Tracking the invisible: carbon dioxide flux in an ecotonal wetland
Blog By: Amanda Richey Check out Contributing Bloggers for Bio The salty is getting saltier . A ll around the world, change s in fresh water flow combined with intruding saltwater is salinizing coastal freshwater and brackish wetlands . Salinization is stressing these transitional habitats , which leads to vegetation loss and with it, the carbon stored in stems, leaves, and root systems. Additionally, l ush, freshwater plant communitie s are being replaced by more salt tolerant species . Th e variation in coastal wetland response to salinization due to water level changes makes the fate of these systems uncertain , as well as the fate of the carbon t hey store. Understanding carbon dynamics in coastal vegetated ecosystems is essential because these ecosystems are globally important carbon sinks, and they are at risk of being lost. Saltmarsh, mangrove forests, and seagrass meadows are all known as “blue carbon” ecosystems because they are efficient at