Preprint Article Version 1 Preserved in Portico This version is not peer-reviewed

Rooting Meta-ecosystems with Reciprocal Lateral Carbon and Nitrogen Flows in a Yangtze Coastal Marsh

Yu Gao
ORCID logo ,
Bin Zhao
* ORCID logo ,
Neil Saintilan
,
Wanben Wu
,
Maina Mbui
,
Li Wen
ORCID logo ,
Feng Zhao
,
Tao Zhang
,
Zhi Geng
,
Gang Yang
,
Chao Song
,
Ping Zhuang
*
Version 1 : Received: 1 October 2023 / Approved: 1 October 2023 / Online: 1 October 2023 (08:52:35 CEST)

How to cite: Gao, Y.; Zhao, B.; Saintilan, N.; Wu, W.; Mbui, M.; Wen, L.; Zhao, F.; Zhang, T.; Geng, Z.; Yang, G.; Song, C.; Zhuang, P. Rooting Meta-ecosystems with Reciprocal Lateral Carbon and Nitrogen Flows in a Yangtze Coastal Marsh. Preprints 2023, 2023100015. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202310.0015.v1 Gao, Y.; Zhao, B.; Saintilan, N.; Wu, W.; Mbui, M.; Wen, L.; Zhao, F.; Zhang, T.; Geng, Z.; Yang, G.; Song, C.; Zhuang, P. Rooting Meta-ecosystems with Reciprocal Lateral Carbon and Nitrogen Flows in a Yangtze Coastal Marsh. Preprints 2023, 2023100015. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202310.0015.v1

Abstract

The dynamics of hydrological lateral nutrient fluxes contribute to our understanding of ecological functions related to energy, materials, and organism flows across various spatiotemporal scales. To explore the connectivity between multiple spatial flow processes, we conducted a one-year field measurement to assess lateral hydrologic carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) fluxes over the continental shelf in the Yangtze estuary. We observed a significant correlation between the differences in remote sensing-based estimates of gross primary production (GPP) (∆GPPMODIS) and the differences in eddy covariance (EC) tower-based GPP (∆GPPEC) at both high-elevation and low-elevation sites. Over the course of a year, our predicted daily maximum tidal elevation (TE) closely matched the observed values in the creek, which facilitated the development of theoretical models to simulate biogeochemical cycling processes and aquatic ecosystem functions. Our findings indicate that the studied saltmarsh acts as a net exporter of dissolved total C (DTC) while serving as a net sink for dissolved total N (DTN). Furthermore, there is a significant correlation in the total dissolved stoichiometry of the C/N ratio between imports and exports. These findings highlight the importance of integrating ecological stoichiometric principles to gain a deeper understanding of the complex relationships between physical, chemical, and biological processes, particularly within the context of the meta-ecosystem framework. Additionally, when considering reciprocal hydrological lateral C and N flows, single ecosystem can function both as sources and sinks within the meta-ecosystem framework.

Keywords

coastal wetland; carbon; nitrogen; coupling; stoichiometry; meta-ecosystem

Subject

Environmental and Earth Sciences, Ecology

Copyright: This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

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