Citation:

Watson, E., F. Rahman, A. Woolfolk, R. Meyer, N. Maher, C. Wigand, AND A. Gray. High nutrient loads amplify carbon cycling across California and New York coastal wetlands but with ambiguous effects on marsh integrity and sustainability. PLOS ONE . Public Library of Science, San Francisco, CA, 17(9):e0273260, (2022). https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0273260

Impact/Purpose:

Watershed inputs of wastewater associated with human activities have caused many estuaries on the east and west coast of the USA to become over-enriched with nitrogen. In this study coastal salt marshes in NY and CA estuaries which received varying loads of nitrogen were evaluated. The aboveground plant composition and biomass, belowground production of roots, and soil carbon storage were measured at eight marshes, four in NY and four in CA. The higher nutrient load marshes were characterized by higher belowground production, but greater carbon dioxide losses. These patterns were robust across marshes of the Atlantic and Pacific coasts that varied in plant species composition and soil characteristics. Although impacts of high nutrient loads to marsh carbon cycling appeared clear, it was not clear whether high nutrient loads are causing negative effects on long-term marsh sustainability. While rates of carbon dioxide losses were higher, these same soils had increased belowground production, which might lead to greater marsh sustainability. Further study is needed to clarify the opposing responses of increased carbon losses with increased production of roots and rhizomes at the highly nitrogen enriched marshes.  

Description:

Eutrophic conditions in estuaries are a globally important stressor to coastal ecosystems and have been suggested as a driver of coastal salt marsh loss. Potential mechanisms in marshes include disturbance caused by macroalgae accumulations, enhanced soil sulfide levels linked to high labile carbon inputs, accelerated decomposition, and declines in belowground biomass that contribute to edge instability, erosion, and slumping. However, results of fertilization studies have been mixed, and it is unclear the extent to which local environmental conditions, such as soil composition and nutrient profiles, help shape the response of salt marshes to nutrient exposure. In this study, we characterized belowground productivity and decomposition, organic matter mineralization rates, soil respiration, microbial biomass, soil humification, carbon and nitrogen inventories, nitrogen isotope ratios, and porewater profiles at high and low marsh elevations across eight marshes in four estuaries in California and New York that have strong contrasts in nutrient inputs. The higher nutrient load marshes were characterized by faster carbon turnover, with higher belowground production and decomposition and greater carbon dioxide efflux than lower nutrient load marshes. These patterns were robust across marshes of the Atlantic and Pacific coasts that varied in plant species composition, soil flooding patterns, and soil texture. Although impacts of eutrophic conditions on carbon cycling appeared clear, it was ambiguous whether high nutrient loads are causing negative effects on long-term marsh sustainability in terms of studied metrics. While high nutrient exposure marshes had high rates of decomposition and soil respiration rates, high nutrient exposure was also associated with increased belowground production, and reduced levels of sulfides, which should lead to greater marsh sustainability. While this study does not resolve the extent to which nutrient loads are negatively affecting these salt marshes, we do highlight functional differences between Atlantic and Pacific wetlands which may be useful for understanding coastal marsh health and integrity.

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