1. Global hotspots of salt marsh change and carbon emissions.
- Author
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Campbell AD, Fatoyinbo L, Goldberg L, and Lagomasino D
- Subjects
- Sea Level Rise, Satellite Imagery, United States, Russia, Cyclonic Storms, Soil Erosion, Carbon analysis, Carbon Sequestration, Wetlands, Internationality, Geographic Mapping
- Abstract
Salt marshes provide ecosystem services such as carbon sequestration
1 , coastal protection2 , sea-level-rise (SLR) adaptation3 and recreation4 . SLR5 , storm events6 , drainage7 and mangrove encroachment8 are known drivers of salt marsh loss. However, the global magnitude and location of changes in salt marsh extent remains uncertain. Here we conduct a global and systematic change analysis of Landsat satellite imagery from the years 2000-2019 to quantify the loss, gain and recovery of salt marsh ecosystems and then estimate the impact of these changes on blue carbon stocks. We show a net salt marsh loss globally, equivalent to an area double the size of Singapore (719 km2 ), with a loss rate of 0.28% year-1 from 2000 to 2019. Net global losses resulted in 16.3 (0.4-33.2, 90% confidence interval) Tg CO2 e year-1 emissions from 2000 to 2019 and a 0.045 (-0.14-0.115) Tg CO2 e year-1 reduction of carbon burial. Russia and the USA accounted for 64% of salt marsh losses, driven by hurricanes and coastal erosion. Our findings highlight the vulnerability of salt marsh systems to climatic changes such as SLR and intensification of storms and cyclones., (© 2022. The Author(s).)- Published
- 2022
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