Coastal wetland ecosystem dynamics Open access Peer reviewed

Inundation and Sediment Supply Predict Annual but Not Centennial Carbon Accumulation in Tidal Wetlands Across Land‐Use Types

Katrina L. Poppe, John Rybczyk, Christopher N. Janousek, Scott D. Bridgham and 9 more

Global Biogeochemical Cycles | Jun 27, 2026

Abstract

Abstract

Abstract Despite growing interest in the contributions of tidal wetlands to natural climate solutions, data remain scarce on how land use affects their carbon accumulation rates (CAR). Additionally, environmental factors driving the large observed variability in CAR among sites are poorly understood. To address these knowledge gaps, we measured short‐term (∼1 year) and long‐term (∼100 years) CAR using feldspar marker horizons, 210 Pb profiles, and surface elevation tables from 39 sites in seven estuaries in Oregon and Washington, USA. Sites varied in wetland type (tidal marsh, tidal swamp, nontidal pasture), land‐use history (reference, restored, and disturbed), and salinity (fresh to polyhaline). Across both timescales, CAR was lowest in disturbed pastures and highest in restored marshes, reflecting patterns in sediment accretion rates. Short‐term CAR exceeded long‐term CAR by approximately 50% on average and was only weakly correlated with long‐term CAR, with differences among hydrogeomorphic setting. Short‐term CAR was well predicted by summer inundation frequency and relative sediment load, together explaining 60% of variance, whereas long‐term CAR was poorly predicted by contemporary environmental conditions. These findings highlight the importance of aligning predictor and response timescales when modeling blue carbon dynamics, and reinforce the climate mitigation potential of tidal wetland restoration.

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Authors

Researchers on this paper

Katrina L. Poppe

first | University of British Columbia | ORCID 0000-0003-2830-4578

John Rybczyk

middle | Western Washington University | ORCID 0000-0003-2472-8760

Christopher N. Janousek

middle | Oregon State University | ORCID 0000-0003-2124-6715

Scott D. Bridgham

middle | University of Oregon | ORCID 0000-0003-0614-2678

Craig Cornu

middle | Institute for Culture and Ecology | ORCID 0009-0001-1078-7762

Trevor Williams

middle | Oregon State University | ORCID 0009-0002-0417-3235

Heida L. Diefenderfer

middle | Pacific Northwest National Laboratory | ORCID 0000-0001-6153-4565

Amy B. Borde

middle | ORCID 0000-0002-5603-2832

Heather Perillat

middle | University of Oregon

Laura S. Brophy

middle | Institute for Culture and Ecology | ORCID 0000-0002-0485-5597

Erin K. Peck

middle | University of Rhode Island | ORCID 0000-0002-2021-6584

Jude K. Apple

middle | Wells National Estuarine Research Reserve | ORCID 0009-0000-0263-1015

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Citation

BibTeX

@article{Poppe2026Inundation,
  title = {Inundation and Sediment Supply Predict Annual but Not Centennial Carbon Accumulation in Tidal Wetlands Across Land‐Use Types},
  author = {Katrina L. Poppe and John Rybczyk and Christopher N. Janousek and Scott D. Bridgham and Craig Cornu and Trevor Williams and Heida L. Diefenderfer and Amy B. Borde and Heather Perillat and Laura S. Brophy and Erin K. Peck and Jude K. Apple and Sara Knox},
  journal = {Global Biogeochemical Cycles},
  year = {2026},
  doi = {10.1029/2025gb008832},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.1029/2025gb008832}
}

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