Contributions of degrading Spartina alterniflora lignocellulose to the dissolved organic carbon pool of a salt marsh

Ma, Mingzhu; Hodson, RE

doi:10.3354/meps062161

Cited by 46 publications

(36 citation statements)

References 9 publications

(10 reference statements)

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“…Valiela et al (1984) observed that weight losses from Spartina during the initial stages of decomposition -were similar under both aerobic and anaerobic decomposition. It appears that all of the major components of Spartina, including polysaccharides and lignin, are susceptible to leaching during the first month of decomposition (Benner et al 19863;Moran and Hodson 1990). A portion of these relatively insoluble polymers is also readily leached from various other vascular plant tissues (Benner et al 19863, 1990b).…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Diagenesis of belowground biomass of Spartina alterniflora in salt‐marsh sediments

Benner¹,

Fogel

Sprague

1991

Limnology & Oceanography

218

103

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Belowground biomass of Spartina alterniflora lost 55% of its organic matter during 18 months of decomposition in salt-marsh sediments. Significant losses of lignin were observed under highly reducing conditions confirming previous reports of lignin degradation in the absence of molecular oxygen. The submolecular components of lignin varied in susceptibility to degradation and were ranked in the following descending order of resistance to decomposition: V-P> S-C. The preferential degradation of 1 he cinnamyl and syringyl components constrains the quantitative usefulness of these compounds for estimating the contributions ofherbaceous and angiosperm tissues to pools of dissolved and particulate organic matter. The relative concentration of lignin increased about 1.6-fold during decomposition owing to the more rapid loss of polysaccharides.Two phases in nitrogen dynamics were evident during the decomposition study. During the first 4 months of decomposition there was a net loss of N from Spartina tissues at a rate of about 10 gg N g-l tissue d-I. After this initial phase of net N loss, a phase of N immobilization was evident and was tightly coupled with rates of microbial degradation of the tissues. Net rates of N immobilization were -19 pg N g-' tissue d -I; by the end of the 18-month study more N had accumulated in the tissues than was initially present. Stable N isotope composilions of decaying Spartina were also very dynamic and reflected the sources of N that were immobilized during decomposition and the N transformations that occurred on the detrital particles.The stable C isotope composition of the polysaccharide components of Spartina was -6%~ heavier than that of the lignin component. The isotopic compositions of these components retained the 6o/oo difference throughout the 18-month study. The stable C isotope composition of the bulk tissues, however, decreased gradually during decomposition as the isotopically heavier polysaccharides were preferentially lost. Residual material was relatively enriched in the isotopically lighter, lignin-deriveci C.'

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Diagenesis of belowground biomass of Spartina alterniflora in salt‐marsh sediments

Benner¹,

Fogel

Sprague

1991

Limnology & Oceanography

218

103

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“…depositional environments (Gardner & Menzel 1974, Hedges & Parker 1976, Wilson et al 1985, Requejo et al 1986, Haddad & Martens 1987, Hamilton & Hedges 1988 and to pools of dissolved organic carbon in both freshwater and marine environments , Meyers-Schulte & Hedges 1986, Moran & Hodson 1990. In addition to providing a biomarker which is unique to vascular plants, the CuO oxidation products of lignin contain more detailed information characteristic of the plant tissue source Vanillyl phen o l~ a r e predominant reaction products of woody and herbaceous tissue.…”

Section: Days In Fieldmentioning

confidence: 99%

Decomposition of senescent blades of the seagrass Halodule wrightii in a subtropical lagoon

Opsahl¹,

Benner²

1993

Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser.

