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Sources of organic carbon in mangrove sediments: variability and possible ecological implications

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Abstract

Mangrove sediments from three different mangrove ecosystems (Coringa Wildlife Sanctuary in the Godavari Delta, Andhra Pradesh, India, and Galle and Pambala, south-west Sri Lanka) were analysed for their organic carbon content, elemental ratios (C:N) and carbon stable isotope composition. Organic carbon content (0.6 – 31.7% dry weight), C/N ratios (7.0 – 27.3) and δ13C (between −29.4 and −20.6‰) showed a wide range of values. Lower stocks of organic carbon coincided with low C/N (atom) ratios and less negative δ13C values, indicating import of marine or estuarine particulate suspended matter. High organic carbon stocks coincided with high C/N ratios and δ13C values close, but not equal, to those of the mangrove vegetation. The variations observed in this study and published literature data could be adequately described by a simple two-end mixing model, whereby marine/estuarine suspended matter and mangrove litter were taken as end members. Thus, while in some mangrove ecosystems or vegetation zones, organic carbon stocks can be very high and are almost entirely of mangrove origin, there also appear to be cases in which deposited estuarine or marine suspended matter is the dominant source of organic carbon and nitrogen in mangrove sediments. This situation is remarkably similar to that observed in temperate salt marsh ecosystems where the importance of local vascular plant production to the sediment organic carbon pool is equally variable. The observed high variability in organic matter origin is thought to have a major impact on the overall carbon dynamics in intertidal mangrove ecosystems.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratory of Analytical and Environmental Chemistry, Mangrove Management Group, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Pleinlaan 2, B-1050, Brussels, Belgium

    S. Bouillon & F. Dehairs

  2. Laboratory of General Botany and Nature Management, Mangrove Management Group, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Pleinlaan 2, B-1050, Brussels, Belgium

    F. Dahdouh-Guebas & N. Koedam

  3. Department of Zoology, Marine Biology Laboratory, Andhra University, Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, India

    A.V.V.S. Rao

Authors
  1. S. Bouillon
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  2. F. Dahdouh-Guebas
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  3. A.V.V.S. Rao
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  4. N. Koedam
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  5. F. Dehairs
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Bouillon, S., Dahdouh-Guebas, F., Rao, A. et al. Sources of organic carbon in mangrove sediments: variability and possible ecological implications. Hydrobiologia 495, 33–39 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1025411506526

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