Soil organic carbon storage in Liaohe River Estuary Wetlands under restoration and multiple management strategies, based on landscape patterns

Abstract

Introduction: Management of coastal wetlands has resulted in extensive conservation of this natural resource; however, changes in carbon storage function are not yet known. There is a direct link between landscape and soil carbon storage. Predicting future changes in the landscape and carbon storage in coastal wetlands is important for developing wetland management policies. Method: Here, remote sensing and physical methods were used to measure and calculate the landscape and surface soil carbon stocks of the Liaohe River Estuary Wetland (LREW). The changes in the landscape and soil carbon stocks under three scenarios: natural development, strict protection, and culture pond transfer, were then predicted using the PLUS model. Result: The results indicate that the surface soil organic carbon storage was 2107.97×103 t, while soil organic carbon density decreased from land to sea. Anthropogenic activity was found to be the main driver of the current landscape evolution. However, the impact of sea level rise is increasing. By 2030, considerably more storage will be gained under the culture pond transfer scenario than at present. Discussion: Our results reveal that some of the methods of ecological restoration may diminish the carbon storage capacity of coastal wetlands. Making full use of areas with high carbon storage potential may be an effective wetland carbon sink management strategy. Governments should consider more comprehensively for a better carbon pool when developing restoration strategies.