Browsing by Author "Baldock, JA"

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    Carbon isotope fractionation in the mangrove Avicennia marina has implications for food web and blue carbon research
    (Elsevier B. V., 2018-05-31) Kelleway, JJ; Mazumder, D; Baldock, JA; Saintilan, N
    The ratio of stable isotopes of carbon (δ13C) is commonly used to track the flow of energy among individuals and ecosystems, including in mangrove forests. Effective use of this technique requires understanding of the spatial variability in δ13C among primary producer(s) as well as quantification of the isotopic fractionations that occur as C moves within and among ecosystem components. In this experiment, we assessed δ13C variation in the cosmopolitan mangrove Avicennia marina across four sites of varying physico-chemical conditions across two estuaries. We also compared the isotopic values of five distinct tissue types (leaves, woody stems, cable roots, pneumatophores and fine roots) in individual plants. We found a significant site effect (F3, 36 = 15.78; P < 0.001) with mean leaf δ13C values 2.0‰ more depleted at the lowest salinity site compared to the other locations. There was a larger within-plant fractionation effect, however, with leaf samples (mean ± SE = −29.1 ± 0.2) more depleted in 13C than stem samples (−27.1 ± 0.1), while cable root (−25. 8 ± 0.1), pneumatophores (−25.7 ± 0.1) and fine roots (−26.0 ± 0.2) were more enriched in 13C relative to both aboveground tissue types (F4, 36 = 223.45; P < 0.001). The within-plant δ13C fractionation we report for A. marina is greater than that reported in most other ecosystems. This has implications for studies of estuarine carbon cycling. The consistent and large size of the fractionation from leaf to woody stem (∼2.0‰) and mostly consistent fractionation from leaf to root tissues (>3.0‰) means that it may now be possible to partition the individual contributions of various mangrove tissues to estuarine food webs. Similarly, the contributions of mangrove leaves, woody debris and belowground sources to blue carbon stocks might also be quantified. Above all, however, our results emphasize the importance of considering appropriate mangrove tissue types when using δ13C to trace carbon cycling in estuarine systems..© 2018 Elsevier Ltd
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    Geochemical analyses reveal the importance of environmental history for blue carbon sequestration
    (American Geophysical Union (AGU), 2017-07-07) Kelleway, JJ; Saintilan, N; Macreadie, PI; Baldock, JA; Heijnis, H; Zawadzki, A; Gadd, PS; Jacobsen, GE; Ralph, PJ
    Coastal habitats including saltmarshes and mangrove forests can accumulate and store significant blue carbon stocks, which may persist for millennia. Despite this implied stability, the distribution and structure of intertidal-supratidal wetlands are known to respond to changes imposed by geomorphic evolution, climatic, sea level, and anthropogenic influences. In this study, we reconstruct environmental histories and biogeochemical conditions in four wetlands of similar contemporary vegetation in SE Australia. The objective is to assess the importance of historic factors to contemporary organic carbon (C) stocks and accumulation rates. Results from the four cores—two collected from marine-influenced saltmarshes (Wapengo marine site (WAP-M) and Port Stephens marine site (POR-M)) and two from fluvial influenced saltmarshes (Wapengo fluvial site (WAP-F) and Port Stephens fluvial site (POR-F))—highlight different environmental histories and preservation conditions. High C stocks are associated with the presence of a mangrove phase below the contemporary saltmarsh sediments in the POR-M and POR-F cores. 13C nuclear magnetic resonance analyses show this historic mangrove root C to be remarkably stable in its molecular composition despite its age, consistent with its position in deep sediments. WAP-M and WAP-F cores did not contain mangrove root C; however, significant preservation of char C (up to 46% of C in some depths) in WAP-F reveals the importance of historic catchment processes to this site. Together, these results highlight the importance of integrating historic ecosystem and catchment factors into attempts to upscale C accounting to broader spatial scales. ©2017 American Geophysical Union - Open Access
