Soil organic carbon variability in Australian temperate freshwater wetlands

• DOI: 10.1002/lno.10735
• Publication Date: 2017-10-23T10:20:40Z
• Authors: Alex L. Pearse; Jan L. Barton; Rebecca E. Lester; Atun Zawadzki; Peter I. Macreadie
• Keywords: Soil carbon

Abstract Globally, there is little information on freshwater (non‐tidal) wetland below ground soil organic carbon (SOC) stocks, sequestration rates and, in particular, their within‐wetland variation. This basic critical for designing programs to sample SOC stocks and identifying areas that sequester large amounts of so they can be managed prevent degradation loss. Here, focusing temperate seasonally inundated wetlands south‐eastern Australia, we compared (via radiometric dating) among wetlands, within locations (High water mark, Edge Middle), with adjacent terrestrial locations. varied most but also inconsistently wetlands. Wetland (20.4 ± 0.1 kg C m −2 ) were significantly greater than (13.3 ). similar all (i.e., a wetland, ranging from 70 g yr −1 87 The relative lack difference allows reduced sampling subsequently replication at the level, least ephemeral although these findings need confirmed over range types. study produced first estimates studies globally demonstrate significant rates. It therefore provides important justification support protection rehabilitation worldwide.