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Effects of seagrass leaf litter decomposition on sediment organic carbon composition and the key transformation processes

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Abstract

Seagrass leaf litters are an important source of sediment organic carbon (SOC). However, the mechanisms of seagrass leaf litter decomposition influencing SOC composition and the key transformation processes remain unknown. We performed a laboratory chamber experiment to compare the labile organic carbon (OC) composition and the enzyme activities governing SOC transformation between the seagrass group (seagrass leaf litter addition) and the control group. The results showed that the seagrass leaf litter decomposition significantly elevated the salt-extractable carbon (SEC) content and the SEC/SOC. Additionally, the levels of invertase, polyphenol oxidase, and cellulase in the seagrass leaf litters addition group were generally higher than in the control group, which could elevate recalcitrant OC decomposition. Following 24 days incubation, addition of seagrass leaf litter increased the amount of CO2 released, but decreased the SOC content. Therefore, seagrass leaf litter decomposition leached abundant dissolved OC, which enhanced the activity and transformation of SOC.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the National Basic Research Program of China (Grant Nos. 2015CB452905, 2015CB452902), the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 41730529, 41306108, 41406128), and the National Specialized Project of Science and Technology (Grant No. 2015FY110600).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Key Laboratory of Tropical Marine Bio-resources and Ecology, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, 510301, China

    SongLin Liu, ZhiJian Jiang, YunChao Wu, ChunYu Zhao, JingPing Zhang, Yuan Shen & XiaoPing Huang

  2. College of Earth Science, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China

    SongLin Liu, YunChao Wu, ChunYu Zhao, Yuan Shen & XiaoPing Huang

  3. South China Sea Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Guangzhou, 510300, China

    YiQin Deng

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  1. SongLin Liu
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Liu, S., Jiang, Z., Deng, Y. et al. Effects of seagrass leaf litter decomposition on sediment organic carbon composition and the key transformation processes. Sci. China Earth Sci. 60, 2108–2117 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11430-017-9147-4

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