Abstract

Carbon storage is one of the most important ecosystem services provided by kelp beds. Laminarialean kelps are widely harvested along the Warm Temperate South-eastern Pacific coast, a marine province shared by Chile and Peru. Carbon storage assessments of kelps in Peru are lacking. From a blue economy and sustainable management perspectives, information on the carbon storage of kelps is important. We conduct the first carbon storage assessment of Lessonia trabeculata in Peru and contribute to the development of biomass estimation models in order to monitor kelps using the least destructive methodologies. We chose three commonly harvested sites in San Juan de Marcona to haphazardly extract Lessonia trabeculata sporophytes using transects. Sporophyte height (m), wet biomass (kg), maximum (D) and minimum (d) holdfast disk widths (cm) were measured in the field. In the laboratory, C content was measured to calculate the best-fitting coefficients for future estimations by using allometric equations. Individual biomass was best estimated from sporophyte height through a rational model, while holdfast area (ellipse in cm²) was a good proxy of biomass with a sinusoidal model. The southernmost, least accessible, and most exposed site (Elefante) had significantly higher values of stored carbon. We estimated a carbon standing stock (from sporophytes only) of 2044 t C in these kelp beds. Nevertheless, additional and more detailed measurements will likely produce more accurate estimates both in time and space. We provide allometric equations for future carbon assessments. Our results highlight the importance carbon assessment for kelp management and blue carbon estimates and the need to develop science-based marine planning strategies.

摘要

碳储存是海藻床提供的最重要的生态系统服务之一。海带海带广泛分布在温暖的东南太平洋太平洋沿岸，这是智利和秘鲁共享的海洋省。秘鲁对海带的碳储量缺乏评估。从蓝色经济和可持续管理的角度来看，有关海带碳存储的信息很重要。我们进行的第一碳储量评估Lessonia trabeculata在秘鲁和促进生物量估算模型的开发，以使用破坏性最小的方法监控海带。我们选择了圣胡安·马可纳（San Juan de Marcona）的三个常见采伐场，随意提取Lessonia trabeculata使用横断面的孢子体。现场测量了孢子体高度（m），湿生物量（kg），最大（D）和最小（d）保持盘宽度（cm）。在实验室中，测量了C含量，以使用异速方程计算出最适合的系数，以供将来估算。最好通过合理模型根据孢子体高度估算单个生物量，而保持面积（椭圆体以cm ^{2为单位）}）是正弦模型的良好生物质代理。最南端，最不易接近且最易暴露的地点（Elefante）的碳储量值明显更高。我们估计这些海藻床中的碳定存量（仅来自孢子体）为2044 tC。但是，更多和更详细的测量可能会在时间和空间上产生更准确的估计。我们为将来的碳评估提供了异速方程。我们的结果突出了碳评估对海带管理和蓝色碳评估的重要性，以及开发基于科学的海洋规划策略的必要性。