Sediment carbon sequestration and sources in peri-urban tidal flats and adjacent wetlands in a megacity

Zhao Liang Chen; Shing Yip Lee

doi:10.1016/j.marpolbul.2022.114368

Sediment carbon sequestration and sources in peri-urban tidal flats and adjacent wetlands in a megacity

Mar Pollut Bull. 2022 Dec;185(Pt B):114368. doi: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2022.114368. Epub 2022 Nov 18.

Authors

Zhao Liang Chen¹, Shing Yip Lee²

Affiliations

¹ Simon F.S. Li Marine Science Laboratory, School of Life Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong. Electronic address: zhaoliangCHEN@link.cuhk.edu.hk.
² Simon F.S. Li Marine Science Laboratory, School of Life Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong.

PMID: 36410200
DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2022.114368

Abstract

We investigated the sediment carbon (C) stocks, sequestration and sources in tidal flats and their adjacent mangroves in two coastal wetlands in Hong Kong (the Mai Po Nature Reserve (MPNR) and Ting Kok (TK)), part of a megacity of ∼20 million. At both locations, the C stock of tidal flats was lower than that of mangroves. In MPNR, tidal flats indicated a higher C burial rate (75.2 g C m^-2 yr^-1) compared to mangroves (64.3 g C m^-2 yr^-1). The C of tidal flats mainly originated from mangroves and riverine sources, while those in deeper sediments (below 60 cm) in the mangroves originated from the tidal flats. In TK, the C of tidal flats was dominated by oceanic sources. Our study indicates that tidal flats are also important in coastal C sequestration. On highly urbanized coasts, tidal flats and their connected mangroves can play a critical role for C mitigation.

Keywords: Carbon sequestration; Carbon stock; Mangroves; Tidal flats; Urbanized coasts.

MeSH terms

Carbon
Carbon Sequestration*
Hong Kong
Tolnaftate
Wetlands*

Substances

Carbon
Tolnaftate