Carbon storage of headwater riparian zones in an agricultural landscape

Table 2 Carbon stored in headwater riparian reaches of sampled riparian zones and extrapolated to the entire Coastal Plain network

Location (*n =* no. of reaches)	Watershed size (km²)	Stream network length (km)	MgC/ha (30-m-wide zone)	MgC/ha (60-m-wide zone)	MgC/km stream length (30-m-wide zone)	MgC/km stream length (60-m-wide zone)	Total MgC stored in (30-m-wide zone)	Total MgC stored in (60-m-wide zone)
Cow Swamp (40)	44.5	47.5	94.2	92.3	283	554	13,427	26,299
Crisp Creek (37)	45.9	41.2	84.0	87.0	252	522	10,380	21,514
Lumber (66)	73.7	74.8	104.4	100.5	313	603	23,415	45,070
Current condition of Coastal Plain riparian zones	56,772	57,227	96.3	94.7	289	568	16,529,285	32,512,359
Potential condition of Coastal Plain riparian zones	56,772	57,227	241.7	241.7	0.725	1.450	41,495,029	82,990,058
Difference							24,965,744	50,477,700

Carbon is estimated to be 0.5 times organic matter [25]. Data for Coastal Plain riparian zones based on the weighted average of the three sampled watersheds. Potential carbon storage based on carbon estimated in Mature Forest. Current and potential carbon values of Coastal Plain riparian zones based on extrapolation from sampled networks. Riparian zone widths: 30-m-wide zone includes the 0-15 m bands on both sides of stream; the 60-m-wide zone includes the 0-30 m bands on both sides of stream. "Difference" represents the amount of additional carbon that could potentially be stored in Coastal Plain headwater networks. Total carbon pool would be about 10-15% more than indicated values if large roots (not sampled) were also included [23].

ISSN: 1750-0680