ABSTRACT
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Task Force on National Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Inventories produces guidelines for estimating national GHG emissions and removals associated with anthropogenic activities. Coastal wetlands capture carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and convert it to organic carbon that is stored in their vegetation. As a consequence, the elevation of coastal wetland soils increases at a pace similar to that of sea level rise and can result in organic carbon deposits several meters thick. The guidance provides estimation methodologies covering management activities with the largest global influence on GHG emissions and removals on managed coastal wetlands. The intention of this was to reduce any potential additional burden on countries so that, at a minimum, GHG emissions and removals for managed coastal wetlands could be provided for the management activities that were expected to result in the largest sources and sinks. Wetland ecosystem science is increasingly vital to addressing global policy issues.
