Australian vegetated coastal ecosystems as global hotspots for climate change mitigation

Oscar Serrano; Catherine E. Lovelock; Trisha B. Atwood; Peter I. Macreadie; Robert Canto; Stuart Phinn; Ariane Arias-Ortiz; Le Bai; Jeff Baldock; Camila Bedulli; Paul Carnell; Rod M. Connolly; Paul Donaldson; Alba Esteban; Carolyn J. Ewers Lewis; Bradley D. Eyre; Matthew A. Hayes; Pierre Horwitz; Lindsay B. Hutley; Christopher R.J. Kavazos; Jeffrey J. Kelleway; Gary A. Kendrick; Kieryn Kilminster; Anna Lafratta; Shing Lee; Paul S. Lavery; Damien T. Maher; Núria Marbà; Pere Masque; Miguel A. Mateo; Richard Mount; Peter J. Ralph; Chris Roelfsema; Mohammad Rozaimi; Radhiyah Ruhon; Cristian Salinas; Jimena Samper-Villarreal; Jonathan Sanderman; Christian J. Sanders; Isaac Santos; Chris Sharples; Andrew D.L. Steven; Toni Cannard; Stacey M. Trevathan-Tackett; Carlos M. Duarte

doi:https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-019-12176-8

Australian vegetated coastal ecosystems as global hotspots for climate change mitigation

Oscar Serrano, Catherine E. Lovelock, Trisha B. Atwood, Peter I. Macreadie, Robert Canto, Stuart Phinn, Ariane Arias-Ortiz, Le Bai, Jeff Baldock, Camila Bedulli, Paul Carnell, Rod M. Connolly, Paul Donaldson, Alba Esteban, Carolyn J. Ewers Lewis, Bradley D. Eyre, Matthew A. Hayes, Pierre Horwitz, Lindsay B. Hutley, Christopher R.J. KavazosJeffrey J. Kelleway, Gary A. Kendrick, Kieryn Kilminster, Anna Lafratta, Shing Lee, Paul S. Lavery, Damien T. Maher, Núria Marbà, Pere Masque, Miguel A. Mateo, Richard Mount, Peter J. Ralph, Chris Roelfsema, Mohammad Rozaimi, Radhiyah Ruhon, Cristian Salinas, Jimena Samper-Villarreal, Jonathan Sanderman, Christian J. Sanders, Isaac Santos, Chris Sharples, Andrew D.L. Steven, Toni Cannard, Stacey M. Trevathan-Tackett, Carlos M. Duarte

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Abstract

© 2019, The Author(s). Policies aiming to preserve vegetated coastal ecosystems (VCE; tidal marshes, mangroves and seagrasses) to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions require national assessments of blue carbon resources. Here, we present organic carbon (C) storage in VCE across Australian climate regions and estimate potential annual CO2 emission benefits of VCE conservation and restoration. Australia contributes 5–11% of the C stored in VCE globally (70–185 Tg C in aboveground biomass, and 1,055–1,540 Tg C in the upper 1 m of soils). Potential CO2 emissions from current VCE losses are estimated at 2.1–3.1 Tg CO2-e yr-1, increasing annual CO2 emissions from land use change in Australia by 12–21%. This assessment, the most comprehensive for any nation to-date, demonstrates the potential of conservation and restoration of VCE to underpin national policy development for reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Original language	English
Article number	4313
Journal	Nature Communications
Volume	10
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-019-12176-8
Publication status	Published - 1 Dec 2019

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Serrano, O., Lovelock, C. E., B. Atwood, T., Macreadie, P. I., Canto, R., Phinn, S., Arias-Ortiz, A., Bai, L., Baldock, J., Bedulli, C., Carnell, P., Connolly, R. M., Donaldson, P., Esteban, A., Ewers Lewis, C. J., Eyre, B. D., Hayes, M. A., Horwitz, P., Hutley, L. B., ... Duarte, C. M. (2019). Australian vegetated coastal ecosystems as global hotspots for climate change mitigation. Nature Communications, 10, [4313]. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-019-12176-8

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title = "Australian vegetated coastal ecosystems as global hotspots for climate change mitigation",

abstract = "{\textcopyright} 2019, The Author(s). Policies aiming to preserve vegetated coastal ecosystems (VCE; tidal marshes, mangroves and seagrasses) to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions require national assessments of blue carbon resources. Here, we present organic carbon (C) storage in VCE across Australian climate regions and estimate potential annual CO2 emission benefits of VCE conservation and restoration. Australia contributes 5–11% of the C stored in VCE globally (70–185 Tg C in aboveground biomass, and 1,055–1,540 Tg C in the upper 1 m of soils). Potential CO2 emissions from current VCE losses are estimated at 2.1–3.1 Tg CO2-e yr-1, increasing annual CO2 emissions from land use change in Australia by 12–21%. This assessment, the most comprehensive for any nation to-date, demonstrates the potential of conservation and restoration of VCE to underpin national policy development for reducing greenhouse gas emissions.",

author = "Oscar Serrano and Lovelock, {Catherine E.} and {B. Atwood}, Trisha and Macreadie, {Peter I.} and Robert Canto and Stuart Phinn and Ariane Arias-Ortiz and Le Bai and Jeff Baldock and Camila Bedulli and Paul Carnell and Connolly, {Rod M.} and Paul Donaldson and Alba Esteban and {Ewers Lewis}, {Carolyn J.} and Eyre, {Bradley D.} and Hayes, {Matthew A.} and Pierre Horwitz and Hutley, {Lindsay B.} and Kavazos, {Christopher R.J.} and Kelleway, {Jeffrey J.} and Kendrick, {Gary A.} and Kieryn Kilminster and Anna Lafratta and Shing Lee and Lavery, {Paul S.} and Maher, {Damien T.} and N{\'u}ria Marb{\`a} and Pere Masque and Mateo, {Miguel A.} and Richard Mount and Ralph, {Peter J.} and Chris Roelfsema and Mohammad Rozaimi and Radhiyah Ruhon and Cristian Salinas and Jimena Samper-Villarreal and Jonathan Sanderman and {J. Sanders}, Christian and Isaac Santos and Chris Sharples and Steven, {Andrew D.L.} and Toni Cannard and Trevathan-Tackett, {Stacey M.} and Duarte, {Carlos M.}",

