Abstract

Support for coastal wetland restoration projects that consider carbon storage as a climate mitigation benefit is growing as coastal wetlands are sites of substantial carbon sequestration. However, the climate footprint of wetland restoration remains controversial as wetlands can also be large sources of methane. This talk focuses on the carbon flows into and out of three restored wetlands in California that differ in salinity, tidal influence, and landscape configuration. By understanding the balance between carbon burial, carbon emissions and hydrologic carbon export in various restored wetlands we can provide insights into the benefits and tradeoffs of coastal wetland restoration for climate change mitigation, and perhaps, advise how to optimally design wetland restoration projects to maximize carbon uptake and minimize greenhouse gas emissions.