Abstract
Iron (Fe) oxides have attracted much attention due to their role as optimal minerals for long-term soil organic carbon (SOC) sequestration. However, little is known about Fe-bound organic carbon (OC) characteristics in wetlands of Yangtze-Huaihe Basin. Here, we determined Fe-bound OC contents in topsoil (0–5 cm) and subsoil (10–20 cm) in seven wetlands with varying vegetation and hydrological regime, and analyzed influencing factors and pathway. Fe-bound OC contents ranged 2.14 ~ 31.2 mg/g in topsoil and 2.00 ~ 15.8 mg/g in subsoil, and contributed 8.33%~41.9% to SOC across two soil layers. Fe-bound OC: Fed (including short-range-order and crystalline Fe(III) oxides) ratios were generally over 6, indicating iron oxides associated SOC mainly through co-precipitation rather than sorption. Fe-bound OC characteristics varied among wetland types, where the contents were generally higher in the flooded versus unflooded wetlands (with the same vegetation). Nevertheless, the unflooded wetlands had higher proportions of Fe-bound OC in SOC, indicating an enhancement of aerobic conditions to Fe-bound OC formation. Fe-bound OC contents were positively correlated to contents of SOC, Fep (including colloidal and organic matter-chelated iron oxides), and total nitrogen in both soil layers, and negatively to pH in topsoil. Structural equation model revealed that wetland type determined Fe-bound OC by affecting SOC and Fep. Our findings reveal variations of Fe-bound OC characteristics among wetlands in Yangtze-Huaihe Basin. The unflooded relative to flooded wetlands (with the same vegetation) had lower or comparable Fe-bound OC contents, yet they exerted greater contribution to SOC. Wetland type influences Fe-bound OC mainly through SOC and Fep.
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This study was financed by the Key Research and Development Project of Jiangsu Province (No. BK20220016) and the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 42371051).
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**nhou Zhang designed the study. Wei Chen performed the experiments. Wei Chen, Weixiang Chen, Qingchun Guo, and **nhou Zhang analyzed the data. Wei Chen and **nhou Zhang wrote the first draft of the manuscript. Kai Dong, Guoxiang Wang, and Jiangang Han provided editorial advice. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.
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Chen, W., Chen, W., Dong, K. et al. Iron-bound Organic Carbon Distribution in Freshwater Wetlands with Varying Vegetation and Hydrological Regime. Wetlands 44, 71 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13157-024-01825-4
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13157-024-01825-4