Crab bioturbation drives coupled iron-phosphate-sulfide cycling in mangrove and salt marsh soils

• Coastal wetlands sequestering abundant blue carbon in soils are biogeochemical hotspots and critical habitats for benthic animals like invertebrate fiddler crabs. Here, we reveal how crab bioturbation (i.e., burrowing activity) drives the redox geochemistry of ferrous iron (Fe(II)), phosphate (PO43-), and sulfide (S(-II)) under contrasting vegetation types and hydrological conditions. We used in-situ approaches of diffusive gradients in thin films to perform detailed mm-scale burrow observations in two subtropical wetlands with a vegetation gradient of mudflat-salt marsh-mangrove. Burrow flushing caused a top-down hydrologic connectivity through the crab burrows and thus created a deep depth for the occurrence of Fe(III) reduction and sulfate reduction which were accompanied by P mobilization. The burrow oxidation zone, indicated by lower concentrations of Fe(II), PO43- and S(-II), were shallower in mudflats and salt marshes than in mangroves due to the unique respiratory roots of mangrove plants. The redox of Fe(II), PO(4)(3-)and S(-II) in crab burrow was insensitive to the convection flow induced input of dissolved oxygen through the surrounding soil matrix, indicating the burrow soil is an independent microenvironment. Crab burrowing activities favored Fe-S coupling which is conductive the formation of pyrite and alkalinity generation. Overall, our in-situ high-resolution observations and porewater hydraulic dynamics revealed spatially variable soil geochemistry, active coupled cycling of Fe-P-S in crab burrows, and mm-scale hotspots of redox cycling within burrows.

Ämnesord

LANTBRUKSVETENSKAPER  -- Annan lantbruksvetenskap -- Miljö- och naturvårdsvetenskap (hsv//swe)

AGRICULTURAL SCIENCES  -- Other Agricultural Sciences -- Environmental Sciences related to Agriculture and Land-use (hsv//eng)

NATURVETENSKAP  -- Biologi -- Ekologi (hsv//swe)

NATURAL SCIENCES  -- Biological Sciences -- Ecology (hsv//eng)

Nyckelord

Bioturbation

Blue carbon system

Soil-water interfere

Benthic flux

Coastal biogeochemistry

dissolved reactive phosphorus

sediment-water interface

organic-matter

in-situ

sulfur biogeochemistry

simultaneous release

diffusive

gradients

coastal sediments

marine-sediments

animal burrows

Agriculture

Publikations- och innehållstyp

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