Effects of Spartina Alterniflora Invasion on Soil Organic Carbon Dynamics and Potential Sequestration Mechanisms in Coastal Wetlands, Eastern China

Qi Cai, Zhuyuan Yao, Xuefeng Xie (), Lijie Pu, Lingyue Zhu, Zhenyi Jia, Shuntao Chen, Fei Xu and Tao Wu ()
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Qi Cai: College of Geography and Environmental Sciences, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua 321004, China
Zhuyuan Yao: College of Geography and Environmental Sciences, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua 321004, China
Xuefeng Xie: College of Geography and Environmental Sciences, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua 321004, China
Lijie Pu: School of Geography and Ocean Science, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China
Lingyue Zhu: College of Geography and Environmental Sciences, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua 321004, China
Zhenyi Jia: College of Geography and Environmental Sciences, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua 321004, China
Shuntao Chen: College of Geography and Environmental Sciences, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua 321004, China
Fei Xu: School of Public Management, Zhejiang University of Finance & Economics, Hangzhou 310018, China
Tao Wu: College of Geography and Environmental Sciences, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua 321004, China

Sustainability, 2025, vol. 17, issue 19, 1-14

Abstract: Coastal wetlands play a crucial role in carbon sequestration, yet the invasion of Spartina alterniflora (SA) significantly alters the cycling and sequestration of soil organic carbon (SOC) in coastal wetlands. Nevertheless, the potential underlying mechanisms governing the dynamics of SOC in coastal wetlands following SA invasion remain poorly understood. Here, we investigated the impacts of SA invasion on the dynamics and potential sequestration mechanisms of SOC in the Hangzhou Bay Estuary Wetland, China. Compared to the bare flat (BF), SOC and its fractions in 0–20 cm increased by 1.37–2.24 times after 8 years of SA invasion. Variance partitioning analysis indicated that the combined effects of soil physicochemical properties, soil carbon cycle-related enzymes, and vegetation type were the primary drivers of SOC and its fractions. Redundancy analysis revealed significant positive correlations between SOC and key soil physicochemical properties and enzymes, including sucrase, clay particles, total nitrogen, ammonium nitrogen, and β-glucosidase. Structural equation modeling demonstrated that SA invasion was associated with significant alterations in soil physicochemical properties and positively correlated with both stable and labile carbon fractions, or indirectly linked to these fractions through carbon cycle-related enzymes, thereby substantially positively contributing to SOC. This study supports the hypothesis that the invasion of SA affects the linkage pathway of SOC sequestration and offers valuable guidance for carbon sequestration strategies of coastal wetlands.

Keywords: spartina alterniflora; soil organic carbon; dual-end-member mixing model; structural equation model; sequestration mechanism (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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