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Serrano, O, Lovelock, CE, B. Atwood, T, Macreadie, PI, Canto, R, Phinn, S, Arias-Ortiz, A, Bai, L, Baldock, J, Bedulli, C, Carnell, P, Connolly, RM, Donaldson, P, Esteban, A, Ewers Lewis, CJ, Eyre, BD, Hayes, MA, Horwitz, P, Hutley, LB, Kavazos, CRJ, Kelleway, JJ, Kendrick, GA, Kilminster, K, Lafratta, A, Lee, S, Lavery, PS, Maher, DT, Marbà, N, Masque, P, Mateo, MA, Mount, R, Ralph, PJ, Roelfsema, C, Rozaimi, M, Ruhon, R, Salinas, C, Samper-Villarreal, J, Sanderman, J, J. Sanders, C, Santos, I, Sharples, C, Steven, ADL, Cannard, T, Trevathan-Tackett, SM & Duarte, CM 2019, 'Australian vegetated coastal ecosystems as global hotspots for climate change mitigation', Nature Communications, vol. 10, 4313. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-019-12176-8

TY - JOUR

T1 - Australian vegetated coastal ecosystems as global hotspots for climate change mitigation

AU - Serrano, Oscar

AU - Lovelock, Catherine E.

AU - B. Atwood, Trisha

AU - Macreadie, Peter I.

AU - Canto, Robert

AU - Phinn, Stuart

AU - Arias-Ortiz, Ariane

AU - Bai, Le

AU - Baldock, Jeff

AU - Bedulli, Camila

AU - Carnell, Paul

AU - Connolly, Rod M.

AU - Donaldson, Paul

AU - Esteban, Alba

AU - Ewers Lewis, Carolyn J.

AU - Eyre, Bradley D.

AU - Hayes, Matthew A.

AU - Horwitz, Pierre

AU - Hutley, Lindsay B.

AU - Kavazos, Christopher R.J.

AU - Kelleway, Jeffrey J.

AU - Kendrick, Gary A.

AU - Kilminster, Kieryn

AU - Lafratta, Anna

AU - Lee, Shing

AU - Lavery, Paul S.

AU - Maher, Damien T.

AU - Marbà, Núria

AU - Masque, Pere

AU - Mateo, Miguel A.

AU - Mount, Richard

AU - Ralph, Peter J.

AU - Roelfsema, Chris

AU - Rozaimi, Mohammad

AU - Ruhon, Radhiyah

AU - Salinas, Cristian

AU - Samper-Villarreal, Jimena

AU - Sanderman, Jonathan

AU - J. Sanders, Christian

AU - Santos, Isaac

AU - Sharples, Chris

AU - Steven, Andrew D.L.

AU - Cannard, Toni

AU - Trevathan-Tackett, Stacey M.

AU - Duarte, Carlos M.

PY - 2019/12/1

Y1 - 2019/12/1

N2 - © 2019, The Author(s). Policies aiming to preserve vegetated coastal ecosystems (VCE; tidal marshes, mangroves and seagrasses) to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions require national assessments of blue carbon resources. Here, we present organic carbon (C) storage in VCE across Australian climate regions and estimate potential annual CO2 emission benefits of VCE conservation and restoration. Australia contributes 5–11% of the C stored in VCE globally (70–185 Tg C in aboveground biomass, and 1,055–1,540 Tg C in the upper 1 m of soils). Potential CO2 emissions from current VCE losses are estimated at 2.1–3.1 Tg CO2-e yr-1, increasing annual CO2 emissions from land use change in Australia by 12–21%. This assessment, the most comprehensive for any nation to-date, demonstrates the potential of conservation and restoration of VCE to underpin national policy development for reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

AB - © 2019, The Author(s). Policies aiming to preserve vegetated coastal ecosystems (VCE; tidal marshes, mangroves and seagrasses) to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions require national assessments of blue carbon resources. Here, we present organic carbon (C) storage in VCE across Australian climate regions and estimate potential annual CO2 emission benefits of VCE conservation and restoration. Australia contributes 5–11% of the C stored in VCE globally (70–185 Tg C in aboveground biomass, and 1,055–1,540 Tg C in the upper 1 m of soils). Potential CO2 emissions from current VCE losses are estimated at 2.1–3.1 Tg CO2-e yr-1, increasing annual CO2 emissions from land use change in Australia by 12–21%. This assessment, the most comprehensive for any nation to-date, demonstrates the potential of conservation and restoration of VCE to underpin national policy development for reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

U2 - https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-019-12176-8

DO - https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-019-12176-8

M3 - Article

C2 - 31575872

VL - 10

M1 - 4313

ER -

Australian vegetated coastal ecosystems as global hotspots for climate change mitigation

Abstract

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