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An in Situ Study of Seasonal Dissolved Organic Carbon and Nutrient Fluxes from a Spartina Alternifora Salt Marsh in North Carolina, USA

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An in Situ Study of Seasonal Dissolved Organic Carbon and Nutrient Fluxes from a Spartina Alternifora Salt Marsh in North Carolina, USA Derek Detweiler An in situ study of seasonal dissolved organic carbon and nutrient fluxes from a Spartina alternifora salt marsh in North Carolina, USA Derek Detweiler University of North Carolina Wilmington Faculty Mentor: Ai Ning Loh University of North Carolina Wilmington ABSTRACT Salt marshes are among the most productive and biogeochemically active ecosystems on Earth. While they are known sources of dissolved organic carbon (DOC), and organic and inorganic nutrients (including nitrogen, N, and phosphorus, P) to the coastal ocean, it has not been well quantifed experimentally. The purpose of this study was to quantify seasonal DOC and organic and inorganic N and P fuxes from a fringing temperate salt marsh in North Carolina, USA. This experiment was conducted using in situ benthic microcosm chambers in which seawater samples were collected during ebbing tides over 4.5 hours. Water samples were analyzed for DOC and organic and inorganic nutrient concentrations over time, and fuxes from vegetated and non-vegetated marsh sediments were calculated. Results showed that there were no sig- nifcant differences in fuxes between vegetated and non-vegetated sediments within the same season. However, sediments were a minor source of DOC, N, and P in July compared to a signifcant sink in December. These data suggest that the remineralization of organic matter oc- curs more strongly in the winter with a more active microbial loop. Results also provide insight as to how environmental variability may affect coastal biogeochemical cycles. alt marshes are an essential transition is of major focus in current climate change Sfrom the terrestrial environment to the research (Osburn et al., 2015). coastal ocean (Bianchi, 2007). Not only do Carbon can be present in the environment they provide a plethora of ecosystem services as dissolved organic carbon (DOC) which, in for humans and wetland organisms, but they addition to organic forms of nutrients such as are an important part of the global carbon dissolved organic nitrogen (DON) and phos- cycle that affects both terrestrial and aquatic phorus (DOP), can be formed by salt marsh environments. Though not fully understood, plants and associated organisms via primary it is believed that wetland ecosystems such as production and respiration. These dissolved salt marshes contribute to the fate and stor- compounds can then be released into the age of terrestrial and atmospheric carbon in coastal ocean with daily changes in tide (Cai the environment (Bauer et al., 2013). The et al., 2000; Hedges, 1992; Winter et al., ability of salt marshes and other shallow, 1996). The dominant plant in North Carolina coastal, vegetated ecosystems such as man- salt marshes is the smooth cordgrass Spartina groves and seagrass beds to sequester carbon alternifora which has the ability to store and has been termed “blue carbon storage” and release large amounts of DOC, DON, and 93 Explorations |Natural Sciences and Engineering DOP (collectively referred to as dissolved or- half of all carbon burial occurs in shal- ganic matter, DOM), and inorganic nutrients low water ecosystems such as salt marshes. - - (as nitrate, NO3 , nitrite, NO2 , ammonium, While increasing atmospheric CO2 levels + 3- NH4 , and orthophosphate, PO4 ). This stor- are expected to increase rates of salt marsh age and release occurs in vegetative aboveg- carbon sequestration and assimilation, rapid round shoots as well as in surrounding sedi- environmental changes due to climate change ments (Turner, 1993; Bianchi, 2007). may lessen the effectiveness of these pro- The release of DOC, N, and P from plants cesses. Under normal rates of relative sea such as S. alternifora and surrounding sedi- level rise (RSLR) and CO2 abundance, salt ments is thought to be an important compo- marshes can respond by accreting more sedi- nent of carbon and nutrient sources to the ment and storing higher concentrations of or- coastal ocean. This DOM can fuel secondary ganic matter within the sediment (Kathilankal production, but there are complex processes et al., 2008). However, at current RSLR that create uncertainty in how this can be ex- rates, marsh accretion cannot occur quickly perimentally quantifed (Bauer et al., 2013; enough, resulting in a fooded marsh with Childerset al., 1993; Dame et al., 1986). A low sequestration capabilities (Kathilankal theoretical exchange diagram is represented et al., 2008; Osburn et al., 2015). Thus, as in Figure 1 which shows this complexity. shown in Kirwan and Mudd’s (2012) climate Aside from biological or physical processes model, the positive feedback that is associ- (e.g. tidal currents and waves) which may ated with CO2 assimilation in salt marshes alter the composition of DOM in the envi- will eventually diminish. Furthermore, ways ronment, anthropogenic infuences such as to accurately quantify carbon and nutrient wetland destruction, wetland modifcation, dynamics are being researched