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Smeaton C, Garrett E, Koot MB, Ladd CJT, Miller LC, McMahon L, Foster B, Barlow NLM, Blake W, Gehrels WR, Skov MW, Austin WEN. Organic carbon accumulation in British saltmarshes. Sci Total Environ 2024; 926:172104. [PMID: 38556016 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.172104] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2023] [Revised: 03/25/2024] [Accepted: 03/28/2024] [Indexed: 04/02/2024]
Abstract
Saltmarshes are a crucial component of the coastal carbon (C) system and provide a natural climate regulation service through the accumulation and long-term storage of organic carbon (OC) in their soils. These coastal ecosystems are under growing pressure from a changing climate and increasing anthropogenic disturbance. To manage and protect these ecosystems for C and to allow their inclusion in emissions and natural-capital accounting, as well as carbon markets, accurate and reliable estimates of OC accumulation are required. However, globally, such data are rare or of varying quality. Here, we quantify sedimentation rates and OC densities for 21 saltmarshes in Great Britain (GB). We estimate that, on average, saltmarshes accumulate OC at a rate of 110.88 ± 43.12 g C m-2 yr-1. This is considerably less than widely applied global saltmarsh averages. It is therefore highly likely that the contribution of northern European saltmarshes to global saltmarsh OC accumulation has been significantly overestimated. Taking account of the climatic, geomorphological, oceanographic, and ecological characteristics of all GB saltmarshes and the areal extent of different saltmarsh zones, we estimate that the 451.65 km2 of GB saltmarsh accumulates 46,563 ± 4353 t of OC annually. These low OC accumulation rates underline the importance of the 5.20 ± 0.65 million tonnes of OC already stored in these vulnerable coastal ecosystems. Going forward the protection and preservation of the existing stores of OC in GB saltmarshes must be a priority for the UK as this will provide climate benefits through avoided emissions several times more significant than the annual accumulation of OC in these ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Craig Smeaton
- School of Geography and Sustainable Development, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, United Kingdom.
| | - Ed Garrett
- Department of Environment and Geography, Wentworth Way, University of York, York, United Kingdom.
| | - Martha B Koot
- School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Plymouth, Plymouth, United Kingdom
| | - Cai J T Ladd
- School of Biosciences, Geography and Physics, University of Swansea, Swansea, United Kingdom; School of Ocean Sciences, Bangor University, Menai Bridge, United Kingdom
| | - Lucy C Miller
- School of Geography and Sustainable Development, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, United Kingdom
| | - Lucy McMahon
- Department of Environment and Geography, Wentworth Way, University of York, York, United Kingdom; Department of Natural Sciences, Manchester Metropolitan University, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Bradley Foster
- Department of Environment and Geography, Wentworth Way, University of York, York, United Kingdom
| | - Natasha L M Barlow
- School of Earth and Environment, University of Leeds, Leeds, United Kingdom
| | - William Blake
- School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Plymouth, Plymouth, United Kingdom
| | - W Roland Gehrels
- Department of Environment and Geography, Wentworth Way, University of York, York, United Kingdom
| | - Martin W Skov
- School of Ocean Sciences, Bangor University, Menai Bridge, United Kingdom
| | - William E N Austin
- School of Geography and Sustainable Development, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, United Kingdom; Scottish Association of Marine Science, Oban, United Kingdom
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Andrews LO, Rowson JG, Caporn SJM, Dise NB, Barton E, Garrett E, Gehrels WR, Gehrels M, Kay M, Payne RJ. Plant community responses to experimental climate manipulation in a Welsh ombrotrophic peatland and their palaeoenvironmental context. Glob Chang Biol 2022; 28:1596-1617. [PMID: 34800308 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.16003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2021] [Accepted: 10/26/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
We test whether vegetation community composition from a 10-year climate manipulation experiment on a Welsh peat bog resembles vegetation communities during periods of climate change inferred from a peat core. Experimentally warmed and combined warmed and droughted treatments drove significant increases in ericaceous shrubs but Sphagnum was unaffected. Similarly, Calluna vulgaris seeds increase during inferred warmer periods in the palaeoecological record. Experimental short-term episodic drought (four 4-week drought treatments) did not affect vegetation. Plant community composition has undergone several abrupt changes throughout the past c. 1500 years, often in response to human disturbance. Only slight changes occurred during the Medieval Climate Anomaly (c. 950-1250 Common Era [CE]) in vegetation and hydrology, while abrupt changes occurred during the Little Ice Age (c. 1300-1850 CE) when water tables were highest, suggesting that these shifts were driven by changes in water table, modulated by climate. A period of water table drawdown c. 1800, synchronous with historical records of increased drainage, corresponds with