Nitrogen Pools of Macrophyte Species in a Coastal Lagoon Salt Marsh: Implications for Seasonal Storage and Dispersal

Abstract

High nitrogen (N) loading rates received by coastal bays can have deleterious effects on aquatic ecosystems. Salt marshes can intercept land-based N through seasonal plant uptake, denitrification, and burial. Salt marshes fringing Delaware’s Inland Bays are characterized by different plant species occurring in close proximity. To evaluate N pool retention and loss for the dominant plant species, we measured seasonal N concentration and pool size, N resorption efficiency, loss during decomposition, and soil N. Seasonal variation in N pools and fluxes differed among species. Seasonal differences in the total N pools of the herbaceous species were largely influenced by belowground fine root and dead macro-organic matter fluxes. N production rate estimates ranged from 18 g N m−2 year−1 aboveground for the high marsh shrub to 40.8 g N m−2 year−1 above- and belowground for the high marsh rush illustrating the importance of incorporating species-specific dynamics into ecosystem N budgets.