Mangroves provide blue carbon ecological value at a low freshwater cost

Ken W. Krauss; Catherine E. Lovelock; Luzhen Chen; Uta Berger; Marilyn C. Ball; Ruth Reef; Ronny Peters; Hannah Bowen; Alejandra G. Vovides; Eric J. Ward; Marie Christin Wimmler; Joel Carr; Pete Bunting; Jamie A. Duberstein

doi:10.1038/s41598-022-21514-8

Mangroves provide blue carbon ecological value at a low freshwater cost

Ken W. Krauss^*, Catherine E. Lovelock, Luzhen Chen, Uta Berger, Marilyn C. Ball, Ruth Reef, Ronny Peters, Hannah Bowen, Alejandra G. Vovides, Eric J. Ward, Marie Christin Wimmler, Joel Carr, Pete Bunting, Jamie A. Duberstein

^*Corresponding author for this work

Department of Geography and Earth Sciences

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

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Abstract

“Blue carbon” wetland vegetation has a limited freshwater requirement. One type, mangroves, utilizes less freshwater during transpiration than adjacent terrestrial ecoregions, equating to only 43% (average) to 57% (potential) of evapotranspiration (ET). Here, we demonstrate that comparative consumptive water use by mangrove vegetation is as much as 2905 kL H2O ha−1 year−1 less than adjacent ecoregions with Ec-to-ET ratios of 47–70%. Lower porewater salinity would, however, increase mangrove Ec-to-ET ratios by affecting leaf-, tree-, and stand-level eco-physiological controls on transpiration. Restricted water use is also additive to other ecosystem services provided by mangroves, such as high carbon sequestration, coastal protection and support of biodiversity within estuarine and marine environments. Low freshwater demand enables mangroves to sustain ecological values of connected estuarine ecosystems with future reductions in freshwater while not competing with the freshwater needs of humans. Conservative water use may also be a characteristic of other emergent blue carbon wetlands.

Original language	English
Article number	17636
Number of pages	12
Journal	Scientific Reports
Volume	12
Issue number	1
Early online date	21 Oct 2022
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-21514-8
Publication status	Published - 01 Dec 2022

Keywords

Carbon
Carbon Sequestration
Ecosystem
Fresh Water
Humans
Water
Wetlands

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

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10.1038/s41598-022-21514-8Licence: CC BY

ArticleFinal published version, 1.79 MBLicence: CC BY
Supplementary InformationData, 1.15 MBLicence: CC BY

https://bitbucket.org/gsglobal/leafgasexchange/src/master/Licence: Unclear 1
https://github.com/mcwimm/bc_wetlandsLicence: Unclear 1

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title = "Mangroves provide blue carbon ecological value at a low freshwater cost",

abstract = "“Blue carbon” wetland vegetation has a limited freshwater requirement. One type, mangroves, utilizes less freshwater during transpiration than adjacent terrestrial ecoregions, equating to only 43% (average) to 57% (potential) of evapotranspiration (ET). Here, we demonstrate that comparative consumptive water use by mangrove vegetation is as much as 2905 kL H2O ha−1 year−1 less than adjacent ecoregions with Ec-to-ET ratios of 47–70%. Lower porewater salinity would, however, increase mangrove Ec-to-ET ratios by affecting leaf-, tree-, and stand-level eco-physiological controls on transpiration. Restricted water use is also additive to other ecosystem services provided by mangroves, such as high carbon sequestration, coastal protection and support of biodiversity within estuarine and marine environments. Low freshwater demand enables mangroves to sustain ecological values of connected estuarine ecosystems with future reductions in freshwater while not competing with the freshwater needs of humans. Conservative water use may also be a characteristic of other emergent blue carbon wetlands.",

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author = "Krauss, {Ken W.} and Lovelock, {Catherine E.} and Luzhen Chen and Uta Berger and Ball, {Marilyn C.} and Ruth Reef and Ronny Peters and Hannah Bowen and Vovides, {Alejandra G.} and Ward, {Eric J.} and Wimmler, {Marie Christin} and Joel Carr and Pete Bunting and Duberstein, {Jamie A.}",

note = "Funding Information: We thank the U.S. Geological Survey Climate Research and Development Program, Environments Program, Southeast Climate Adaptation Science Center, and LandCarbon Program for providing funds to support KWK, EJW, and JC. We thank the Volkswagen Foundation (VolkswagenStiftung, grant No. 94844) for providing research support to UB, RP, HB, AV, and MCW; and UK{\textquoteright}s Natural Environment Research Council (NERC, grant No. NE/P014127/1) for providing research support to PB and AV. This review was also in part supported by Australian Research Council awards FL20010013 (to CEL), DP180102969 (to MCB), DP150104437 (to MCB and CEL), DP1096749 (to MCB and CEL), and DP180103444 (to RER), as well as the National Natural Science Foundation of China award 42076176 (to LC). We thank Michael J. Baldwin (USGS) for assistance with WUEint literature reviews and compiling MODIS satellite ET data. Technical Contribution No. 7090 of the Clemson University Experiment Station. This material is based in part upon work supported by the NIFA/USDA, under project number SC-1700590. Any opinions, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the view of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Any use of trade, firm, or product names is for descriptive purposes only and does not imply endorsement by the U.S. Government. Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2022, This is a U.S. Government work and not under copyright protection in the US; foreign copyright protection may apply.",

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AU - Peters, Ronny

AU - Bowen, Hannah

AU - Vovides, Alejandra G.

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AU - Bunting, Pete

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N2 - “Blue carbon” wetland vegetation has a limited freshwater requirement. One type, mangroves, utilizes less freshwater during transpiration than adjacent terrestrial ecoregions, equating to only 43% (average) to 57% (potential) of evapotranspiration (ET). Here, we demonstrate that comparative consumptive water use by mangrove vegetation is as much as 2905 kL H2O ha−1 year−1 less than adjacent ecoregions with Ec-to-ET ratios of 47–70%. Lower porewater salinity would, however, increase mangrove Ec-to-ET ratios by affecting leaf-, tree-, and stand-level eco-physiological controls on transpiration. Restricted water use is also additive to other ecosystem services provided by mangroves, such as high carbon sequestration, coastal protection and support of biodiversity within estuarine and marine environments. Low freshwater demand enables mangroves to sustain ecological values of connected estuarine ecosystems with future reductions in freshwater while not competing with the freshwater needs of humans. Conservative water use may also be a characteristic of other emergent blue carbon wetlands.

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KW - Carbon Sequestration

KW - Ecosystem

KW - Fresh Water

KW - Humans

KW - Water

KW - Wetlands

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ER -

Mangroves provide blue carbon ecological value at a low freshwater cost

Abstract

Keywords

UN SDGs

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Monitoring Mangrove Extent and Services (MOMENTS): What is controlling Tipping Points?

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Mangroves provide blue carbon ecological value at a low freshwater cost

Abstract

Keywords

UN SDGs

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Projects

Monitoring Mangrove Extent and Services (MOMENTS): What is controlling Tipping Points?

Cite this