Oregon estuaries provide important opportunities to assess controls on tidal saline wetland carbon burial and sediment accretion as both rates of relative sea level rise (RSLR; -1.4 +/- 0.9 to 2.8 +/- 0.8 mm y-1) and fluvial suspended sediment load relative to estuary area (0.23 to 17 x 103 t km-2 y-1) vary along the coast. We hypothesized that vertical accretion, measured using excess 210Pb in least-disturbed wetlands within seven Oregon estuaries, would vary with either RSLR or sediment load relative to estuary area, and carbon burial would correlate strongly to sediment accretion. Mean rates of high marsh accretion (0.8 +/- 0.2 to 4.1 +/- 0.2 mm y-1) indicate that Oregon tidal wetlands have kept pace with 20th century RSLR though accretionary balance in the central-coast is negative, suggesting drowning. Experiencing the fastest rates of RSLR, central-coast estuaries may foreshadow the fates of other Oregon estuaries under future accelerated sea level rise. Comparison of mass accumulation rates with sediment loads, however, indicates low trapping efficiency and therefore no fluvial sediment limitation. Thus, non-linear feedbacks between RSLR and sediment accretion may enhance wetland resistance to drowning. Amongst wetlands keeping pace with or exceeding RSLR, sediment accretion is not influenced by elevation but rather appears controlled by both the rate of RSLR and relative sediment load, highlighting the importance of incorporating both factors into future studies of tidal saline wetlands. Carbon burial rates, controlled by sediment accretion, will likely increase with future accelerated sea level rise.
| Start date | End date |
|---|---|
| 2010-09-01 | 2018-09-30 |
| Rank name | Value |
|---|---|
| Species | Juncus balticus |
| Species | Sarcocornia perennis |
| Species | Distichlis spicata |
| Species | Deschampsia cespitosa |
| Species | Carex lyngbyei |
| Species | Agrostis stolonifera |
| Species | Potentilla anserina |
| Species | Jaumea carnosa |
| Species | Triglochin maritima |
| Species | Alnus rubra |
| Species | Scirpus micranthus |
| Species | Malus fusca |
| Species | Lonicera involucrata |
| Species | Carex obnupta |
| Species | Picea sitchensis |
| Species | Schoenoplectus tabernaemontani |
| Species | Rosa nutkana |
| Species | Spiraea douglasii |
| Species | Salix hookeriana |
| Species | Athyrium filix-femina |
| Species | Oenanthe sarmentosa |
| attribute name | definition | format, unit or codes |
|---|---|---|
| study_id | Unique identifier for the study made up of the first author's family name, as well as the second author's or 'et al.' if more than three, then publication year spearated by underscores. See worksCited.bib for more detail. | |
| coring_method | Code indicating what type of device was used to collect soil depth profiles. | pvc and hammer = PVC pipe was driven into the sediment with a hammer to recover a core |
| roots_flag | Code indicating whether live roots were included or excluded from carbon assessments. | roots and rhizomes separated = Roots and rhizomes were separated from soil before dry bulk density and or organic matter and carbon measurements. |
| sediment_sieved_flag | Code indicating whether or not sediment was sieved prior to carbon measurements. | sediment sieved = Sediment was sieved prior to analysis for organics |
| compaction_flag | Code indicating how the authors qualified or quantified compaction of the core. | compaction quantified = Compaction was quantified and corrected for in core based measurements |
| dry_bulk_density_temperature | Temperature at which samples were dried to measure dry bulk density. This can include either samples that were freeze dried or oven dried. | celsius |
| dry_bulk_density_time | Time over which samples were dried to measure dry bulk density. | hour |
| dry_bulk_density_flag | Any notable codes regarding how the authors quantified dry bulk density. | time approximate = Bulk density time recorded herin is an approximate estimate |
| loss_on_ignition_temperature | Temperature at which samples were combusted to estimate fraction organic matter. | celsius |
| loss_on_ignition_time | Time over which samples were combusted to estimate fraction organic matter. | hour |
| loss_on_ignition_sample_mass | Sample mass used for loss on ignition, if held constant. | gram |
| carbonates_removed | Whether or not carbonates were removed prior to calculating fraction organic carbon. | TRUE = Carbonates were removed before measuring organic carbon. |
| carbonate_removal_method | The method used to remove carbonates prior to measuring fraction carbon. | direct acid treatment = Carbonates were removed using direct application of dilute acid |
| carbon_measured_or_modeled | Code indicating whether fraction carbon was measured or estimated as a function of organic matter. | measured = Fraction carbon was measured as opposed to modeled |
| fraction_carbon_method | Code indicating the method for which fraction carbon was measured or modeled (Note: regression based models are permitted, but the use of the Bemmelen factor [0.58 gOC gOM-1] is discouraged). | EA = Each sample presented was measured using Elemental Analysis |
| fraction_carbon_type | Code indicating whether fraction_carbon refers to organic or total carbon. | organic carbon = Author specified that fraction carbon measurements were of organic carbon |
| cs137_counting_method | Code indicating the method used for determining radiocesium activity. | gamma = Gamma counting method used. |
| pb210_counting_method | Code indicating the method used for determining lead 210 activity. | gamma = Gamma counting method used. |
| excess_pb210_rate | Code indicating the mass or accretion rate used in the excess_pb_210_model | mass accumulation = Excess 210Pb modeled using mass accumulation rate accretion = Excess 210Pb modeled using vertical accretion rate. mass accumulation and accretion = Excess 210Pb modeled using mass accumulation rate and a vertical accretion rate |
