Plant Soil DOI 10.1007/s11104-013-2011-7
REGULAR ARTICLE
Comparing soil carbon sequestration in coastal freshwater wetlands with various geomorphic features and plant communities in Veracruz, Mexico José Luis Marín-Muñiz & María E. Hernández & Patricia Moreno-Casasola
Received: 23 September 2013 / Accepted: 18 December 2013 # Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht 2014
Abstract Background and aims Wetlands are important carbon sinks across the planet. However, soil carbon sequestration in tropical freshwater wetlands has been studied less than its counterpart in temperate wetlands. We compared carbon stocks and carbon sequestration in freshwater wetlands with various geomorphic features (estuarine, perilacustrine and depressional) and various plant communities (marshes and swamps) on the tropical coastal plain of the Gulf of Mexico in the state of Veracruz, Mexico. These swamps are dominated by Ficus insipida, Pachira aquatic and Annona glabra and the marshes by Responsible Editor: Zucong Cai. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1007/s11104-013-2011-7) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users. J. L. Marín-Muñiz (*) Centro de Investigaciones Tropicales, Universidad Veracruzana, Casco de la Ex Hacienda Lucas Martín, Privada de Araucarias S/N. Col. Periodistas, AP. 525, Xalapa, Veracruz, Mexico e-mail:
[email protected] M. E. Hernández : P. Moreno-Casasola Institute of Ecology, Antigua Carretera a Coatepec # 351 El Haya, 91070 Xalapa, Veracruz, Mexico M. E. Hernández e-mail:
[email protected] P. Moreno-Casasola e-mail:
[email protected]
Typha domingensis, Thalia geniculata, Cyperus giganteus, and Pontederia sagittata. Methods The soil carbon concentration and bulk density were measured every 2 cm along 80 cm soil profiles in five swamps and five marshes. Short-term sediment accretion rates were measured during a year using horizontal makers in three of the five swamps and marshes, the carbon sequestration was calculated using the accretion rates, and the bulk density and the percentage of organic carbon in the surficial layer was measured. Results The average carbon concentration ranged from 50 to 150 gC kg−1 in the marshes and 50 to 225 gC kg−1 in the swamps. When the wetlands were grouped according to their geomorphic features, no significant differences in the carbon stock (P=0.095) were found (estuarine (25.50 ± 2.26 kgC m −2 ), perilacustrine (28.33±2.74 kgC m−2) and depressional wetlands (34.93±4.56 kgC m−2)). However, the carbon stock was significantly higher (P=0.030) in the swamps (34.96±1.3 kgC m−2) than in the marshes (25.85± 1.19 kgC m−2). The average sediment accretion rates were 1.55±0.09 cm yr−1 in the swamps and 0.84± 0.02 cm yr−1 in the marshes with significant differences (P=0.040). The rate of carbon sequestration was higher (P=0.001) in swamp soils (0.92±0.12 kgC m−2 yr−1) than marsh soils (0.31±0.08 kgC m−2 yr−1). Differences in the rates of carbon sequestration associated with geomorphic features were found between the swamp ecosystems (P
