Table 1 Comparison of the estimated extents, carbon stocks, carbon production rates, and carbon sequestration capacity of kelp forests, seagrass beds and salt marshes in Canada

From: A blueprint for national assessments of the blue carbon capacity of kelp forests applied to Canada’s coastline

Ecosystem

Areal extent (Mha)

C stock per-area (Mg C ha-1)

C production per-area (Mg C ha-1 yr-1)

C sequestration per-area * (Mg C ha-1 yr-1)

Total C stock capacity (Tg C)

Total C production capacity (Tg C yr-1)

Total C sequestration capacity* (Tg C yr-1)

Kelp forests

 Biomass:

1.8+ (0.8–6.3)

0.8+ (0.4–1.2)

3.5+ (1.3–6.7)

0.6+ (0.3–1.5)

2.8+ (0.6–4.4)

6.4+ (1.1–11.6)

0.4+ (0.04–1.0)

Seagrass meadows

 Biomass:

0.8 (0.2–1.4)a

0.1 (0.06–0.2)b

ND

NA

0.08 (0.01–0.3)

ND

NA

 Soils:

0.8 (0.2–1.4)a

88.2 (50.2–380.1)c

NA

0.2 (0.04–0.9)a,c

70.6 (10.0–532.1)

NA

0.2 (0.01–1.3)

Salt marshes

Biomass:

0.4d

ND

ND

NA

ND

ND

NA

Soils:

0.4d

80.4 (35.0–173)e

NA

2.0 (0.6–9.3)e

32.2

NA

0.8

  1. Parenthetical values represent the high (low – maximum) estimate values reported by this study and in the literature. *Carbon sequestration for kelp forests is calculated in terms of the estimated export of kelp detrital carbon to deep ocean sinks; carbon sequestration for seagrasses and salt marshes is calculated in terms of the amount of carbon accumulation in sediments. ND signifies no data for a particular field; NA signifies there the field is not applicable for a given ecosystem.
  2. Data sources: +This study; aDrever et al. 2021, bPrentice et al. 2018, cPrentice et al. 2020, dRabinowitz & Andrews, eKelly et al. 2023.
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