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Carbon Content in Oregon Tidal Wetland Soils

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Title Carbon Content in Oregon Tidal Wetland Soils
Names MacClellan, Megan A. (creator)
Date Issued 2011-05-26 (iso8601)
Note Graduation date: 2011
Abstract Tidal wetlands are a powerful carbon sink. They can sequester an order of magnitude
more carbon than any other type of wetland system, and emit only negligible amounts
of methane compared with freshwater wetlands (Brigham et al. 2006, Whiting and
Chanton 2001). Soil carbon in tidal wetlands can also affect soil ecology and influence
wetland functions such as nutrient processing and foodweb support. We quantified
carbon content in the top 30 cm of soil in 17 tidal wetlands in Oregon and tested the
hypothesis that there is a difference in the soil carbon content of unrestored, restored,
and least‐disturbed tidal wetlands. Sampling occurred in three unrestored sites; four
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restored sites; and ten least‐disturbed reference sites. The average concentration of soil
organic carbon in reference site soils was 15.7%, 13.5% in restored soils, and 8.6% in
unrestored soils. Percent carbon values in unrestored sites were significantly different
from the other two groups (p < 0.001), but values from reference and restored sites
were not significantly different (p > 0.1). The similarity between soil carbon in reference
and restored sites may support previous work that suggests rapid carbon accumulation
after restoration (Craft 2007).
Genre Research Paper
Topic Tidal wetlands
Identifier http://hdl.handle.net/1957/25502

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