Articles | Volume 23, issue 13
https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-23-4583-2026
© Author(s) 2026. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-23-4583-2026
© Author(s) 2026. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Research article
| Highlight paper
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06 Jul 2026
Research article | Highlight paper |
| 06 Jul 2026
| 06 Jul 2026
Livestock grazing, plant community and abiotic factors shape blue carbon stocks in Nordic coastal marshes
Anaïs Richard
CORRESPONDING AUTHOR
Department of Ecology, Environment and Plant Sciences, Stockholm University, 106 91 Stockholm, Sweden
Department of Biology, University of Southern Denmark, Campusvej 55, 5230 Odense M, Denmark
Carmen Leiva-Dueñas
Department of Ecoscience, Aarhus University, C. F. Møllers Allé 3, building 1131, 8000 Aarhus, Denmark
Christoffer Boström
Åbo Akademi University, Environmental and Marine Biology, Henrikinkatu 2, 20500 Turku, Finland
Beke K. Eichert
Universität Hamburg, Institute of Plant Science and Microbiology, Ohnhorststr. 18, 22609 Hamburg, Germany
Annie Garnell
Department of Ecology, Environment and Plant Sciences, Stockholm University, 106 91 Stockholm, Sweden
Nadja H. Nijm
Department of Ecology, Environment and Plant Sciences, Stockholm University, 106 91 Stockholm, Sweden
Line Holm Andersen
Department of Ecology, Environment and Plant Sciences, Stockholm University, 106 91 Stockholm, Sweden
Kai Jensen
Universität Hamburg, Institute of Plant Science and Microbiology, Ohnhorststr. 18, 22609 Hamburg, Germany
Heli Jutila
Österbottens vatten och miljö rf, Strengbergsgatan 1, 68600, Jakobstad, Finland
Dorte Krause-Jensen
Department of Ecoscience, Aarhus University, C. F. Møllers Allé 3, building 1131, 8000 Aarhus, Denmark
Nathalie Labourdette
Univ. Bordeaux, CNRS, Bordeaux INP, EPOC, UMR 5805, 33600 Pessac, France
Marianna Lanari
Department of Biology, University of Southern Denmark, Campusvej 55, 5230 Odense M, Denmark
Institute of Oceanography, Federal University of Rio Grande, Av. Itália km 08, 96203900, Rio Grande, Brazil
Ella L. Logemann
Universität Hamburg, Institute of Plant Science and Microbiology, Ohnhorststr. 18, 22609 Hamburg, Germany
Katrin Moeller
Universität Hamburg, Institute of Plant Science and Microbiology, Ohnhorststr. 18, 22609 Hamburg, Germany
Mikael von Numers
Åbo Akademi University, Environmental and Marine Biology, Henrikinkatu 2, 20500 Turku, Finland
Gry Frederiksberg
Department of Biology, University of Southern Denmark, Campusvej 55, 5230 Odense M, Denmark
SDU Climate Cluster, University of Southern Denmark, Fioniavej 34, Odense M, 5230, Denmark
Sofia A. Wikström
Baltic Sea Centre, Stockholm University, 106 91 Stockholm, Sweden
Cintia Organo Quintana
Department of Biology, University of Southern Denmark, Campusvej 55, 5230 Odense M, Denmark
SDU Climate Cluster, University of Southern Denmark, Fioniavej 34, Odense M, 5230, Denmark
Gary Thomas Banta
Department of Biology, University of Southern Denmark, Campusvej 55, 5230 Odense M, Denmark
Johan S. Eklöf
Department of Ecology, Environment and Plant Sciences, Stockholm University, 106 91 Stockholm, Sweden
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Editorial statement
Coastal marshes play an important role in climate regulation and ecosystem services. This study provides the first large-scale assessment of carbon storage in Nordic coastal marshes, a region currently underrepresented in global blue carbon datasets. It shows how grazing management and environmental conditions jointly influence carbon storage and vegetation structure.
Coastal marshes play an important role in climate regulation and ecosystem services. This study...
Short summary
Coastal marshes store high amounts of carbon but remain understudied in Nordic region. We measured organic carbon stored in plants and soil across grazed and ungrazed marshes along environmental gradients. Livestock grazing limited reed dominance, reduced aboveground carbon and altered roots allocation. Soil carbon was mainly controlled by soil properties rather than grazing at large scale. Our results show how grazing and environmental conditions jointly shape carbon storage in coastal marshes.
Coastal marshes store high amounts of carbon but remain understudied in Nordic region. We...
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