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Comment on “Increasing Rates of Carbon Burial in Southwest Florida Coastal Wetlands” by J. Breithaupt et al.
Author(s) -
Parkinson Randall W.
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
journal of geophysical research: biogeosciences
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 2169-8961
pISSN - 2169-8953
DOI - 10.1029/2020jg006057
Subject(s) - wetland , sediment , total organic carbon , environmental science , carbon fibers , oceanography , acceleration , sea level , geology , ecology , geomorphology , materials science , physics , classical mechanics , composite number , composite material , biology
In a recent study, Breithaupt et al. (2020); https://doi.org/10.1029/2019JG005349 contend observed rates of sediment and organic carbon accumulation in Southwest Florida coastal wetlands have increased in response to an acceleration in the rate of sea‐level. This, it is argued, implies the wetlands are more resilient to future sea‐level rise than previously thought and under conditions of continued acceleration, even more organic carbon will be stored. However, upon closer inspection, the study conclusions are flawed as they are based upon an inappropriate methodological approach to quantifying sediment and organic carbon accumulation rates and require an acceleration in the rate of historical (decades) sea‐level rise of which there is limited evidence and no broad consensus.