the development of the present-day vegetation community. Modern analogues for fossil material, characterized by abundant Rhynchospora alba and Sphagnum pulchrum, are more common after this event. Vegetation changes due to climate inferred from the palaeo record differ from those observed in the experiments, possibly relating to differences in the importance of drivers of vegetation change over varying timescales. Whereas temperature is frequently identified as the dominant driver of plant community change in experiments, sustained changes in water table appear to be more important in the long-term record. We find evidence that recent climate change and other anthropogenic stressors (e.g. drainage, heavy metal and nitrogen pollution) may promote the development of novel plant communities without analogues in the fossil record. These communities may be poorer at sequestering carbon and may respond differently to future climate change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luke O Andrews
- Department of Environment and Geography, University of York, York, UK
| | - James G Rowson
- Department of Geography and Geology, Edge Hill University, Lancashire, UK
| | - Simon J M Caporn
- Department of Natural Sciences, Manchester Metropolitan University, Manchester, UK
| | | | - Eleanor Barton
- Department of Environment and Geography, University of York, York, UK
| | - Ed Garrett
- Department of Environment and Geography, University of York, York, UK
| | - W Roland Gehrels
- Department of Environment and Geography, University of York, York, UK
| | - Maria Gehrels
- Department of Environment and Geography, University of York, York, UK
| | - Martin Kay
- Geography, School of Environment, Education and Development, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Richard J Payne
- Department of Environment and Geography, University of York, York, UK
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Barnett RL, Charman DJ, Johns C, Ward SL, Bevan A, Bradley SL, Camidge K, Fyfe RM, Gehrels WR, Gehrels MJ, Hatton J, Khan NS, Marshall P, Maezumi SY, Mills S, Mulville J, Perez M, Roberts HM, Scourse JD, Shepherd F, Stevens T. Nonlinear landscape and cultural response to sea-level rise. Sci Adv 2020; 6:6/45/eabb6376. [PMID: 33148641 PMCID: PMC7673675 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abb6376] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2020] [Accepted: 09/09/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Rising sea levels have been associated with human migration and behavioral shifts throughout prehistory, often with an emphasis on landscape submergence and consequent societal collapse. However, the assumption that future sea-level rise will drive similar adaptive responses is overly simplistic. While the change from land to sea represents a dramatic and permanent shift for preexisting human populations, the process of change is driven by a complex set of physical and cultural processes with long transitional phases of landscape and socioeconomic change. Here, we use reconstructions of prehistoric sea-level rise, paleogeographies, terrestrial landscape change, and human population dynamics to show how the gradual inundation of an island archipelago resulted in decidedly nonlinear landscape and cultural responses to rising sea levels. Interpretation of past and future responses to sea-level change requires a better understanding of local physical and societal contexts to assess plausible human response patterns in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert L Barnett
- Geography, University of Exeter, Amory Building, Rennes Drive, Exeter EX4 4RJ, UK.
- Département de biologie, chimie et géographie & Centre for Northern Studies (CEN), Université du Québec à Rimouski, Rimouski, Québec, Canada
| | - Dan J Charman
- Geography, University of Exeter, Amory Building, Rennes Drive, Exeter EX4 4RJ, UK
| | - Charles Johns
- Heritage Consultant, Sunset, Trewennack, Helston, Cornwall TR13 0PL, UK
| | - Sophie L Ward
- Centre for Applied Marine Sciences, School of Ocean Sciences, Bangor University, Menai Bridge, Isle of Anglesey LL59 5AB, UK
| | - Andrew Bevan
- UCL Institute of Archaeology, University College London, 31-34 Gordon Square, London WC1H 0PY, UK
| | - Sarah L Bradley
- Department of Geography, University of Sheffield, Winter Street, Sheffield S3 7ND, UK
| | - Kevin Camidge
- Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Maritime Archaeology Society, 10 Tolver Place, Penzance TR18 2AD, UK
| | - Ralph M Fyfe
- School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Plymouth, Plymouth PL4 8AA, UK
| | - W Roland Gehrels
- Department of Environment and Geography, University of York, Heslington, York YO10 5NG, UK
| | - Maria J Gehrels
- Department of Environment and Geography, University of York, Heslington, York YO10 5NG, UK
| | - Jackie Hatton
- Geography, University of Exeter, Amory Building, Rennes Drive, Exeter EX4 4RJ, UK
| | - Nicole S Khan
- Department of Earth Sciences, University of Hong Kong, James Lee Building, Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong, Hong Kong
| | - Peter Marshall
- Policy and Evidence, Historic England, Cannon Bridge House, 25 Dowgate Hill, London EC4R 2YA, UK
| | - S Yoshi Maezumi
- Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics, University of Amsterdam, 1090 GE Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Steve Mills
- School of History, Archaeology and Religion, Cardiff University, John Percival Building, Colum Drive, Cardiff CF10 3EU, UK
| | - Jacqui Mulville
