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Date of Award

Fall 2024

Document Type

Masters Thesis

Department or Program Affiliation

Environmental Science

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

Department

Environmental Sciences

First Advisor

Rybczyk, John M.

Second Advisor

Bunn, Rebecca

Third Advisor

Poppe, Katrina L.

Abstract

Mitigating carbon dioxide’s impact on our climate has become an important area of study. One such mitigation technique includes enhancing and protecting the earth’s natural carbon sinks. Estuarine wetlands, though occupying a small fraction of the Earth’s surface, are recognized for their significant carbon storage capacity. This thesis investigates the long-term impacts of estuarine wetland restoration on carbon sequestration by comparing mature restoration sites (20+ years post-restoration) with natural reference sites along California, Oregon, and Washington coasts. This study included 12 estuarine wetlands that each contained at least one reference site and one restoration site. Carbon sequestration rates were determined by collecting and processing 2-4 soil cores from each sample site. Soil accretion rates were determined by 210Pb profiles. Carbon sequestration rates were then calculated by multiplying the carbon density by the soil accretion rates. We found that both soil accretion rates and carbon density were not significantly different between restored and natural sites. All study sites save for Sonoma Baylands, Heerdt Marsh, and Nisqually Pilot and Phase 1 were meeting or exceeding relative sea level rise. Lastly, a linear mixed effects model was used to find carbon sequestration rates of restored and natural sites were not significantly different and therefore supports the effectiveness of restoration efforts. However, the variability of soil accretion and carbon sequestration across sites suggests site-specific assessments and emphasizes the importance of long-term monitoring.

Type

Text

Keywords

Carbon Sequestration, Estaury, Wetland, Restoration

Publisher

Western Washington University

OCLC Number

1456879716

Subject – LCSH

Carbon sequestration--Pacific Coast (U.S.); Estuarine restoration--Pacific Coast (U.S.); Restoration ecology--Pacific Coast (U.S.)

Geographic Coverage

Pacific Coast (U.S.)

Format

application/pdf

Genre/Form

masters theses

Language

English

Rights

Copying of this document in whole or in part is allowable only for scholarly purposes. It is understood, however, that any copying or publication of this document for commercial purposes, or for financial gain, shall not be allowed without the author’s written permission.

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