to enhance nutrient inputs, and climate change are con- the understanding of the capacity at which stantly altering the dynamics of the coastal salt marshes infuence DOM cycling. carbon and nutrient cycles (Childers and Day, One of the most well-known ideas regard- 1990; Koch and Gobler, 2009; Loomis and ing carbon and nutrient export in estuarine Craft, 2010). For instance, Koch and Gobler systems is the outwelling hypothesis. The (2009) showed that in salt marshes that have hypothesis states that estuarine systems and - been ditched for drainage purposes, NO3 associated aquatic infuences such as river- export was greater than that of intact salt ine and tidal exchanges occur too quickly for - marshes which were a sink for NO3 and other signifcant utilization of organic matter by or- nutrients. ganisms to occur. Thus, estuaries simply act It has also been shown that increased as exporters of these compounds, and there is levels of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmo- virtually no biogeochemical activity (Odum, sphere, in addition to enhanced nutrient load- 1980 as cited in Hazeldon and Boorman, ing of coastal waters, may ultimately result 1999). This has, however, been supported as in the production of more DOC by salt marsh well as challenged many times since its in- organisms (Bauer et al., 2013; Marsh et al., ception as technological advances and new 2005; Osburn et al., 2015). This refects the techniques have given rise to a more accurate importance of DOC and nutrient fuxes from characterization of salt marsh DOC and nu- wetlands like the S. alternifora salt marshes trient fuxes. found so ubiquitously along the eastern coast For instance, Taylor and Allanson (1995) of the United States. The latest report by the stated that the outwelling hypothesis is Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change not universal and the heterogeneity of salt (IPCC) also supports the role of wetlands as marshes is so extreme that areas such as a crucial reservoir for CO2 and as a possible high marsh habitats are not accurately con- source or sink for DOC (Ciais et al., 2013). sidered. Different conclusions have also in- According to Kirwan and Mudd (2012), volved study sites that vary geologically, 94 Derek Detweiler Figure 1: Diagram showing the fate of DOM in estuarine environments and the relationship between sediments, the water column, and associated organisms (Adapted from Hansell and Carlson, 2002 as cited in Bianchi, 2007). 95 Explorations |Natural Sciences and Engineering geographically, biologically, chemically, supporting the transfer of DOM from sedi- and physically. Murray and Spencer (1997) ments to the above water column (Burdige, identifed the need to incorporate tidal pro- 2002; Childers and Day, 1990; Tyler et al., cesses into fux calculations and overall 2003). Some have suggested that abundant budgets for tidal wetlands, further under- inorganic nitrogen imported to estuaries is scoring the complexity of quantifying and quickly removed via denitrifcation processes characterizing fuxes of compounds in salt before ebbing tides are able to carry it back marshes. Furthermore, it has been found that to the coastal ocean, and that sedimentary the source-sink dynamics of salt marshes de- processes cause salt marshes to be a sink for pend on a variety of factors including marsh nitrogen (Cai et al., 2000; Dame et al., 1986; maturity, available tide energy, salinity, and Osburn et al., 2015). balance between microbial loop processes Maher and Eyre (2010) provide further (Figure 2; Childers et al., 1993; Dame et al., evidence of sedimentary microbial remin- 1986; Hopkinson et al., 1999; Negrin et al., eralization and have suggested that DOC 2011; Tyler et al., 2003). production is directly correlated with meta- It has been suggested that sediments may bolic bacterial production, while others have be the primary source of DOM (as carbon cited remineralization processes as a driver and nitrogen) where microbial remineral- of fxed nitrogen export (Anderson et al., ization of highly refractory organic matter 1997; Caffrey et al., 2007). The exact mecha- occurs (Burdige, 2002; Koch and Gobler, nism remains unknown, however, as there 2009). Observations have shown that DOM are seasonal variations and uncertainty as in pore waters is more highly concentrated to how microbial communities are affected than water column concentrations, further by the aforementioned complexities of salt Figure 2: Simple schematic of the microbial loop and associated microorganisms responsible for remineralization of DOM (Adapted from Foreman and Covert, 2003 as cited in Bianchi, 2007). 96 Derek Detweiler marsh heterogeneity and associated physical, dissolved inorganic carbon fux in salt chemical, and geological effects. Seasonal marshes, the use of chamber microcosms fo- comparative studies have shown that salt cusing directly on the in situ release of DOM marshes uptake DOM in the winter while it and nutrient fuxes from S. alternifora salt is exported in the highest concentrations in marshes has not been attempted. the summer (Bouchard, 2007; Hopkinson et In order to constrain the current coastal al., 1999; Osburn et al,. 2015; Yelverton and carbon budget, it is important to quantify the Hackney, 1986).
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