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Vulnerability of Labile Organic Matter to Eutrophication and Warming in Temperate Mangrove Ecosystems

Lookup NU author(s): Dr Marco FusiORCiD

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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0).

Abstract

The sediments in mangrove forests play an important role in the global carbon cycle due to high inputs of organic matter (OM) and low decomposition rates, making them highly efficient at sequestering carbon. The balance between OM sequestration and decomposition in these systems is influenced by a complex interplay of environmental factors. However, there is a large amount of uncertainty surrounding decomposition rates from mangrove forests, particularly at regional scales. We used standardized decomposition assays of a labile and recalcitrant substrate in 30 estuaries, spanning a gradient in human land use intensity, to identify dominant drivers of OM decomposition in temperate mangrove forests. Our results reveal that, while labile OM decomposition is strongly driven by eutrophication, recalcitrant OM decomposition is primarily influenced by increases in the minimum sediment temperature. Furthermore, we demonstrate that nutrient enrichment from human land use, in combination with increased sediment temperature, synergistically accelerates the decomposition of labile OM, thereby threatening the carbon sequestration potential of these ecosystems. This suggests that coastal eutrophication can exacerbate the effects of warming on decomposition, leading to heightened vulnerability of carbon storage and potential feedbacks between local and global stressors.

Publication metadata

Author(s): Thomson T, Pilditch CA, Fusi F, Prinz N, Lundquist CJ, Ellis JI

Publication type: Article

Publication status: Published

Journal: Global Change Biology

Year: 2025

Volume: 31

Issue: 2

Online publication date: 14/02/2025

Acceptance date: 10/02/2025

Date deposited: 17/04/2025

ISSN (print): 1757-1693

ISSN (electronic): 1757-1707

Publisher: Wiley-Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

URL: https://doi.org/10.1111/gcb.70087

DOI: 10.1111/gcb.70087

Data Access Statement: The data that support the findings of this study are openly available via figshare at https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.27895638 and https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.28339916.

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