Wetlands play a crucial role in global carbon cycling, but how quickly can restored wetlands become effective carbon sinks?

MSc researchers Shayna Meinzinger and Jordan Li teamed up to investigate how restored wetlands contribute to carbon mitigation efforts. Their study focuses on seven restored wetlands in Southern Ontario, all located in agricultural landscapes. They shared their progress in a poster presented at the Climate Con, hosted by the Waterloo Climate Institute.

Meinzinger’s research focuses on greenhouse gas (GHG) dynamics in these wetlands, while Li’s research examines the tradeoff between these emissions and the wetlands' ability to accumulate carbon.

By combining results from Li’s breakpoint analysis separating pre- and post-restoration in wetland sediments with Meinzinger’s carbon outputs —measured through diffusive carbon dioxide and methane emissions —they were able to produce results that challenge widely accepted assumptions in the existing literature. Most research to date suggests that wetlands require anywhere from 141 to 525 years to reach a net cooling effect. However, Meinzinger and Li found that most of the wetlands in their study, which are less than 15 years old, may already be acting as carbon sinks.

To refine this understanding, ongoing research will explore additional carbon loss pathways, such as ebullition (i.e., bubbling) and plant-mediated emissions and methane consumption via oxidation. The next step is to identify the unique environmental factors driving this unexpectedly rapid carbon sequestration in young, restored wetlands.