Can we restore Blue Carbon? - Assessing carbon dynamics in restored UK salt marshes through molecular tools

我们可以恢复蓝碳吗？

• 批准号: 2732638
• 金额: --
• 依托单位: University of East Anglia
• 依托单位国家: 英国
• 项目类别: Studentship
• 财政年份: 2022
• 资助国家: 英国
• 起止时间: 2022 至 无数据
• 项目状态: 未结题
• 来源: https://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=studentship-2732638
• 关键词: restore; Blue; Carbon; Assessing; carbon

Background: Coastal vegetated ecosystems have recently received much attention for their contribution to climate change mitigation. Especially the high rates of carbon sequestration have been highlighted for these so-called 'Blue Carbon' ecosystems. In the UK these include salt marshes, which could be very relevant in future carbon crediting schemes. This led to a strong interest in the restoration of salt marshes using managed realignment (i.e. the opening of seawalls to re-introduce tides) to create new carbon sinks.But do these restored marshes function as a carbon sink in the same way as natural marshes? To answer this question, we need to understand the underlying processes in relation to carbon dynamics and microbial ecology in restored marshes, because microbial decomposition is a main driver of carbon loss. Research methodology: You will combine methods from the fields of salt marsh restoration, biogeochemistry, and microbial ecology. First, to quantify carbon stocks and sequestration rates, you will collect soil cores from multiple restoration sites in the UK for carbon analysis and dating (using micropaleontology). Second, you will compare the biogeochemistry and microbial ecology of a natural and restored marsh using cutting edge molecular microbial ecology techniques. Finally, to identify which microbial groups are responsible for actively breaking down organic carbon into CO2 again, you will set up a microcosm lab experiment using soil from the study site and a 13C organic carbon compound as a tracer.

背景：近海植被生态系统因其对减缓气候变化的贡献而备受关注。尤其是这些所谓的“蓝碳”生态系统的高固碳率尤为突出。在英国，这包括盐沼，这可能与未来的碳信用计划非常相关。这引起了人们对通过有管理的重新调整(即开放海堤重新引入潮汐)以创造新的碳汇来恢复盐沼的浓厚兴趣。但这些恢复的沼泽是否像自然沼泽一样发挥碳汇的作用？要回答这个问题，我们需要了解与恢复的沼泽中的碳动力学和微生物生态相关的潜在过程，因为微生物分解是碳损失的主要驱动因素。研究方法：你将结合盐沼恢复、生物地球化学和微生物生态学领域的方法。首先，为了量化碳储量和封存速率，你将从英国的多个修复地点收集土壤岩心进行碳分析和测年(使用微古生物学)。其次，您将使用尖端分子微生物生态学技术比较自然湿地和修复后的湿地的生物地球化学和微生物生态。最后，为了确定哪些微生物群负责再次将有机碳主动分解为二氧化碳，您将建立一个微型实验室实验，使用研究地点的土壤和一种13C有机碳化合物作为示踪剂。