Salinity and inundation drivers shift microbial necromass carbon distribution patterns in estuarine mangrove wetlands

Microbial necromass carbon (MNC) plays an important role in the long-term preservation of soil organic carbon (SOC) in coastal wetlands. However, the impact of increased salinity and inundation due to sea-level rise on MNC remains unclear. Here, we established a gradient experiment with three salini...

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Main Authors: Linke Zheng, Manlin Su, Xiaoting Zhang, Lei Wang, Hualong Hong, Qian Zhang, Lijuan Zhong, Haoliang Lu
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2025-08-01
Series:Geoderma
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Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0016706125002514
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author Linke Zheng
Manlin Su
Xiaoting Zhang
Lei Wang
Hualong Hong
Qian Zhang
Lijuan Zhong
Haoliang Lu
author_facet Linke Zheng
Manlin Su
Xiaoting Zhang
Lei Wang
Hualong Hong
Qian Zhang
Lijuan Zhong
Haoliang Lu
author_sort Linke Zheng
collection DOAJ
description Microbial necromass carbon (MNC) plays an important role in the long-term preservation of soil organic carbon (SOC) in coastal wetlands. However, the impact of increased salinity and inundation due to sea-level rise on MNC remains unclear. Here, we established a gradient experiment with three salinity levels (7.4 ‰, 15.6 ‰, 21.2 ‰) and four inundation periods (5 h/d, 7 h/d, 11 h/d, 13 h/d) across six mangrove sampling sites to investigate vertical distribution patterns of MNC and the environmental factors influencing its dynamics. Depth-resolved analyses revealed distinct MNC distribution patterns, and the topsoil (0–20 cm) exhibited considerably higher MNC concentrations (4.6–8.2 mg g−1) than the subsoil (3.0–5.4 mg g−1, 40–50 cm), whereas the proportional contribution of MNC to SOC showed opposite trends (topsoil: 22.2 %–28.1 %; subsoil: 24.3 %–36.5 %). This inverse relationship suggests differential preservation mechanisms across soil depths. Different salinity and inundation periods induced pronounced responses. Under high salinity condition (21.2 ‰), MNC concentrations decreased by 30.2 % relative to those under low salinity conditions (7.4 ‰), and MNC/SOC showed a 13.6 % reduction. Prolonged inundation (13 h/d) further worsened these effects, leading to a 28.6 % decline in MNC relative to intermittent inundation (5 h/d). In addition, fungal necromass carbon (FNC) is the main component of MNC in coastal estuary mangrove wetlands. Redundancy analyses revealed that SOC, total nitrogen (TN), soil water content (SWC) and clay had a substantial impact on MNC. Elevated salinity and inundation period were identified as the main factors hindering MNC accumulation in mangrove sediments. Our research demonstrates that MNC is a crucial component of the soil carbon pool in mangroves, contributing 27.1 % of SOC. However, high salinity and prolonged inundation severely disrupt this carbon sequestration process, thereby suppressing MNC production by nearly 30 %. Additionally, sea-level rise and saltwater intrusion lead to the decomposition of recalcitrant carbon components and the loss of existing carbon pools.