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Senescent blades from the seagrass Halodule wrightii Aschers were suspended in the water column of Laguna Madre (Texas, USA) for a period of 419 d , representing the longest seagrass decomposition study to date. The initial stage of decomposition was characterized by a rapid loss of organic matter (36 % in 24 d ) attributed to leaching. A total of 76 % of the organic matter from seagrass tissues was lost by the end of the decomposition period. Of the major bulk constituents measured, neutral sugars were most abundant and accounted for 23 % of the ash-free dry wt of the initial senescent material. A complete and early loss of the cyclitol, myo-inositol, a reduction in glucose yields, and a relative enrichment in mannose were the most dynamic features of the neutral sugar fraction. An overall stability series: mannose > fucose > arabinose = rhamnose = galactose = xylose > glucose, reflects patterns of selective degradation of the polymers from which these sugars are derived. Soluble and ester-bound phenolic acids were lost from tissues at relatively high rates. Susceptibility of individual phenolic acids to removal from bulk tissue upon treatment with weak base correlated well to initial losses in the field. Early changes in total CuO oxidation phenol yields from H. wrightii were caused pnmarlly by the relatively rapid loss of soluble and ester-bound phenolic acids. Therefore, we took a new approach to quantlfy lignin-derived phenols by subtracting soluble and ester-bound phenols from total CuO oxldat~on ylelds. When these losses were taken Into account, lignin-derived phenol yields were similar from freshly senescent and highly degraded detntus. Cutln, although initially selectively preserved relative to bulk tissue, was also found at near initial yields In the highly degraded detritus. Overall, the distribution of polymeric constituents (cellulose, hem~cellulose, lignin and cutin) was similar in freshly senescent and highly degraded tissues suggesting that the compounds which comprise the ultrastructure of H, wrightij are degraded at similar rates Photobleached H. wriglitii blades were characterized by a much higher neutral sugar content, slmilar levels of cutin acids and a nearly complete absence of phenols con~pared to freshly senescent tissue. Photobleaching appears to be an important degradative mechanism which yields a polysaccharide-rich detritus that is devoid of the lignin signature characteristic of vascular plant tissues.

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“…Leaching of DOC from plant tissues can occur both during tidal submergence and aerial exposure (Gallagher et al 1976, Turner 1978, Pakulski 1986, Moran & Hodson 1990, Turner 1993, Mann & Wetzel 1996. Table 3.…”

Section: Macrophyte Carbon Budgetmentioning

confidence: 99%

Carbon cycling in a tidal freshwater marsh ecosystem:a carbon gas flux study

Neubauer¹,

Miller²,

Anderson³

2000

Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser.

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A process-based carbon gas flux model was developed to calcuIate total macrophyte and microalgal production, and community and belowground respiration, for a Peltandra virginica dominated tidaI freshwater marsh in Virginia. The model was based on measured field fluxes of CO2 and CH,, scaled to monthly and annual rates using empirically derived photosynthesis versus irradiance, and respiration versus temperature relationships. Because the gas exchange technique measures whole system gas fluxes and therefore includes turnover and seasonal translocation, estimates of total macrophyte production will be more accurate than those calculated from biomass harvests. One limitation of the gas flux method is that gaseous carbon fluxes out of the sediment may underestimate true belowground respiration if sediment-produced gases are transported through plant tissues to the atmosphere. Therefore we measured gross nitrogen mineralization (converted to carbon units using sediment C/N ratios and estimates of bacterial growth efficiency) as a proxy for belowground carbon respiration. We estimated a total net macrophyte production of 536 to 715 g C m-' yr-', with an additional 59 g C m-' yr-' fixed by sediment microalgae. Belowground respiration calculated from nitrogen mineralization was estimated to range from 516 to 723 g C m-2 yr-' versus 75 g C m-' yr-l measured directly with sediment chambers. Methane flux (72 g C m-' yr-') accounted for 11 to 13 % of total belowground respiration. Gas flux results were combined with biomass harvest and literature data to create a conceptual mass balance model of macrophyte-influenced carbon cycling. Spring and autumn translocation and re-translocation are critical in controlling observed seasonal patterns of above and belowground biomass accumulation. Annually, a total of 270 to 477 g C m-2 of macrophyte tissue is available for deposition on the marsh surface as detritus or export from the marsh as particulate or dissolved carbon.

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Contributions of degrading Spartina alterniflora lignocellulose to the dissolved organic carbon pool of a salt marsh

Cited by 46 publications

References 9 publications

Diagenesis of belowground biomass of Spartina alterniflora in salt‐marsh sediments

Diagenesis of belowground biomass of Spartina alterniflora in salt‐marsh sediments

Decomposition of senescent blades of the seagrass Halodule wrightii in a subtropical lagoon

Carbon cycling in a tidal freshwater marsh ecosystem:a carbon gas flux study

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