Assessing the return of carbon sequestration following the restoration/recovery of Amphibolis antarctica and Posidonia sinuosa seagrass in South Australia
Occupying < 0.1% of the world’s seafloor, seagrasses provide key ecosystem services including habitat provision underpinning biodiversity, sediment stabilisation, and carbon sequestration. Despite this, seagrasses face significant losses, with an estimated 19% of global seagrass cover lost since...
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Edith Cowan University, Research Online, Perth, Western Australia
2023
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ftedithcowan:oai:ro.ecu.edu.au:theses-3742 2024-02-11T09:58:51+01:00 Assessing the return of carbon sequestration following the restoration/recovery of Amphibolis antarctica and Posidonia sinuosa seagrass in South Australia Robinson, Jack S. 2023-01-01T08:00:00Z https://ro.ecu.edu.au/theses/2739 https://doi.org/10.25958/dfgv-wr38 unknown Edith Cowan University, Research Online, Perth, Western Australia https://ro.ecu.edu.au/theses/2739 doi:10.25958/dfgv-wr38 Theses: Doctorates and Masters carbon sequestration restoration recovery Amphibolis antarctica Posidonia sinuosa seagrass South Australia Environmental Sciences Life Sciences Marine Biology Physical Sciences and Mathematics thesis 2023 ftedithcowan https://doi.org/10.25958/dfgv-wr38 2024-01-27T23:45:42Z Occupying < 0.1% of the world’s seafloor, seagrasses provide key ecosystem services including habitat provision underpinning biodiversity, sediment stabilisation, and carbon sequestration. Despite this, seagrasses face significant losses, with an estimated 19% of global seagrass cover lost since the 20th century. Globally, there is an increasing effort to incorporate seagrasses into blue carbon projects through conservation and rehabilitation actions. In Adelaide, South Australia, restoration projects have been conducted using Amphibolis antarctica, with initial results showing the return of structural characteristics comparable to nearby natural meadows. In addition, an unprecedented natural recovery of Posidonia sinuosa has occurred in recent years along the Adelaide coastline. This research assessed the return of carbon sequestration functions and the avoided emissions linked to the restoration of A. antarctica and the recovery of P. sinuosa meadows in Adelaide. Comparisons of organic carbon (Corg) stocks among undisturbed and restored A. antarctica (0.6 ± 0.04 and 1.2 ± 0.4 kg Corg m-2, respectively) and undisturbed and recovering P. sinuosa (1.5 ± 0.4 and 0.5 ± 0.3 kg Corg m-2, respectively) meadows did not clearly show a return of Corg storage within 10-yrs post-recovery. Direct sediment elevation measurements between 2003 and 2019 via sediment elevation rods in P. 47 sinuosa meadows allowed the estimation of sediment and carbon accumulation rates. The rods identified 2 cm of accumulation in the undisturbed site, 20 cm of accumulation post-recovery in the Recovery site, and approximately 32 cm of erosion in the Bare site over 9-years post meadow loss. Based on sediment Corg stocks, the change in elevation across treatments and recent hyperspectral mapping of seagrass along Adelaide’s coastline, we estimated the enhanced sequestration of 231 Mg Corg ha-1 in the recovered meadow between 2011 and 2019, equating to 85,400 ± 6,800 Mg Corg across 876 ha of recovered meadows, while the loss of 188,000 ± 20,500 ... Thesis Antarc* Antarctica Edith Cowan University (ECU, Australia): Research Online |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Edith Cowan University (ECU, Australia): Research Online |
op_collection_id |
ftedithcowan |
language |
unknown |
topic |
carbon sequestration restoration recovery Amphibolis antarctica Posidonia sinuosa seagrass South Australia Environmental Sciences Life Sciences Marine Biology Physical Sciences and Mathematics |
spellingShingle |