- School of History, Archaeology and Religion, Cardiff University, John Percival Building, Colum Drive, Cardiff CF10 3EU, UK
| | - Marta Perez
- Geography, Royal Holloway, University of London, Egham TW20 0EX, UK
| | - Helen M Roberts
- Department of Geography and Earth Sciences, Aberystwyth University, Aberystwyth SY23 3DB, UK
| | - James D Scourse
- Geography, University of Exeter, Peter Lanyon Building, Treliever Road, Penryn TR10 9FE, UK
| | - Francis Shepherd
- Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Historic Environment Record, Cornwall Council, Kresen Kernow, Little Vauxhall, Redruth, Cornwall TR15 1AS, UK
| | - Todd Stevens
- Colossus, Pilot's Retreat, St Mary's, Isles of Scilly TR21 0PB, UK
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Moss PT, Gehrels WR, Callard SL. European Impacts on Coastal Eastern Tasmania: Insight from a High-Resolution Palynological Analysis of a Salt-Marsh Core. Front Ecol Evol 2016. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2016.00105] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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Affiliation(s)
- W. Roland Gehrels
- School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Plymouth, Plymouth, UK
| | - Benjamin P. Horton
- Department of Earth and Environmental Science, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, USA
| | - Andrew C. Kemp
- School of Forestry and Environmental Studies, Yale Climate and Energy Institute, Yale University, New Haven, Conn., USA
| | - Dorit Sivan
- Maritime Civilizations Department, Leon H. Charney School of Marine Sciences, University of Haifa, Haifa,Israel
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Marshall WA, Clough R, Gehrels WR. The isotopic record of atmospheric lead fall-out on an Icelandic salt marsh since AD 50. Sci Total Environ 2009; 407:2734-2748. [PMID: 19157518 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2008.12.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2008] [Revised: 11/13/2008] [Accepted: 12/05/2008] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
We report a record of atmospheric Pb deposition at a coastal site in western Iceland that spans the last two millennia. The elemental concentrations of Pb, Al, Li and Ti are determined using ICP-MS from a sediment monolith collected from a salt marsh. Multicollector (MC) ICP-MS analysis is used to obtain isotopic ratios of stable Pb. The Pb/Ti and Pb/Li ratios are used to separate natural Pb background concentrations from Pb derived from remote anthropogenic sources. The pollution record in western Iceland is subdued in comparison with Pb records from the European mainland, but the isotopic character, profile and timing of Pb deposition show good agreement with the atmospheric Pb fall-out reported from sites in Scandinavia and northwestern Europe. At the bottom of the sequence we isolate a low-level (0.1-0.4 mg kg(-1)) Pb enrichment signal dated to AD 50-150. The isotopic signature and timing of this signal suggest Roman metal working industries as the source. In the subsequent millennium there was no significant or very low (i.e. elemental concentrations<0.01 mg kg(-1)) anthropogenic Pb deposition at the site up to, and including, the early Medieval period. Above a pumice layer, dated to AD 1226-1227, a small increase in Pb deposition is found. This trend is maintained until a more substantive and progressive increase is signalled during the late 1700s and early 1800s. This is followed by a substantial enrichment signal in the sediments (>3.0 mg kg(-1)) that is interpreted as derived from industrial coal burning and metal working during the 19th and 20th centuries in northern Europe. During the late 20th century, significant fall-out from European fuel additives reached Iceland.
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Price GD, Winkle K, Gehrels WR. A geochemical record of the mining history of the Erme Estuary, south Devon, UK. Mar Pollut Bull 2005; 50:1706-12. [PMID: 16154162 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2005.07.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
The concentration of selected trace metals (Cu, Pb and Zn) in salt-marsh sediments from within the Erme Estuary have been measured in order to assess possible historical sources of pollution. The Erme Estuary, south Devon, UK is an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and has remained largely unaffected by industrialisation, although a number of small silver-lead mines were in operation in the 1800s. Five cores reveal comparable geochemical profiles. An increase of lead at approximately 40 cm depth is observed, reaching maximum values of 427 ppm. Less distinct trends are revealed by zinc and copper, probably reflecting the lack of widespread mining for ores of these elements within the catchment and possible post-depositional mobility rendering the metal concentrations non-contemporaneous with the chemostratigraphy of lead. The geochemical analysis of the salt-marsh sediments provides a fairly robust chemostratigraphic scheme and the likely sources of mine waste can be pinpointed within the catchment. Based upon reference to the historical mining record of these mines chemostratigraphic dating of the sediments can be achieved in order to provide an estimate of salt-marsh accretion rates and sea-level rise.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gregory D Price
- School of Earth, Ocean and Environmental Sciences, The University of Plymouth, Drake Circus, Plymouth PL4 8AA, UK
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