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Utilizing Soil Density Fractionation to Separate Distinct Soil Carbon Pools
Published on: December 16, 2022
Mangrove vegetation enhances soil carbon storage primarily through in situ inputs rather than increasing
Yanmei Xiong1, Baowen Liao1, Faming Wang2
1Research Institute of Tropical Forestry, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Guangzhou 510520, China.
Abstract:
The role of soil carbon (C) in coastal wetlands as a net sink is related to the relative abundance of autochthonous versus allochthonous C. We aimed to investigate soil C sources and the pathways by which mangrove vegetation enhances soil C accumulation. We sampled soil to 1 m depth in seven oceanic mangrove forests and an adjacent un-vegetated mudflat at Dongzhai Bay, China. Stable C isotope technique was used to separate autochthonous and allochthonous C sources. Autochthonous C accounted for 27-97% of soil C stock in the top meter. Soil C density was 1.1-3.6 times higher in mangroves than in the mudflat. Among the increased soil C in mangroves relative to mudflat, autochthonous C accounted for 65-100% of the increments. The results suggest that mangrove vegetation enhances soil C storage primarily through in situ inputs, therefore the substantial soil C stocks commonly found in mangroves play an important role in sequestering atmospheric CO2.
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