Title
Carbon storage estimation of Lessonia trabeculata kelp beds in Southern Peru: an analysis from the San Juan de Marcona region
Date Issued
02 September 2020
Access level
open access
Resource Type
journal article
Author(s)
Publisher(s)
Taylor and Francis Ltd.
Abstract
Carbon storage is one of the most important ecosystem services provided by kelp beds. Laminarialean kelps are widely harvested along the Warm Temperate South-eastern Pacific coast, a marine province shared by Chile and Peru. Carbon storage assessments of kelps in Peru are lacking. From a blue economy and sustainable management perspectives, information on the carbon storage of kelps is important. We conduct the first carbon storage assessment of Lessonia trabeculata in Peru and contribute to the development of biomass estimation models in order to monitor kelps using the least destructive methodologies. We chose three commonly harvested sites in San Juan de Marcona to haphazardly extract Lessonia trabeculata sporophytes using transects. Sporophyte height (m), wet biomass (kg), maximum (D) and minimum (d) holdfast disk widths (cm) were measured in the field. In the laboratory, C content was measured to calculate the best-fitting coefficients for future estimations by using allometric equations. Individual biomass was best estimated from sporophyte height through a rational model, while holdfast area (ellipse in cm2) was a good proxy of biomass with a sinusoidal model. The southernmost, least accessible, and most exposed site (Elefante) had significantly higher values of stored carbon. We estimated a carbon standing stock (from sporophytes only) of 2044 t C in these kelp beds. Nevertheless, additional and more detailed measurements will likely produce more accurate estimates both in time and space. We provide allometric equations for future carbon assessments. Our results highlight the importance carbon assessment for kelp management and blue carbon estimates and the need to develop science-based marine planning strategies.
Start page
525
End page
532
Volume
11
Issue
5
Language
English
OCDE Knowledge area
Acuicultura
Subjects
Scopus EID
2-s2.0-85089779682
Source
Carbon Management
ISSN of the container
17583004
Sponsor(s)
This work was part of the project “Inmovilización de carbono azul por bosques de macroalgas en el litoral sur del Perú (Fondo Semilla 2018)”, funded by the Universidad Científica del Sur. We thank the Comunidad Pesquera de Marcona (COPMAR), Pether Mogrovejo Cerna (“Tiernito”), Alfredo Campos Cerna and Luis Carlos Flores Hechajalla (“Valentín”) for their assistance during the field work and data acquisition. The authors are grateful to Josh Donlan and Madeleine Wild for revising and improving the manuscript with constructive comments. The author´s responsibilities were as follows–OAR, BM and HA: designed and conducted the research, wrote the manuscript and analysed the data; OAR had primarily responsibility for the final content of the manuscript; and all authors: edited, read and approved the final manuscript.
This work was part of the project “Inmovilización de carbono azul por bosques de macroalgas en el litoral sur del Perú (Fondo Semilla 2018)”, funded by the Universidad Científica del Sur. We thank the Comunidad Pesquera de Marcona (COPMAR), Pether Mogrovejo Cerna (“Tiernito”), Alfredo Campos Cerna and Luis Carlos Flores Hechajalla (“Valentín”) for their assistance during the field work and data acquisition. The authors are grateful to Josh Donlan and Madeleine Wild for revising and improving the manuscript with constructive comments.
Sources of information:
Directorio de Producción Científica
Scopus