28
section was the role of biodiversity in eelgrass growth. Maintaining and improving
the sequestration and storage function of blue carbon thus requires management of
the entire ecosystem. The other ecosystem services cited here will also be greatly
influenced by the productivity of the eelgrass and the scale of the vegetative structure. Proper management of seagrass vegetation as a natural capital will provide
ecosystem services that support human societies in coastal regions. Management
that maintains and improves the sequestration and storage function of blue carbon
must be one of the cornerstones of any approach to balance the conservation and
restoration of natural ecosystems with the economic activities of human beings.
Specific examples and the recent efforts of the international community are introduced in Chaps. 12 and 13 (Nobutoki et al. 2018; Kuwae and Hori 2018).
1.4.3 Conclusion: The Prospects for Blue Carbon Research
In this chapter, through an interpretation of the Blue Carbon Report, we have pointed
out the ecological issues that underlie the sequestration and storage of blue carbon
in shallow coastal areas. If the interaction between the global scientific aspects of
CO 2 sequestration and the biological driving forces behind them have been clarified,
the aim of this chapter will have been achieved. Before the word “blue carbon” was
envisaged, studies directly related to blue carbon, such as the calculation of primary
production and amount of organic carbon deposited in the sediment, were actively
conducted in saltmarshes, mangrove forests, and seagrass beds. However, these
studies were aimed at elucidating local ecological processes, such as the ecosystem
function of the target ecosystem and the mechanism by which biodiversity is created and maintained.
The authors themselves are interested in the organic carbon contained in the
sediments of eelgrass beds in the context of food web theory. That organic carbon,
the leftover organic matter in the sediment, contributes to the food web structure of
both the grazing and detritus food chains. As we encountered the word blue carbon,
the current data took on another importance in the context of climate change. We
hope that those who have read the UNEP report or those who have read this book
will have the same impression. The scientific data relevant to blue carbon is very
scarce. More and better information is needed to guide policy making and other
governance processes in relation to climate change mitigation and adaptation strategies using blue carbon. The ongoing global warming has a fatal influence on coastal
vegetation. Rocky-shore denudation, referred to as “sea desertification” or “sea
fire”, where macroalgal vegetation is suddenly replaced by coralline algae, giving
the appearance of rock bleaching, is becoming more typical.
In addition, those who are interested in coastal areas—including administrative
officials, companies, and non-profit organizations— realize the increasing global
scale of environmental changes. Those organizations and people should aim for a
possible sustainable model of blue carbon for society. We wonder if they recognize
the importance of coastal management that takes into consideration blue carbon. Is
M. Hori et al.
section was the role of biodiversity in eelgrass growth. Maintaining and improving
the sequestration and storage function of blue carbon thus requires management of
the entire ecosystem. The other ecosystem services cited here will also be greatly
influenced by the productivity of the eelgrass and the scale of the vegetative structure. Proper management of seagrass vegetation as a natural capital will provide
ecosystem services that support human societies in coastal regions. Management
that maintains and improves the sequestration and storage function of blue carbon
must be one of the cornerstones of any approach to balance the conservation and
restoration of natural ecosystems with the economic activities of human beings.
Specific examples and the recent efforts of the international community are introduced in Chaps. 12 and 13 (Nobutoki et al. 2018; Kuwae and Hori 2018).
1.4.3 Conclusion: The Prospects for Blue Carbon Research
In this chapter, through an interpretation of the Blue Carbon Report, we have pointed
out the ecological issues that underlie the sequestration and storage of blue carbon
in shallow coastal areas. If the interaction between the global scientific aspects of
CO 2 sequestration and the biological driving forces behind them have been clarified,
the aim of this chapter will have been achieved. Before the word “blue carbon” was
envisaged, studies directly related to blue carbon, such as the calculation of primary
production and amount of organic carbon deposited in the sediment, were actively
conducted in saltmarshes, mangrove forests, and seagrass beds. However, these
studies were aimed at elucidating local ecological processes, such as the ecosystem
function of the target ecosystem and the mechanism by which biodiversity is created and maintained.
The authors themselves are interested in the organic carbon contained in the
sediments of eelgrass beds in the context of food web theory. That organic carbon,
the leftover organic matter in the sediment, contributes to the food web structure of
both the grazing and detritus food chains. As we encountered the word blue carbon,
the current data took on another importance in the context of climate change. We
hope that those who have read the UNEP report or those who have read this book
will have the same impression. The scientific data relevant to blue carbon is very
scarce. More and better information is needed to guide policy making and other
governance processes in relation to climate change mitigation and adaptation strategies using blue carbon. The ongoing global warming has a fatal influence on coastal
vegetation. Rocky-shore denudation, referred to as “sea desertification” or “sea
fire”, where macroalgal vegetation is suddenly replaced by coralline algae, giving
the appearance of rock bleaching, is becoming more typical.
In addition, those who are interested in coastal areas—including administrative
officials, companies, and non-profit organizations— realize the increasing global
scale of environmental changes. Those organizations and people should aim for a
possible sustainable model of blue carbon for society. We wonder if they recognize
the importance of coastal management that takes into consideration blue carbon. Is
M. Hori et al.