carbon sequestration restoration recovery Amphibolis antarctica Posidonia sinuosa seagrass South Australia Environmental Sciences Life Sciences Marine Biology Physical Sciences and Mathematics Robinson, Jack S. Assessing the return of carbon sequestration following the restoration/recovery of Amphibolis antarctica and Posidonia sinuosa seagrass in South Australia |
topic_facet |
carbon sequestration restoration recovery Amphibolis antarctica Posidonia sinuosa seagrass South Australia Environmental Sciences Life Sciences Marine Biology Physical Sciences and Mathematics |
description |
Occupying < 0.1% of the world’s seafloor, seagrasses provide key ecosystem services including habitat provision underpinning biodiversity, sediment stabilisation, and carbon sequestration. Despite this, seagrasses face significant losses, with an estimated 19% of global seagrass cover lost since the 20th century. Globally, there is an increasing effort to incorporate seagrasses into blue carbon projects through conservation and rehabilitation actions. In Adelaide, South Australia, restoration projects have been conducted using Amphibolis antarctica, with initial results showing the return of structural characteristics comparable to nearby natural meadows. In addition, an unprecedented natural recovery of Posidonia sinuosa has occurred in recent years along the Adelaide coastline. This research assessed the return of carbon sequestration functions and the avoided emissions linked to the restoration of A. antarctica and the recovery of P. sinuosa meadows in Adelaide. Comparisons of organic carbon (Corg) stocks among undisturbed and restored A. antarctica (0.6 ± 0.04 and 1.2 ± 0.4 kg Corg m-2, respectively) and undisturbed and recovering P. sinuosa (1.5 ± 0.4 and 0.5 ± 0.3 kg Corg m-2, respectively) meadows did not clearly show a return of Corg storage within 10-yrs post-recovery. Direct sediment elevation measurements between 2003 and 2019 via sediment elevation rods in P. 47 sinuosa meadows allowed the estimation of sediment and carbon accumulation rates. The rods identified 2 cm of accumulation in the undisturbed site, 20 cm of accumulation post-recovery in the Recovery site, and approximately 32 cm of erosion in the Bare site over 9-years post meadow loss. Based on sediment Corg stocks, the change in elevation across treatments and recent hyperspectral mapping of seagrass along Adelaide’s coastline, we estimated the enhanced sequestration of 231 Mg Corg ha-1 in the recovered meadow between 2011 and 2019, equating to 85,400 ± 6,800 Mg Corg across 876 ha of recovered meadows, while the loss of 188,000 ± 20,500 ... |
format |
Thesis |
author |
Robinson, Jack S. |
author_facet |
Robinson, Jack S. |
author_sort |
Robinson, Jack S. |
title |
Assessing the return of carbon sequestration following the restoration/recovery of Amphibolis antarctica and Posidonia sinuosa seagrass in South Australia |
title_short |
Assessing the return of carbon sequestration following the restoration/recovery of Amphibolis antarctica and Posidonia sinuosa seagrass in South Australia |
title_full |
Assessing the return of carbon sequestration following the restoration/recovery of Amphibolis antarctica and Posidonia sinuosa seagrass in South Australia |
title_fullStr |
Assessing the return of carbon sequestration following the restoration/recovery of Amphibolis antarctica and Posidonia sinuosa seagrass in South Australia |
title_full_unstemmed |
Assessing the return of carbon sequestration following the restoration/recovery of Amphibolis antarctica and Posidonia sinuosa seagrass in South Australia |
title_sort |
assessing the return of carbon sequestration following the restoration/recovery of amphibolis antarctica and posidonia sinuosa seagrass in south australia |
publisher |
Edith Cowan University, Research Online, Perth, Western Australia |
publishDate |
2023 |
url |
https://ro.ecu.edu.au/theses/2739 https://doi.org/10.25958/dfgv-wr38 |
genre |
Antarc* Antarctica |
genre_facet |
Antarc* Antarctica |
op_source |
Theses: Doctorates and Masters |
op_relation |
https://ro.ecu.edu.au/theses/2739 doi:10.25958/dfgv-wr38 |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.25958/dfgv-wr38 |
_version_ |
1790594654320721920 |