Quantifying and modelling the carbon sequestration capacity of seagrass meadows--a critical assessment.
Seagrasses are among the planet's most effective natural ecosystems for sequestering (capturing and storing) carbon (C); but if degraded, they could leak stored C into the atmosphere and accelerate global warming. Quantifying and modelling the C sequestration capacity is therefore critical for successfully managing seagrass ecosystems to maintain their substantial abatement potential. At present, there is no mechanism to support carbon financing linked to seagrass. For seagrasses to be recognised by the IPCC and the voluntary C market, standard stock assessment methodologies and inventories of seagrass C stocks are required. Developing accurate C budgets for seagrass meadows is indeed complex; we discuss these complexities, and, in addition, we review techniques and methodologies that will aid development of C budgets. We also consider a simple process-based data assimilation model for predicting how seagrasses will respond to future change, accompanied by a practical list of research priorities.
Plant Functional Biology and Climate Change Cluster, University of Technology, Sydney, PO Box 123, 2007, Broadway, Australia; Centre for Environmental Sustainability, School of the Environment, University of Technology, Sydney, PO Box 123, 2007, Broadway, Australia. Electronic address: peter.macreadie@uts.edu.au.
P I
PI
Macreadie
Plant Functional Biology and Climate Change Cluster, University of Technology, Sydney, PO Box 123, 2007, Broadway, Australia.
M E
ME
Baird
Plant Functional Biology and Climate Change Cluster, University of Technology, Sydney, PO Box 123, 2007, Broadway, Australia.
S M
SM
Trevathan-Tackett
Plant Functional Biology and Climate Change Cluster, University of Technology, Sydney, PO Box 123, 2007, Broadway, Australia.
A W D
AW
Larkum
Plant Functional Biology and Climate Change Cluster, University of Technology, Sydney, PO Box 123, 2007, Broadway, Australia.
P J
PJ
Ralph
D035961:Alismatales / Q000378:metabolism*; D001272:Atmosphere; D002244:Carbon / Q000378:metabolism*; D057965:Carbon Sequestration; D017753:Ecosystem; D058735:Environmental Policy; D008954:Models, Biological
D002244:Carbon
Blue carbon; Carbon; Carbon sink; Modelling; Seagrass; Sequestration