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Relative sea‐level change regulates organic carbon accumulation in coastal habitats
Author(s) -
Watanabe Kenta,
Seike Koji,
Kajihara Rumiko,
Montani Shigeru,
Kuwae Tomohiro
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
global change biology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 4.146
H-Index - 255
eISSN - 1365-2486
pISSN - 1354-1013
DOI - 10.1111/gcb.14558
Subject(s) - seagrass , habitat , blue carbon , climate change , biogeochemical cycle , environmental science , peat , ecosystem , sedimentary depositional environment , sea level , ecology , salt marsh , boreal , carbon sequestration , marine habitats , subsidence , physical geography , oceanography , geography , geology , biology , carbon dioxide , structural basin , paleontology
Abstract Because coastal habitats store large amounts of organic carbon (C org ), the conservation and restoration of these habitats are considered to be important measures for mitigating global climate change. Although future sea‐level rise is predicted to change the characteristics of these habitats, its impact on their rate of C org sequestration is highly uncertain. Here we used historical depositional records to show that relative sea‐level (RSL) changes regulated C org accumulation rates in boreal contiguous seagrass–saltmarsh habitats. Age–depth modeling and geological and biogeochemical approaches indicated that C org accumulation rates varied as a function of changes in depositional environments and habitat relocations. In particular, C org accumulation rates were enhanced in subtidal seagrass meadows during times of RSL rise, which were caused by postseismic land subsidence and climate change. Our findings identify historical analogs for the future impact of RSL rise driven by global climate change on rates of C org sequestration in coastal habitats.