Seasonal variation of organic carbon in the urban tropical mangrove estuary El Salado, in Jalisco, Mexico

Abstract

ABSTRACT In the El Salado estuary in the Mexican Pacific coast, we examined the seasonal variation of organic carbon (OC) in sediments, pore water and litterfall in three areas dominated by common mangrove species (Avicennia germinans, Laguncularia racemosa, and Rhizophora. mangle), as well as in the water and sediments in the main channel of the estuary. Mangrove sediment OC varied from 3.70% in the R. mangle area to 12.58% in the L. racemosa area, whereas variations in sediment pore water OC varied from 285.6 to 22.6 mg·L−1. OC from mangrove litterfall varied from 151.2 to 0.6 g·m−2 in the different mangrove species areas. OC values were higher in the dry season and lower in the rainy season. The observed OC among the different species in the dominated areas indicates that mangroves are able to release a considerable amount of OC through litterfall, with part of it sequestered in sediments.