Accelerated sea-level rise is suppressing CO2 stimulation of tidal marsh productivity: A 33-year study

Accelerating relative sea-level rise (RSLR) is threatening coastal wetlands. However, rising CO2 concentrations may also stimulate carbon sequestration and vertical accretion, counterbalancing RSLR. A coastal wetland dominated by a C-3 plant species was exposed to ambient and elevated levels of CO2 in situ from 1987 to 2019 during which time ambient CO2 concentration increased 18% and sea level rose 23 cm. Plant production did not increase in response to gradually rising ambient CO2 concentration during this period. Elevated CO2 increased shoot production relative to ambient CO2 for the first two decades, but from 2005 to 2019, elevated CO2 stimulation of production was diminished. The decline coincided with increases in relative sea level above a threshold that hindered root productivity. While elevated CO2 stimulation of elevation gain has the potential to moderate the negative impacts of RSLR on tidal wetland productivity, benefits for coastal wetland resilience will diminish in the long term as rates of RSLR accelerate.

Automated summary

Accelerating relative sea-level rise (RSLR) is threatening coastal wetlands, but rising CO2 concentrations may counterbalance this by stimulating carbon sequestration and vertical accretion. However, a study found that gradually rising ambient CO2 concentration did not increase plant production, and elevated CO2 only stimulated production for the first two decades. The decline in stimulation coincided with increases in relative sea level above a threshold that hindered root productivity. While elevated CO2 can moderate the negative impacts of RSLR on tidal wetland productivity, its benefits for coastal wetland resilience will diminish as RSLR rates accelerate.