Regulating greenhouse gas dynamics in tidal wetlands: Impacts of salinity gradients and water pollution

Abstract

Tidal wetlands play a critical role in emitting greenhouse gases (GHGs) into the atmosphere; our understanding of the intricate interplay between natural processes and human activities shaping their biogeochemistry and GHG emissions remains lacking. In this study, we delve into the spatiotemporal dynamics and key drivers of the GHG emissions from five tidal wetlands in the Scheldt Estuary by focusing on the interactive impacts of salinity and water pollution, two factors exhibiting contrasting gradients in this estuarine system: pollution escalates as salinity declines. Our findings reveal a marked escalation in GHG emissions when moving upstream, primarily attributed to increased concentrations of organic matter and nutrients, coupled with reduced levels of dissolved oxygen and pH. These low water quality conditions not only promote methanogenesis and denitrification to produce CH4 and N2O, respectively, but also shift the carbonate equilibria towards releasing more CO2. As a result, the most upstream freshwater wetland was the largest GHG emitter with a global warming potential around 35 to 70 times higher than the other wetlands. When moving seaward along a gradient of decreasing urbanization and increasing salinity, wetlands become less polluted and are characterized by lower concentrations of NO3−, TN and TOC, which induces stronger negative impact of elevated salinity on the GHG emissions from the saline wetlands. Consequently, these meso-to polyhaline wetlands released considerably smaller amounts of GHGs. These findings emphasize the importance of integrating management strategies, such as wetland restoration and pollution prevention, that address both natural salinity gradients and human-induced water pollution to effectively mitigate GHG emissions from tidal wetlands.