Ecosystem Functions of Tidal Marsh Soils of the Elbe Estuary
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Ecosystem functions of tidal marsh soils of the Elbe estuary Dissertation zur Erlangung des Doktorgrades der Naturwissenschaften an der Fakultät für Mathematik, Informatik und Naturwissenschaften Fachbereich Geowissenschaften der Universität Hamburg vorgelegt von Kerstin Hansen aus Hamburg Hamburg, 2015 Tag der Disputation: 10.07.2015 Folgende Gutachter empfehlen die Annahme der Dissertation: Prof. Dr. Eva-Maria Pfeiffer Prof. Dr. Annette Eschenbach Contents Summary ................................................................................................................................................ VII Zusammenfassung ................................................................................................................................... XI List of Figures ........................................................................................................................................ XV List of Tables ......................................................................................................................................... XVI List of Abbreviations & Symbols .......................................................................................................... XVII List of Definitions ................................................................................................................................. XIX 1 Introduction & Objectives ................................................................................................................ 1 2 Background ...................................................................................................................................... 5 2.1 Ecosystem functions of tidal marsh soils .................................................................................. 5 2.2 Marsh soils as part of the regional carbon cycle ........................................................................ 5 2.2.1 Organic carbon sources and pools ........................................................................................ 5 2.2.2 Organic carbon turnover ...................................................................................................... 8 2.3 Marsh soils as sinks for trace metals ........................................................................................ 10 2.3.1 Factors influencing trace metal retention and mobilization ................................................. 10 2.3.2 Contamination of the river Elbe, its sediments, and soils .................................................... 12 3 Study area ....................................................................................................................................... 15 3.1 The Elbe estuary ..................................................................................................................... 15 3.2 Landscape formation .............................................................................................................. 15 3.3 Anthropogenic changes .......................................................................................................... 17 3.3.1 Coastal protection ............................................................................................................... 17 3.3.2 River-engineering measures ................................................................................................ 18 3.3.3 Climate change ................................................................................................................... 19 3.4 Study sites ............................................................................................................................... 20 3.4.1 Site description ................................................................................................................... 20 3.4.2 Soils of the study sites ......................................................................................................... 24 4 Material & Methods ........................................................................................................................ 31 4.1 Field methods and sample preparation .................................................................................... 31 4.2 Soil analysis ............................................................................................................................ 32 4.2.1 Bulk density ........................................................................................................................ 32 4.2.2 Grain size distribution ........................................................................................................ 33 4.2.3 pH ...................................................................................................................................... 33 4.2.4 Carbon ............................................................................................................................... 33 4.2.5 13C/12C isotope ratios ......................................................................................................... 34 III 4.2.6 Aqua regia extraction .......................................................................................................... 34 4.2.7 Element analysis ................................................................................................................. 35 4.3 Incubation experiment on carbon turnover ............................................................................. 35 4.3.1 Soil sampling and sample preparation ................................................................................. 35 4.3.2 Gas measurements .............................................................................................................. 36 4.4 External data .......................................................................................................................... 37 4.5 Data analysis and calculations ................................................................................................. 37 4.5.1 Calculation of SOC and trace metal pools ........................................................................... 37 4.5.2 Differentiation of autochthonous and allochthonous SOC ................................................. 38 4.5.3 Calculation of CO2 and CH4 production and estimation of potential carbon turnover ........ 40 4.5.4 Classification of contamination levels ................................................................................. 42 4.5.5 Age determination of soil horizons ..................................................................................... 43 4.5.6 Up-scaling .......................................................................................................................... 43 4.5.7 Statistics .............................................................................................................................. 44 5 Results ............................................................................................................................................ 47 5.1 Soil characteristics and properties ........................................................................................... 47 5.1.1 Bulk density, texture, and pH .............................................................................................. 47 5.1.2 TOC and TIC concentrations ............................................................................................. 48 5.1.3 TN concentrations and C/N ratios ..................................................................................... 49 5.1.4 Trace metal concentrations ................................................................................................. 50 5.2 Above-ground biomass ........................................................................................................... 53 5.3 Organic carbon ....................................................................................................................... 54 5.3.1 Differentiation of SOC pools .............................................................................................. 54 5.3.2 Vertical TOC distribution in soils and their allochthonous proportion ................................ 55 5.3.3 Comparison between initial and recent OC pools ............................................................... 58 5.3.4 Carbon isotope ratios of soils, sediment, and biomass ......................................................... 58 5.3.5 Spatial distribution of SOC stocks ...................................................................................... 59 5.4 Aerobic and anaerobic carbon turnover .................................................................................. 60 5.4.1 Soil characteristics of incubated samples ............................................................................. 60 5.4.2 Cumulative gas production ................................................................................................. 61 5.4.3 Carbon mineralization rates ................................................................................................ 64 5.4.3.1 Maximum mineralization rates ........................................................................................ 64 5.4.3.2 Comparison of initial and final rates................................................................................ 65 5.4.4 Total carbon turnover ......................................................................................................... 66 5.5 Trace metals ..........................................................................................................................