Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 14 Page 15 Page 16 Page 17 Page 18 Page 19 Page 20Natural landscapes store carbon and resist erosion Scientists agree that our climate is changing and that these changes are caused by human activities, particularly the increase in greenhouse gas emissions from burning fossil fuels. Nearshore habitats and ecosystems can help with flood storage, erosion control, water filtration and carbon sequestration. Vegetation naturally captures carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, which is then stored as carbon in live plants and trees, downed woody debris, and soil. This carbon can be stored for decades and centuries in living trees or in durable wood products like furniture or building frames until it is released when vegetation either decays or is burned. Maintaining or increasing the amount of carbon that can be stored within your property is crucial to help reduce atmospheric carbon dioxide emissions and the effects of climate change in the future. If natural shorelines are converted to hardened or manicured shorelines it decreases resiliency to climate change. Natural shorelines also provide other benefits such as producing clean air and filtering water, creating wildlife habitat, and other aesthetic values. With increased temperatures and drought, plants and trees along shorelines may be stressed and less successful at reproduction and seedling survival may decline, which makes maintaining healthy ecosystems so important. Healthy shorelines and climate change 05 Tracy Logan