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Carbon tracking tower put on Scotland's largest saltmarsh

UKCEH A carbon tracking tower - a yellow framed tower - sitting on saltmarsh in the south of ScotlandUKCEH
The carbon tracking tower will give valuable data on how much carbon the saltmarsh is taking out of the atmosphere

New technology has been installed to track how much carbon is being taken out of the atmosphere by Scotland's largest saltmarsh.

The flux tower has been put in place at Caerlaverock on the Solway Firth.

About 85% of UK saltmarshes have been lost since the mid-19th Century as land has been reclaimed from the sea for agriculture, development or coastal flood defences, degraded through pollution or eroded by rising sea levels.

Corallie Hunt, coastal habitats adviser for NatureScot, said the installation of the first saltmarsh flux tower in Scotland marked an "important milestone".

Joseph Gray/WWF-UK A view of a saltmarsh in the south Scotland with long grasses and waterJoseph Gray/WWF-UK
The study will help improve understanding of the importance of saltmarshes

The project is a partnership between UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology (UKCEH), the Scottish government, NatureScot, and WWF-UK.

"By measuring carbon exchange in real time, it will strengthen our understanding of the carbon storage potential of saltmarshes and the value of protecting and restoring these habitats," said Hunt.

UKCEH wetland scientist Annette Burden said the Solway flux tower was the most northerly addition to a network around the UK coast.

"The data collected will aid in understanding the role saltmarsh plays in climate mitigation, provide evidence for saltmarsh inclusion in the UK Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Inventory, which in turn will strengthen calls to safeguard and restore this valuable habitat," she said.

In addition to supporting biodiversity and providing natural flood protection, the plants covering the marshes draw down carbon dioxide through photosynthesis and can also trap carbon-rich sediments in their roots and stems on the incoming tide.

Tom Brook, ocean conservation specialist at WWF said: "The Solway is an extraordinary place for nature.

"From thousands of migratory birds that depend on these wetlands to the rare natterjack toad, the saltmarsh supports an incredible variety of wildlife.

"It's also working hard for people too – helping to absorb wave energy and reduce the impacts of flooding and storm surges.

"The data gathered by the tower will help us better understand and champion the value of these remarkable coastal habitats."