IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/nat/natcom/v14y2023i1d10.1038_s41467-023-42942-8.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Shoreface erosion counters blue carbon accumulation in transgressive barrier-island systems

Author

Listed:
  • Mary Bryan Barksdale

    (Virginia Institute of Marine Science, William & Mary)

  • Christopher J. Hein

    (Virginia Institute of Marine Science, William & Mary)

  • Matthew L. Kirwan

    (Virginia Institute of Marine Science, William & Mary)

Abstract

Landward migration of coastal ecosystems in response to sea-level rise is altering coastal carbon dynamics. Although such landscapes rapidly accumulate soil carbon, barrier-island migration jeopardizes long-term storage through burial and exposure of organic-rich backbarrier deposits along the lower beach and shoreface. Here, we quantify the carbon flux associated with the seaside erosion of backbarrier lagoon and peat deposits along the Virginia Atlantic Coast. Barrier transgression leads to the release of approximately 26.1 Gg of organic carbon annually. Recent (1994–2017 C.E.) erosion rates exceed annual soil carbon accumulation rates (1984–2020) in adjacent backbarrier ecosystems by approximately 30%. Additionally, shoreface erosion of thick lagoon sediments accounts for >80% of total carbon losses, despite containing lower carbon densities than overlying salt marsh peat. Together, these results emphasize the impermanence of carbon stored in coastal environments and suggest that existing landscape-scale carbon budgets may overstate the magnitude of the coastal carbon sink.