| excess_pb210_model | Code indicating the model used to estimate excess lead 210. | CRS = Constant rate of supply model used CIC = Constant initial concentration model used CRS and CIC = Constant rate of supply and constant initial concentration models used |
| attribute name | definition | format, unit or codes |
|---|---|---|
| study_id | Unique identifier for the study made up of the first author's family name, as well as the second author's or 'et al.' if more than three, then publication year spearated by underscores. See worksCited.bib for more detail. | |
| site_id | Site identification code unique to each study. | |
| core_id | Core identification code unique to each site. | |
| core_date | Date of core collection. | YYYY-MM-DD |
| core_notes | Any other relevant submitter generated notes on how cores were collected. | |
| core_latitude | Positional latitude of the core in decimal degree WGS84. | degree |
| core_longitude | Positional longitude of the core in decimal degree WGS84. | degree |
| core_position_method | Code indicating how latitude and longitude were determined. | RTK-GPS = Real-time kinematic global position system (GPS) handheld = Conventional Commercially available hand-held GPS |
| core_elevation | Surface elevation of the core relative to defined datum. | meter |
| core_elevation_datum | The datum relative to which the core elevation was measured against (For a complete list of datum names and aliases please refer to the ISO Geodedic Registry https://iso.registry.bespire.eu/register/geodetic/VerticalDatum). | NAVD88 = A gravity-based geodetic datum, North American Vertical Datum of 1988 |
| core_elevation_method | Code indicating how elevation was determined | RTK-GPS = Real-time kinematic global position system (GPS) |
| vegetation_class | Code based on submitter field observations or measurement indicating dominant wetland vegetation type. | emergent = Describes wetlands dominated by persistent emergent vascular plants scrub shrub = Describes wetlands dominated by woody vegetation < or equal to 5 meters in height mudflat = Location has bare mud with no or very little vegetation present |
| inundation_class | Code based on submitter field observation or measurement indicating how often the coring location is inundated. | high = Study-specific definition of an elevation relatively high in the tidal frame, typically defined by vegetation type mid = Study-specific definition of an elevation in the relative middle of the tidal frame, typically defined by vegetation type low = Study-specific definition of an elevation in relatively low in the tidal frame, typically defined by vegetation type back = Study-specific definition of a relatively low elevation zone behind a levee. |
| abbreviated_core_id | Abbreviated unique identifier for core locations |
| attribute name | definition | format, unit or codes |
|---|---|---|
| study_id | Unique identifier for the study made up of the first author's family name, as well as the second author's or 'et al.' if more than three, then publication year spearated by underscores. See worksCited.bib for more detail. | |
| site_id | Site identification code unique to each study. | |
| core_id | Core identification code unique to each site. | |
| depth_min | Minimum depth of a sampling increment. | centimeter |
| depth_max | Maximum depth of a sampling increment. | centimeter |
| dry_bulk_density_measured | Measured dry mass per unit volume of a soil sample. This does not include ash free bulk density. | gramsPerCubicCentimeter |
| dry_bulk_density_modeled | Modeled dry mass per unit volume of a soil sample. | gramsPerCubicCentimeter |
| fraction_organic_matter | Mass of organic matter relative to sample dry mass. Ash free bulk density should not be used here but should be expressed as a loss on ignition fraction. | dimensionless |
| fraction_carbon_measured | Measured mass of carbon relative to sample dry mass. | dimensionless |
| fraction_carbon_modeled | Modeled mass of carbon relative to sample dry mass. | dimensionless |
| cs137_activity | Radioactivity counts per unit dry weight for radiocesium (137Cs). | disintegrationsPerMinutePerGram |
| cs137_activity_se | 1 standard deviation of uncertainty associated with cs137_activity. | disintegrationsPerMinutePerGram |
| total_pb210_activity | Total radioactivity counts per unit dry weight for excess lead 210 (210Pb). | disintegrationsPerMinutePerGram |
| total_pb210_activity_se | 1 standard deviation of uncertainty associated with total_pb210_activity. | disintegrationsPerMinutePerGram |
| pb214_activity | Radioactivity counts per unit dry weight for lead-214 (214Pb). | disintegrationsPerMinutePerGram |
| pb214_activity_se | 1 standard deviation of uncertainty associated with pb214_activity. | disintegrationsPerMinutePerGram |
| excess_pb210_activity | Excess radioactivity counts per unit dry weight for excess lead 210 (210Pb). | disintegrationsPerMinutePerGram |
| excess_pb210_activity_se | 1 standard deviation of uncertainty associated with excess_pb210_activity. | disintegrationsPerMinutePerGram |
| attribute name | definition | format, unit or codes |
|---|---|---|
| study_id | Unique identifier for the study made up of the first author's family name, as well as the second author's or 'et al.' if more than three, then publication year spearated by underscores. See worksCited.bib for more detail. | |
| site_id | Site identification code unique to each study. | |
| core_id | Core identification code unique to each site. | |
| impact_class | Code indicating any major anthropogenic impacts historically and currently affecting the coring location. | diked and drained = The wetland has been diked and drained, with or without flapper gates, pumping, or other means |
| unit name | parent SI unit | unit type | description |
|---|---|---|---|
| disintegrationsPerMinutePerGram | radionucleotideActivityPerMass | disintegrations per minute per gram is a measure of the activity of the source of radioactivity |
This dataset is listed under a Creative Commons BY 4.0 and can be used with attribution. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/