Carbon budget alteration due to landcover-landuse change in wetlands. The case of afforestation in the Lower Delta of the Paraná River marshes (Argentina)

Abstract

The objective of this work was to analyze the effects on carbon budget caused by the replacement of freshwater marshes by salicaceae plantations at ecosystem and regional scales, in the Lower Delta of the Paraná River in Argentina. Biomass and NAPP were estimated for one of the main species planted in the delta, Salix babylonica var sacramenta and for the dominant species of the marshes that are most widespread in the study area, Scirpus giganteus and Schoenoplectus californicus. Soil organic carbon was also estimated. Afforestation and marshes were mapped based on the digital classification of Landsat imagery. Aboveground biomass stored by afforestation is higher than by marshes (113.4 Mg ha-1 vs. around 10 Mg ha-1). Nevertheless, soil organic matter accumulation is ten-fold higher in the marshes. A great amount of carbon is released to the atmosphere when marshes are converted to forest due to change from wetland to terrestrial condition .