Precipitation events reduce soil respiration in a coastal wetland based on four-year continuous field measurements

Abstract

Coastal wetlands are considered as a significant sink for global carbon because their organic-rich soils. Given exposed to shallow water tables, water from groundwater is transported upward to the root zone through capillary rise, thus soil moisture in coastal wetlands is relatively high even when there is no precipitation. We expected that as precipitation occurred, the soils in coastal wetlands might become quickly saturated and lead to the development of anoxic conditions. We further hypothesized that such anoxic conditions might decrease soil respiration by limiting oxygen availability and biological activities of roots and microorganisms. Based on continuous automated soil respiration data collected in a coastal wetland in the Yellow River Delta over 4 years (2012–2015), the results showed that on the annual scale, cumulative soil respiration was 317, 321, 231, and 274 g C m−2 yr-1 for 2012, 2013, 2014, and 2015, respectively, with an average of 286 g C m−2 yr-1. The rate of soil respiration increased exponentially with soil temperature during each year and its two seasons (growing season and non-growing season). In addition, soil respiration was significantly related to soil moisture during the growing season, but was not affected by soil moisture during the non-growing season. After each precipitation event, soil respiration was significantly negatively correlated with soil moisture under different initial soil water contents. There was a significant positive correlation between changes in soil respiration and changes in soil moisture following precipitation events. Moreover, the increase of soil moisture following precipitation events changed the temperature response of soil respiration. Our study indicated that precipitation events could decrease soil respiration by increasing soil moisture and inducing anoxic conditions in the coastal wetland. Therefore, we speculate that the continuation of decreasing precipitation and increasing temperature trends in the Yellow River Delta may increase soil carbon losses in the coastal wetland due to the increase in soil respiration.