Nutrient Biogeochemistry During the Early Stages of Delta Development in the Mississippi River Deltaic Plain

Henry, Kelly M.; Twilley, Robert R.

doi:10.1007/s10021-013-9727-3

Cited by 40 publications

(49 citation statements)

References 107 publications

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“…These location-dependent results provide context for both this and other related studies. While previous studies in Central Texas also found increased peat development and soil carbon storage with mangrove encroachment into salt marsh (e.g., Comeaux, Allison & Bianchi 2012;Bianchi et al 2013), prior studies in Louisiana found no below-ground differences between mangrove forests and salt marshes (e.g., Perry & Mendelssohn 2009;Henry & Twilley 2014). The below-ground effects of mangrove expansion have not previously been investigated in the North Florida location.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 85%

Salt marsh‐mangrove ecotones: using structural gradients to investigate the effects of woody plant encroachment on plant–soil interactions and ecosystem carbon pools

et al. 2016

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Summary Changing winter climate extremes are expected to result in the poleward migration of mangrove forests at the expense of salt marshes. Although mangroves and marshes are both highly valued ecosystems, the ecological implications of mangrove expansion have not been fully investigated. Here, we examined the effects of mangrove expansion on below‐ground properties related to peat development and carbon storage. We investigated plant–soil interactions in marshes and across mangrove forest structural gradients in three locations in the northern Gulf of Mexico (USA). We compared our results to those from terrestrial grasslands where the effects of woody plant encroachment are often influenced by rainfall and plant traits. Abiotic conditions at our study locations differed, particularly in terms of physicochemical properties related to precipitation. Marsh species composition, marsh above‐ground biomass, and mangrove forest structural complexity also varied across these locations. Marshes in the driest location (Central Texas) had higher salinities and were dominated by low biomass succulent plants and lower soil carbon pools. Marshes in the wetter, less saline locations (Louisiana and North Florida) contained high biomass grasses and higher soil carbon pools. At all locations, above‐ground biomass and above‐ground carbon pools were higher in mangroves than marshes; however, below‐ground soil carbon pools were only higher in mangroves than marshes in the driest location. In the wetter locations, the linkages between mangrove forest structure and soil properties were minimal or not significant. However, in the driest location, there was a significant increase in soil properties related to peat development and carbon storage with increased mangrove forest structural development. Synthesis: Our results indicate that the ecological implications of woody plant encroachment in tidal saline wetlands are dependent upon precipitation controls of plant–soil interactions. Although the above‐ground effects of mangrove expansion are consistently large, below‐ground influences of mangrove expansion appear to be greatest along low‐rainfall coasts where salinities are high and marshes being replaced are carbon poor and dominated by succulent plants. Collectively, these findings complement those from terrestrial ecosystems and reinforce the importance of considering rainfall and plant–soil interactions within predictions of the ecological effects of woody plant encroachment.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 85%

Salt marsh‐mangrove ecotones: using structural gradients to investigate the effects of woody plant encroachment on plant–soil interactions and ecosystem carbon pools

et al. 2016

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“…However, recent results suggest that iron monosulfides can bias the ratio toward lower values due to the oxidation of FeS to FeOOH (or Fe(OH 3 ) upon freeze drying (Y. G. Yves Gélinas, personal communication, 2015). Pore water measurements of salinity and hydrogen sulfide (H 2 S) concentrations at the current sampling locations in 2010/2011 indicated low salinity (0.2 to 1.2 ‰) and H 2 S concentrations (overall mean: 0.01 mM) [ Henry and Twilley , ]. Therefore, we believe that a FeS bias was not important in affecting our data.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Enhanced terrestrial carbon preservation promoted by reactive iron in deltaic sediments

Shields

Bianchi

Gélinas

et al. 2016

Geophysical Research Letters

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106

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We examined the role of reactive iron (FeR) in preserving organic carbon (OC) across a subaerial chronosequence of the Wax Lake Delta, a prograding delta within the Mississippi River Delta complex. We found that ~15.0% of the OC was bound to FeR, and the dominant binding mechanisms varied from adsorption in the youngest subaerial region to coprecipitation at the older, vegetated sites. The δ13C of the iron‐associated OC was more negative than the total OC (mean = −2.6‰), indicating greater preference for terrestrial material and/or compounds with more negative δ13C values. However, only the adsorbed OC displayed preferential binding of lignin phenols. We estimate that ~8% of the OC initially deposited in deltaic systems is bound to FeR (equivalent to 6 × 1012 gC yr−1), and this percentage increases postdepositionally, as coprecipitation of FeR and OC allows for an even greater amount of OC to be bound to FeR.

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“…In addition to the implications for carbon stocks and coastal wetland stability, what are the implications of macroclimate‐induced coastal wetland regime shifts for coastal food webs, biotic interactions (Guo et al ., ), fish and wildlife habitat (Chavez‐Ramirez & Wehtje, ; Riley et al ., ), nutrient cycling (Henry, ; Lewis et al ., ), recreation, maintenance of coastal fisheries (Caudill, ), and resilience to disturbances and extreme events? For some coastal communities, the implications of the resultant trade‐offs in ecosystem services may be small.…”

Section: The Effects Of Changing Macroclimatic Conditions Upon Ecosysmentioning

confidence: 99%

Beyond just sea‐level rise: considering macroclimatic drivers within coastal wetland vulnerability assessments to climate change

Osland

Enwright

Day

et al. 2015

Global Change Biology

234

160

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Due to their position at the land-sea interface, coastal wetlands are vulnerable to many aspects of climate change. However, climate change vulnerability assessments for coastal wetlands generally focus solely on sea-level rise without considering the effects of other facets of climate change. Across the globe and in all ecosystems, macroclimatic drivers (e.g., temperature and rainfall regimes) greatly influence ecosystem structure and function. Macroclimatic drivers have been the focus of climate change-related threat evaluations for terrestrial ecosystems, but largely ignored for coastal wetlands. In some coastal wetlands, changing macroclimatic conditions are expected to result in foundation plant species replacement, which would affect the supply of certain ecosystem goods and services and could affect ecosystem resilience. As examples, we highlight several ecological transition zones where small changes in macroclimatic conditions would result in comparatively large changes in coastal wetland ecosystem structure and function. Our intent in this communication is not to minimize the importance of sea-level rise. Rather, our overarching aim is to illustrate the need to also consider macroclimatic drivers within vulnerability assessments for coastal wetlands.

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Nutrient Biogeochemistry During the Early Stages of Delta Development in the Mississippi River Deltaic Plain

Cited by 40 publications

References 107 publications

Salt marsh‐mangrove ecotones: using structural gradients to investigate the effects of woody plant encroachment on plant–soil interactions and ecosystem carbon pools

Salt marsh‐mangrove ecotones: using structural gradients to investigate the effects of woody plant encroachment on plant–soil interactions and ecosystem carbon pools

Enhanced terrestrial carbon preservation promoted by reactive iron in deltaic sediments

Beyond just sea‐level rise: considering macroclimatic drivers within coastal wetland vulnerability assessments to climate change

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