Suggested Citation

  • Mary Bryan Barksdale & Christopher J. Hein & Matthew L. Kirwan, 2023. "Shoreface erosion counters blue carbon accumulation in transgressive barrier-island systems," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-6, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:14:y:2023:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-023-42942-8
    DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-42942-8
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-023-42942-8
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1038/s41467-023-42942-8?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Asbury H. Sallenger & Kara S. Doran & Peter A. Howd, 2012. "Hotspot of accelerated sea-level rise on the Atlantic coast of North America," Nature Climate Change, Nature, vol. 2(12), pages 884-888, December.
    2. R. DeLaune & J. White, 2012. "Will coastal wetlands continue to sequester carbon in response to an increase in global sea level?: a case study of the rapidly subsiding Mississippi river deltaic plain," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 110(1), pages 297-314, January.
    3. Faming Wang & Xiaoliang Lu & Christian J. Sanders & Jianwu Tang, 2019. "Author Correction: Tidal wetland resilience to sea level rise increases their carbon sequestration capacity in United States," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 10(1), pages 1-1, December.
    4. Matthew L. Kirwan & Simon M. Mudd, 2012. "Response of salt-marsh carbon accumulation to climate change," Nature, Nature, vol. 489(7417), pages 550-553, September.
    5. Faming Wang & Xiaoliang Lu & Christian J. Sanders & Jianwu Tang, 2019. "Tidal wetland resilience to sea level rise increases their carbon sequestration capacity in United States," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 10(1), pages 1-11, December.
    6. Kendall Valentine & Ellen R. Herbert & David C. Walters & Yaping Chen & Alexander J. Smith & Matthew L. Kirwan, 2023. "Climate-driven tradeoffs between landscape connectivity and the maintenance of the coastal carbon sink," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-11, December.
    7. Kerrylee Rogers & Jeffrey J. Kelleway & Neil Saintilan & J. Patrick Megonigal & Janine B. Adams & James R. Holmquist & Meng Lu & Lisa Schile-Beers & Atun Zawadzki & Debashish Mazumder & Colin D. Woodr, 2019. "Wetland carbon storage controlled by millennial-scale variation in relative sea-level rise," Nature, Nature, vol. 567(7746), pages 91-95, March.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Kendall Valentine & Ellen R. Herbert & David C. Walters & Yaping Chen & Alexander J. Smith & Matthew L. Kirwan, 2023. "Climate-driven tradeoffs between landscape connectivity and the maintenance of the coastal carbon sink," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-11, December.
    2. E. Watson & A. Oczkowski & C. Wigand & A. Hanson & E. Davey & S. Crosby & R. Johnson & H. Andrews, 2014. "Nutrient enrichment and precipitation changes do not enhance resiliency of salt marshes to sea level rise in the Northeastern U.S," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 125(3), pages 501-509, August.
    3. Epanchin-Niell, Rebecca S. & Thompson, Alexandra & Han, Xianru & Post, Jessica & Miller, Jarrod & Newburn, David & Gedan, Keryn & Tully, Kate, 2023. "Coastal agricultural land use response to sea level rise and saltwater intrusion," 2023 Annual Meeting, July 23-25, Washington D.C. 335970, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.
    4. Nils-Axel Mörner, 2013. "Sea Level Changes past Records and Future Expectations," Energy & Environment, , vol. 24(3-4), pages 509-536, June.
    5. Angelo F. Bernardino & Ana Carolina A. Mazzuco & Rodolfo F. Costa & Fernanda Souza & Margaret A. Owuor & Gabriel N. Nobrega & Christian J. Sanders & Tiago O. Ferreira & J. Boone Kauffman, 2024. "The inclusion of Amazon mangroves in Brazil’s REDD+ program," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-10, December.
    6. Kristin C. Burkholder & Jessica Devereaux & Caroline Grady & Molly Solitro & Susan M. Mooney, 2017. "Longitudinal Study of the Impacts of a Climate Change Curriculum on Undergraduate Student Learning: Initial Results," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 9(6), pages 1-28, May.
    7. Denis L. Volkov & Kate Zhang & William E. Johns & Joshua K. Willis & Will Hobbs & Marlos Goes & Hong Zhang & Dimitris Menemenlis, 2023. "Atlantic meridional overturning circulation increases flood risk along the United States southeast coast," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-10, December.
    8. Zhuo Zhang & Changsheng Chen & Zhiyao Song & Dong Zhang & Di Hu & Fei Guo, 2020. "A FVCOM study of the potential coastal flooding in apponagansett bay and clarks cove, Dartmouth Town (MA)," Natural Hazards: Journal of the International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, Springer;International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, vol. 103(3), pages 2787-2809, September.
    9. O'Meara, Theresa A. & Thornton, Peter E. & Ricciuto, Daniel M. & Noyce, Genevieve L. & Rich, Roy L. & Megonigal, J.Patrick, 2021. "Considering coasts: Adapting terrestrial models to characterize coastal wetland ecosystems," Ecological Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 450(C).
    10. Hagger, Valerie & Waltham, Nathan J. & Lovelock, Catherine E., 2022. "Opportunities for coastal wetland restoration for blue carbon with co-benefits for biodiversity, coastal fisheries, and water quality," Ecosystem Services, Elsevier, vol. 55(C).
    11. Albert Parker, 2013. "Oscillations of sea level rise along the Atlantic coast of North America north of Cape Hatteras," Natural Hazards: Journal of the International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, Springer;International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, vol. 65(1), pages 991-997, January.
    12. Jamie AR Haverkamp, 2017. "Politics, values, and reflexivity: The case of adaptation to climate change in Hampton Roads, Virginia," Environment and Planning A, , vol. 49(11), pages 2673-2692, November.
    13. James Neumann & Kerry Emanuel & Sai Ravela & Lindsay Ludwig & Paul Kirshen & Kirk Bosma & Jeremy Martinich, 2015. "Joint effects of storm surge and sea-level rise on US Coasts: new economic estimates of impacts, adaptation, and benefits of mitigation policy," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 129(1), pages 337-349, March.
    14. Parker Albert, 2016. "Coldspot of Decelerated Sea-Level Rise on the Pacific Coast of North America," Quaestiones Geographicae, Sciendo, vol. 35(3), pages 31-37, September.
    15. Shufen Pang & Mazlinawati Abdul Majid & Hadinnapola Appuhamilage Chintha Crishanthi Perera & Mohammad Saydul Islam Sarkar & Jia Ning & Weikang Zhai & Ran Guo & Yuncheng Deng & Haiwen Zhang, 2024. "A Systematic Review and Global Trends on Blue Carbon and Sustainable Development: A Bibliometric Study from 2012 to 2023," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(6), pages 1-31, March.
    16. Ming Li & Fan Zhang & Samuel Barnes & Xiaohong Wang, 2020. "Assessing storm surge impacts on coastal inundation due to climate change: case studies of Baltimore and Dorchester County in Maryland," Natural Hazards: Journal of the International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, Springer;International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, vol. 103(2), pages 2561-2588, September.
    17. Leah H Beckett & Andrew H Baldwin & Michael S Kearney, 2016. "Tidal Marshes across a Chesapeake Bay Subestuary Are Not Keeping up with Sea-Level Rise," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 11(7), pages 1-12, July.
    18. Hanane Rhomad & Karima Khalil & Khalid Elkalay, 2023. "Water Quality Modeling in Atlantic Region: Review, Science Mapping and Future Research Directions," Water Resources Management: An International Journal, Published for the European Water Resources Association (EWRA), Springer;European Water Resources Association (EWRA), vol. 37(1), pages 451-499, January.
    19. Kai Parker & Li Erikson & Jennifer Thomas & Kees Nederhoff & Patrick Barnard & Sanne Muis, 2023. "Relative contributions of water-level components to extreme water levels along the US Southeast Atlantic Coast from a regional-scale water-level hindcast," Natural Hazards: Journal of the International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, Springer;International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, vol. 117(3), pages 2219-2248, July.
    20. Alex C Valach & Kuno Kasak & Kyle S Hemes & Tyler L Anthony & Iryna Dronova & Sophie Taddeo & Whendee L Silver & Daphne Szutu & Joseph Verfaillie & Dennis D Baldocchi, 2021. "Productive wetlands restored for carbon sequestration quickly become net CO2 sinks with site-level factors driving uptake variability," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 16(3), pages 1-22, March.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:14:y:2023:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-023-42942-8. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.nature.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.