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    Impacts of land reclamation on tidal marsh ‘blue carbon’ stocks
    (Elsevier, 2019-07-01) Ewers Lewis, CJ; Baldock, JA; Hawke, B; Gadd, PS; Zawadzki, A; Heijnis, H; Jacobsen, GE; Rogers, K; Macreadie, PI
    Tidal marsh ecosystems are among earth's most efficient natural organic carbon (C) sinks and provide myriad ecosystem services. However, approximately half have been ‘reclaimed’ – i.e. converted to other land uses – potentially turning them into sources of greenhouse gas emissions. In this study, we applied C stock measurements and paleoanalytical techniques to sediments from reclaimed and intact tidal marshes in southeast Australia. We aimed to assess the impacts of reclamation on: 1) the magnitude of existing sediment C stocks; 2) ongoing C sequestration and storage; and 3) C quality. Differences in sediment horizon depths (indicated by Itrax-XRF scanning) and ages (indicated by lead-210 and radiocarbon dating) suggest a physical loss of sediments following reclamation, as well as slowing of sediment accumulation rates. Sediments at one meter depth were between ~2000 and ~5300 years older in reclaimed cores compared to intact marsh cores. We estimate a 70% loss of sediment C in reclaimed sites (equal to 73 Mg C ha−1), relative to stocks in intact tidal marshes during a comparable time period. Following reclamation, sediment C was characterized by coarse particulate organic matter with lower alkyl-o-alkyl ratios and higher amounts of aromatic C, suggesting a lower extent of decomposition and therefore lower likelihood of being incorporated into long-term C stocks compared to that of intact tidal marshes. We conclude that reclamation of tidal marshes can diminish C stocks that have accumulated over millennial time scales, and these losses may go undetected if additional analyses are not employed in conjunction with C stock estimates. © 2019 Published by Elsevier B.V.
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    Soil organic carbon in eastern Australia
    (American Geophysical Union (AGU), 2016-12-14) Hobley, E; Baldock, JA; Hua, Q; Wilson, B
    We investigated the drivers of SOC dynamics and depth distribution across eastern Australia using laboratory analyses (CN, fractionation, radiocarbon) coupled with modelling and machine learning. At over 1400 sites, surface SOC storage was driven by precipitation, whereas SOC depth distribution (0-30 cm) was influenced by land-use. Based upon these findings, 100 sites were selected for profile analysis (up to 1 m) of SOC and its component fractions - particulate (POC), humus (HOC) and resistant (ROC) organic carbon. Profile SOC content was modelled using an exponential model describing surface SOC content, SOC depth distribution and residual SOC at depth and the drivers of these parameters investigated via machine learning. Corroborating previous findings, surface SOC content was highly influenced by rainfall, whereas SOC depth distribution was influenced by land-use. At depth, site properties were the most important predictors of SOC. Cropped sites had significantly lower SOC content than native and grazed sites at depth, indicating that land-use influences SOC content throughout the profile. The machine learning algorithms identified depth as the key control on the proportion of all three fractions down the profile: POC decreased whereas HOC increased with increasing depth. POC was strongly linked with total SOC but HOC and ROC were driven more by climate and soil physico-chemical properties. Human influences (land-use and management) were not important to the fractions, implying that the controls humans can exert on SOC stability may be limited. A subset of 12 soil profiles was analysed for 14C. Radiocarbon content was affected strongly by land-use, with effects most pronounced at depth. Native systems had the youngest carbon down the profile, cropped systems had the oldest SOC. All fractions reacted to land-use change down the soil profile, indicating a lack of stability when the whole profile is viewed. These results indicate that natural systems act as a carbon pump into the soil, injecting young, fresh organic carbon down the entire profile. In contrast, managed systems are deprived of this input and are depleted in SOC at all depths. Our results strongly suggest that SOC storage in the region is input driven. © AGU 2016