Oral Abstract Details

Author(s):
R Chelsea Nagy and B Graeme Lockaby

Affiliation:
Auburn University, SFWS

Presentation Type:
Oral

Topic Area:
Human influences on ecosystems (direct and indirect stressors)

Abstract Text:
Rapid coastal development coupled with a growing population exerts additional pressure on coastal ecosystems. The effects of urbanization on ecosystem function, specifically carbon storage in soils and vegetation, were examined in an area of hastening development along the Gulf Coast near Apalachicola, FL. Differences in carbon storage among natural pine forests, pine plantations, urban forests, urban lawns, and forested wetlands were studied. An analysis of all land use/cover types revealed that forested wetlands have the greatest capacity to store soil and total ecosystem (soil + vegetation) carbon. In addition to the other benefits that forested wetlands provide, their capacity to store carbon and thus influence biogeochemical cycling warrants their protection. A unique result of this study was greater carbon storage in urban ecosystems than in natural forests and plantations. Urban forests had the highest ANPP of any of the land use/cover classes and stored roughly twice as much carbon in soils as natural forests and plantations. Higher soil and vegetation carbon in urban forests and urban lawns compared to natural forests and pine plantations may be a result of more frequent fires in the latter two classes. The low native soil carbon of this region (wetlands excluded) coupled with recent fires (both natural forests and plantations) and understocking (plantations) have led to smaller pools of carbon in comparison to urban areas. County-level land use change predictions suggest that as urbanization continues along Florida’s Gulf Coast, declines in ecosystem carbon storage are possible but can be minimized by protecting forested wetlands and incorporating patches of remnant forests within urban areas.