Evaluation of factors affecting soil carbon sequestration services of stormwater wet retention ponds in varying climate zones

•Carbon sequestration is becoming a valuable ecosystem service.•Stormwater ponds: intersection of biosphere, lithosphere, and hydrosphere.•Soil C accumulation in 4 climates: U.S., North Sweden, South Sweden, and Singapore.•Increased rainfall and growing season length outweighed decomposition rates.•Establishment of vegetation in retention ponds is vital to carbon sequestration.

The carbon sequestration services of stormwater wet retention ponds were investigated in four different climates: U.S., Northern Sweden, Southern Sweden, and Singapore, representing a range of annual mean temperatures, growing season lengths and rainfall depths: geographic factors that were not statistically compared, but have great effect on carbon (C) accumulation. A chronosequence was used to estimate C accumulations rates; C accumulation and decomposition rates were not directly measured. C accumulated significantly over time in vegetated shallow water areas (0-30 cm) in the USA (78.4 g C m− 2 yr− 1), in vegetated temporary inundation zones in Sweden (75.8 g C m− 2 yr− 1), and in all ponds in Singapore (135 g C m− 2 yr− 1). Vegetative production appeared to exert a stronger influence on relative C accumulation rates than decomposition. Comparing among the four climatic zones, the effects of increasing rainfall and growing season lengths (vegetative production) outweighed the effects of higher temperature on decomposition rates. Littoral vegetation was a significant source to the soil C pool relative to C sources draining from watersheds. Establishment of vegetation in the shallow water zones of retention ponds is vital to providing a C source to the soil. Thus, the width of littoral shelves containing this vegetation along the perimeter may be increased if C sequestration is a design goal. This assessment establishes that stormwater wet retention ponds can sequester C across different climate zones with generally annual rainfall and lengths of growing season being important general factors for C accumulation.

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