Growing evidence shows that carbon sequestration in world’s natural ecosystems is necessary to address the associated impacts of global climate change on earth. This project studies urban wetlands and their ability to store atmospheric carbon for long durations of time. Wetlands regulate biogeochemical cycles with their complex ecosystem structure and are closely connected to climate change, as they are carbon sinks as well as sources of methane. Long-term carbon storage occurs in their ecosystems due to unique reduced conditions and high plant-productivity. However, the role of wetland-carbon fluxes in global carbon cycle is poorly estimated and understood since there is a need of more information from different wetland types belonging to different regions. This research studies the relation between plant-diversity and carbon sequestration in wetland ecosystems of Christchurch, to establish the dynamics that causes spatial design of plant communities to optimise carbon storage capacity of these ecosystems. Research implications will be applicable across created and restored wetlands in Christchurch, that would minimize methane fluxes and simultaneously improve carbon-stock within its ecosystem, along with providing habitats for avian species in their vegetation structure.