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spelling doaj-art-723d33feb353478f95f9dc1748075cef2025-08-20T04:00:34ZengElsevierGeoderma1872-62592025-08-0146011741310.1016/j.geoderma.2025.117413Salinity and inundation drivers shift microbial necromass carbon distribution patterns in estuarine mangrove wetlandsLinke Zheng0Manlin Su1Xiaoting Zhang2Lei Wang3Hualong Hong4Qian Zhang5Lijuan Zhong6Haoliang Lu7Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Education for Coastal and Wetland Ecosystems, College of the Environment and Ecology, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361102 Fujian, ChinaKey Laboratory of the Ministry of Education for Coastal and Wetland Ecosystems, College of the Environment and Ecology, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361102 Fujian, ChinaKey Laboratory of the Ministry of Education for Coastal and Wetland Ecosystems, College of the Environment and Ecology, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361102 Fujian, ChinaKey Laboratory of the Ministry of Education for Coastal and Wetland Ecosystems, College of the Environment and Ecology, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361102 Fujian, ChinaKey Laboratory of the Ministry of Education for Coastal and Wetland Ecosystems, College of the Environment and Ecology, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361102 Fujian, ChinaKey Laboratory of the Ministry of Education for Coastal and Wetland Ecosystems, College of the Environment and Ecology, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361102 Fujian, ChinaDepartment of Bioengineering and Biotechnology, College of Chemical Engineering, Huaqiao University, Xiamen 361021 Fujian, China; Corresponding authors at: Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Education for Coastal and Wetland Ecosystems, College of the Environment and Ecology, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361102, Fujian, China (H. Lu); Department of Bioengineering and Biotechnology, College of Chemical Engineering, Huaqiao University, Xiamen 361021, Fujian, China (L. Zhong).Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Education for Coastal and Wetland Ecosystems, College of the Environment and Ecology, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361102 Fujian, China; Fujian Key Laboratory of Coastal Pollution Prevention and Control, College of the Environment and Ecology, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian 361102, China; Corresponding authors at: Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Education for Coastal and Wetland Ecosystems, College of the Environment and Ecology, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361102, Fujian, China (H. Lu); Department of Bioengineering and Biotechnology, College of Chemical Engineering, Huaqiao University, Xiamen 361021, Fujian, China (L. Zhong).Microbial necromass carbon (MNC) plays an important role in the long-term preservation of soil organic carbon (SOC) in coastal wetlands. However, the impact of increased salinity and inundation due to sea-level rise on MNC remains unclear. Here, we established a gradient experiment with three salinity levels (7.4 ‰, 15.6 ‰, 21.2 ‰) and four inundation periods (5 h/d, 7 h/d, 11 h/d, 13 h/d) across six mangrove sampling sites to investigate vertical distribution patterns of MNC and the environmental factors influencing its dynamics. Depth-resolved analyses revealed distinct MNC distribution patterns, and the topsoil (0–20 cm) exhibited considerably higher MNC concentrations (4.6–8.2 mg g−1) than the subsoil (3.0–5.4 mg g−1, 40–50 cm), whereas the proportional contribution of MNC to SOC showed opposite trends (topsoil: 22.2 %–28.1 %; subsoil: 24.3 %–36.5 %). This inverse relationship suggests differential preservation mechanisms across soil depths. Different salinity and inundation periods induced pronounced responses. Under high salinity condition (21.2 ‰), MNC concentrations decreased by 30.2 % relative to those under low salinity conditions (7.4 ‰), and MNC/SOC showed a 13.6 % reduction. Prolonged inundation (13 h/d) further worsened these effects, leading to a 28.6 % decline in MNC relative to intermittent inundation (5 h/d). In addition, fungal necromass carbon (FNC) is the main component of MNC in coastal estuary mangrove wetlands. Redundancy analyses revealed that SOC, total nitrogen (TN), soil water content (SWC) and clay had a substantial impact on MNC. Elevated salinity and inundation period were identified as the main factors hindering MNC accumulation in mangrove sediments. Our research demonstrates that MNC is a crucial component of the soil carbon pool in mangroves, contributing 27.1 % of SOC. However, high salinity and prolonged inundation severely disrupt this carbon sequestration process, thereby suppressing MNC production by nearly 30 %. Additionally, sea-level rise and saltwater intrusion lead to the decomposition of recalcitrant carbon components and the loss of existing carbon pools.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0016706125002514Microbial necromassAmino sugarsCarbon sequestrationMangrove wetlandsSalinityInundation period
spellingShingle Linke Zheng
Manlin Su
Xiaoting Zhang
Lei Wang
Hualong Hong
Qian Zhang
Lijuan Zhong
Haoliang Lu
Salinity and inundation drivers shift microbial necromass carbon distribution patterns in estuarine mangrove wetlands
Geoderma
Microbial necromass
Amino sugars
Carbon sequestration
Mangrove wetlands
Salinity
Inundation period
title Salinity and inundation drivers shift microbial necromass carbon distribution patterns in estuarine mangrove wetlands
title_full Salinity and inundation drivers shift microbial necromass carbon distribution patterns in estuarine mangrove wetlands
title_fullStr Salinity and inundation drivers shift microbial necromass carbon distribution patterns in estuarine mangrove wetlands
title_full_unstemmed Salinity and inundation drivers shift microbial necromass carbon distribution patterns in estuarine mangrove wetlands
title_short Salinity and inundation drivers shift microbial necromass carbon distribution patterns in estuarine mangrove wetlands
title_sort salinity and inundation drivers shift microbial necromass carbon distribution patterns in estuarine mangrove wetlands
topic Microbial necromass
Amino sugars
Carbon sequestration
Mangrove wetlands
Salinity
Inundation period
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0016706125002514
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