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Sediment accretion and accumulation of P, N and organic C in depressional wetlands of three ecoregions of the United States
Citation:
Lane, C. AND Brad Autrey. Sediment accretion and accumulation of P, N and organic C in depressional wetlands of three ecoregions of the United States. Marine & Freshwater Research. CSIRO Publishing, Collingwood Victoria, Australia, 68(12):2253-2265, (2017). https://doi.org/10.1071/MF16372
Impact/Purpose:
Analyzed sediment accretion and N, P accumulation rates in depressional wetlands of three ecoregions using 137-cesium marker.
Description:
Wetland depressions without surface channel connections to aquatic systems are substantial sinks for nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and organic carbon (org. C). We assessed accretion, N, P, and org. C accumulation rates in 43 depressional wetlands across three ecoregions of the U.S. (Erie Drift Plain [EDP], Middle Atlantic Coastal Plain [MACP], Southern Coastal Plain [SCP]) using cesium-137 (137Cs). The mean sediment accretion rate in minimally impacted (reference) sites was 0.6 ± 0.4 mm yr-1 and did not differ between ecoregions. Accumulation rates for N and organic C averaged 3.1 ± 3.1 g N m-2 yr-1 and 43.4 ± 39.0 g organic C m-2 yr-1, respectively, and did not differ across minimally impacted sites. P accumulation rates were significantly greater in EDP (0.10 ± 0.10 g P m-2 yr-1) than MACP (0.01 ± 0.01 g P m-2 yr-1) or SCP sites (0.04 ± 0.04 g P m-2 yr-1). Land use modality and wetland type effects were analyzed in SCP with few differences found. Depressional wetlands sequester substantive amounts of nutrients and carbon; their cumulative contributions may significantly affect landscape nutrient and carbon dynamics due to the abundance of wetland depressions on the landscape, warranting further investigation and potential watershed-scale conservation approaches.
URLs/Downloads:
DOI: Sediment accretion and accumulation of P, N and organic C in depressional wetlands of three ecoregions of the United States
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