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Journal article
Hypersaline tidal flats as important “blue carbon” systems: a case study from three ecosystems
Biogeosciences, Vol.18(8), pp.2527-2538
01/04/2021
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Abstract
Hypersaline tidal flats (HTFs) are coastal ecosystems with freshwater deficits often occurring in arid or semi-arid regions near mangrove supratidal zones with no major fluvial contributions. Here, we estimate that organic carbon (OC), total nitrogen (TN) and total phosphorus (TP) were buried at rates averaging 21 ( ±6 ), 1.7 ( ±0.3 ) and 1.4 ( ±0.3 ) g m - 2 yr - 1 <svg:svg xmlns:svg="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="50pt" height="15pt" class="svg-formula" dspmath="mathimg" md5hash="d56bb1a870d4b5859c1aa633400a5bee"><svg:image xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" xlink:href="bg-18-2527-2021-ie00001.svg" width="50pt" height="15pt" src="bg-18-2527-2021-ie00001.png"/></svg:svg> , respectively, during the previous century in three contrasting HTF systems, one in Brazil (eutrophic) and two in Australia (oligotrophic). Although these rates are lower than those from nearby mangrove, saltmarsh and seagrass systems, the importance of HTFs as sinks for OC, TN and TP may be significant given their extensive coverage. Despite the measured short-term variability between net air–saltpan CO2 influx and emission estimates found during the dry and wet season in the Brazilian HTF, the only site with seasonal CO2 flux measurements, the OC sedimentary profiles over several decades suggest efficient OC burial at all sites. Indeed, the stable isotopes of OC and TN ( δ13C and δ15N ) along with C:N ratios show that microphytobenthos are the major source of the buried OC in these HTFs. Our findings highlight a previously unquantified carbon as well as a nutrient sink and suggest that coastal HTF ecosystems could be included in the emerging blue carbon framework.
Details
- Title
- Hypersaline tidal flats as important “blue carbon” systems: a case study from three ecosystems
- Creators
- D. R. Brown (Author) - Southern Cross UniversityH. Marotta (Author) - Universidade Federal FluminenseR. B. Peixoto (Author) - Universidade Federal FluminenseA. Enrich-Prast (Author) - Universidade Federal FluminenseG. C. Barroso (Author) - Universidade Federal FluminenseM. L. G. Soares (Author) - Universidade do Estado do Rio de JaneiroW. Machado (Author) - Universidade Federal FluminenseA. Pérez (Author) - Universidade Federal FluminenseJ. M. Smoak (Author) - University of South FloridaL. M. Sanders (Author) - Southern Cross UniversityS. Conrad (Author) - Southern Cross UniversityJ. Z. Sippo (Author) - Southern Cross UniversityI. R. Santos (Author) - Southern Cross UniversityD. T. Maher (Author) - Southern Cross UniversityC. J. Sanders (Author) - Southern Cross University
- Publication Details
- Biogeosciences, Vol.18(8), pp.2527-2538
- Publisher
- Copernicus Publications
- Identifiers
- 991012932398102368
- Copyright
- © Author(s) 2021. This work is distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
- Academic Unit
- Faculty of Science and Engineering; National Marine Science Centre; Science; National Centre for Flood Research
- Language
- English
- Resource Type
- Journal article