\/p>\n

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USA, erosion runs 1000 times faster than normal<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n