1 Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes. CSKT Wetlands conservation program. Wetlands Conservation Program. [accessed 2022 Jul 21 ]. https://csktnrd.org/ep/wetlands - conservation - program 2 Pierre, T., & Thompson, B. S. ( 2020 , August 14 ). Climate change mitigation potential of wetlands and the cost - effectiveness of their restoration . Interface Focus. Retrieved July 24 , 2022 , from https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/full/ 10.1098 /rsfs. 2019.0129 3 Nahlik , A., and M.S. Fennessy . ( 2016 ). National Wetlands Conditions Assessment (NWCA) 2011 Soil Chemistry Data . This dataset is associated with the following publication: Carbon storage in US wetlands. Nature Communications. Nature Publishing Group, London, UK, 7 : 1 - 9 [accessed 2022 Jul 21 ]. https://www.epa.gov/national - aquatic - resource - surveys/nwca 4 Nahlik AM, Fennessy MS. Carbon storage in US wetlands. Nature News. 2016 Dec 13 [accessed 2022 Jul 21 ]. https://www.nature.com/articles/ncomms 13835 5 . Rolando J. Organic carbon is mostly stored in deep soil and only affected byland use in its superficial layers: A case study. [accessed 2022 Jul 21 ]. https://acsess.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/ 10.1002 /agg 2.20135 6 Kolka R, Trettin C. Second State of the Carbon Cycle Report: Chapter 13 : Current understanding of wetland stocks and fluxes. NCA 4 1970 Jan 1 [accessed 2022 Jul 21 ]. https://carbon 2018 .globalchange.gov/report_section/ 13 / 13 _ 3 / Further What % of sand + pH levels correlate with wetlands that hold more CS? Are there any significant relationships between watershed quality and wetland CS? Or, between CS and abundance of integral species such as beavers? Many questions remain. CS is just one aspect of GHG concerns. T o facilitate decisions, such as determining appropriate mitigation ratios that include GHG, understanding C and other GHG emissions will also be necessary. The CSKT Wetland Department is currently considering what, next, research question is most appropriate. Together, we aim to conduct field studies Aug – Oct, 2022 We hope our research contributes in protecting culturally important areas, and adds care to the wetlands themselves. erin bell, Salish Kootenai College Rebekah Brassfield , University of Montana Lemlmt š , Hu suki ⱡ q̓ ukni to the Confederated Salish + Kootenai Tribes (CSKT) for including me at Salish Kootenai College (SKC), and for allowing me, a euro - settler, research access and guidance for this project. T hank you to my SPAW colleagues Logan Williams, Phil Rodgers, Noah José V argas, and mentor Rebekah Brassfield . Thank you to the Flathead Lake Bio Station, to SKC wetland researchers Mariah Durglo and Victoria White, and to professors Chris Frissell and Georgia Smies . I am grateful to the National Science Foundation for funding this learning experience. R E U S I T E O N S U S T A I N A B L E L A N D A N D W A T E R R E S O U R C E S Special thanks to the National Science Foundation for supporting summer research experiences for undergraduates! NSF# 2054175 Carbon Stock Exploring Wetland Generalized Additive Model (GAM) • Our fit GAM found depth , sand , and pH to be statistically significant predictors of carbon stock (CS) density • GAM predicts with increased soil depth, CS density decreases • GAM matches depth - stock analysis Soil Depth + Carbon Stock in EPA ’ s NWCA, Wetland Soil - Chemisty Data 3 Soil depth and age are known to have strong correlation. Carbon spikes are seen at specific depth - age points. Extreme spikes may relate with default - depth in recording methods. Smaller spikes may reflect past environmental events, such as fire, resulting in boons of C input. Further analysis needed. Why this Research? • “ We must do all that we can to protect wetlands, and ... to restore those that have been damaged. ” 1 – CSKT elders • Wetlands act as watershed kidneys, keeping water clean, they provide countless organisms essential habitat, they are integral with Séliš , QÍispé and Ksanka cultural - spiritual ways. • Mature wetlands typically store carbon (C) in a manner that helps reduce Green House Gas (GHG). 2 • Few US wetland mitigation policies include C or other GHG in their definition of functional wetlands . This research is a small step towards understanding appropriate GHG - inclusive policy, in CKST wetlands and beyond. CSKT Reservation aerobic anaerobic Prolonged H 2 O saturation anearobic soil slower decomposition of plants increased C available for flux and longer - term storage. 5 GHG fluctuation C to storage C to flux cycle What Does This Mean? Seeing higher C density in shallower soil can be misleading, for l iterature indicates that 65 % or more of wetland C is found in deeper soil. 3 , 4 This means we must continue to protect mature wetlands. Learning more about s ignificant C density predictors, and continuing to understand C spiking along depth, may help restored and created wetlands to become GHG net - negative, more quickly. By considering aspects of wetland carbon cycles that are well understood, we can guess that higher C density in shallower soil is a part of expected flux.