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Effects of Drying-Rewetting Frequency on Vertical and Lateral Loss of Soil Organic Carbon in a Tidal Salt Marsh

  • Wetlands and Climate Change
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Abstract

Tidal salt marshes, as “blue carbon” ecosystems, play a critical role in mitigation of global climate change since their large soil organic carbon (SOC) pool. Drying-rewetting cycles induced by periodic tides have profound influence on soil carbon cycling in tidal salt marshes. However, the magnitude and mechaanism of the effects of drying-rewetting frequency on SOC loss in tidal salt marshes is still uncertain. Here, we conducted a mesocosm experiment to identify how drying-rewetting frequency changes alter the vertical (CO2 and CH4) and lateral (dissolved organic carbon) carbon losses of soils in a tidal salt marsh in the Yellow River Delta (YRD). We found that increasing soil moisture inhibited CO2 emission but stimulated CH4 emission in a tidal salt marsh. Soil dissolved organic carbon (DOC) was produced in the drying phase and rewetting lead to the loss of DOC. Soil moisture and salinity change induced by drying-rewetting cycles were the critical factors controlling vertical organic carbon loss in a tidal salt marsh. DOC had significant effects on CO2 emissions. Changes of tidal action and drying-rewetting cycle induced by global change can affect the pathway of carbon loss in a tidal salt marsh.

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Acknowledgements

This work was founded by the National Nature Science Foundation of China (41671089), the Science and Technology Service Network Initiative (KFJ-STS-ZDTP-023), Key deployment project of Chinese Academy of Sciences (KFZD-SW-112) and Strategic Priority Research Program of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (XDA23050202). We also thank Jianyang Xia, Guangmei Wang, Mingliang Zhao, Wenjun He and two anonymous reviewers of their expert advice and fruitful comments.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. CAS Key Laboratory of Coastal Environmental Processes and Ecological Remediation, Yantai Institute of Coastal Zone Research (YIC), Shandong Key Laboratory of Coastal Environmental Processes, YICCAS, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Yantai, Shandong, 264003, People’s Republic of China

    Juanyong Li, Wendi Qu, Guangxuan Han, Weimin Song & Baohua Xie

  2. University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, People’s Republic of China

    Juanyong Li & Wendi Qu

  3. Center for Ocean Mega-Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 7 Nanhai Road, Qingdao, 266071, People’s Republic of China

    Juanyong Li, Wendi Qu, Guangxuan Han, Weimin Song & Baohua Xie

  4. Administration Committee of the Yellow River Delta National Nature Reserve, Dongying, Shandong, 257500, People’s Republic of China

    Feng Lu & Yingfeng Zhou

  5. Department of Bioscience, Aarhus University, Ole Worms Alle 1, DK-8000, Aarhus C, Denmark

    Franziska Eller

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  1. Juanyong Li
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  4. Feng Lu
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Correspondence to Guangxuan Han.

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Li, J., Qu, W., Han, G. et al. Effects of Drying-Rewetting Frequency on Vertical and Lateral Loss of Soil Organic Carbon in a Tidal Salt Marsh. Wetlands 40, 1433–1443 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13157-020-01286-5

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