Blue Carbon in Nordic salt marshes
Saltmarshes store large amounts of organic carbon (C) in their sediments, due to their high productivity but low decomposition rates. Biogeochemical processes are essential for coastal soil C-sequestration, but the role of the vegetation in controlling those processes is poorly understood. Plant functional traits respond to environmental factors and thereby affect soil properties. The tidal impact in many Danish salt marsh areas is physically limited and, in many areas, grazing is used as a management strategy. However, it is not known how exactly grazing affects carbon accumulation, while limited tidal impact is likely to lead to an increased carbon footprint in the form of methane emissions. In the project, you quantify the role of functional plant traits for C-sequestration in saltmarshes. You help to identify large-scale relationships between C-stocks and greenhouse gas (CO2 and CH4) emissions of Danish and global saltmarshes and functional traits.
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The project proposal has been submitted 23.11.2020.