Marsh Soils Research Articles

Solving hindered groundwater dynamics in restored tidal marshes by creek excavation and soil amendments: A model study

Groundwater fluxes in tidal marshes largely control key ecosystem functions and services, such as vegetation growth, soil carbon sequestration, and nutrient cycling. In tidal marshes restored on formerly embanked agricultural land, groundwater fluxes are often limited as compared to nearby natural marshes, as a result of historical agricultural soil compaction. To improve the functioning of restored tidal marshes, knowledge is needed on how much certain design options can optimize soil-groundwater interactions in future restoration projects. Based on measured data on soil properties and tidally induced groundwater dynamics, we calibrated and evaluated a 2D vertical model of a creek-marsh cross-section, accounting for both saturated and unsaturated groundwater flow and solute transport in a variably saturated groundwater flow model. We found that model simulations of common restoration practices such as soil amendments (increasing the depth of porous soil on top of the compact layer) and creek excavation (increasing the creek density) increase the soil aeration depth and time, the drainage depth and the solute flux, and decrease the residence time of solutes in the porewater. Our simulations indicate that increasing the depth to the compact layer from 20 cm to 40 cm, or increasing the creek density from 1 creek to 2 creeks along a 50 m marsh transect (while maintaining the total creek cross-sectional area), in both cases more than doubles the volume of water processed by the marsh soil. We discuss that this may stimulate nutrient cycling. As such, our study demonstrates that groundwater modelling can support the design of marsh restoration measures aiming to optimize groundwater fluxes and related ecosystem services.

Porewater chemistry of Louisiana marshes with contrasting salinities and its implications for coastal acidification

Dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) and total alkalinity (TA) are fundamental components of carbonate systems that control pH and buffering capacity of a water body. Three coastal marshes with contrasting salinities in Barataria Basin, Louisiana, USA, were sampled five times between December 2018 and October 2019 to understand seasonal changes in porewater carbonate chemistry and its impact on surrounding water bodies. Porewater DIC and TA increased with depth irrespective of marsh type and ranged from 4.47 to 31.61 mmol/kg and from 1.78 to 28.56 mmol/kg, respectively. The salt marsh had higher porewater DIC and TA compared to the lower salinity intermediate and brackish marshes, probably due to sulfate reduction in the salt marsh. However, it is likely that denitrification is also an important anaerobic respiration pathway in these marshes because of high nitrate concentrations in this region and low porewater TA/DIC ratios in all three marshes. Porewater TA and DIC concentrations were generally higher during warmer months than colder months. However, the marsh flooding regime had a profound influence on TA and DIC concentrations by changing the redox potential of the marsh soil. Porewater TA/DIC ratios in all three marshes were generally less than 1, while surface water TA/DIC ratios were around 1, suggesting that export of DIC and TA from coastal marshes has the potential to contribute to coastal acidification.

Presence and Plant Uptake of Heavy Metals in Tidal Marsh Wetland Soils.

Marsh grasses have been used as efficient tools for phytoremediation and are known to play key roles in maintaining ecosystem functions by reducing the contamination of coastlines. This study was initiated to understand how human activities in wetlands can impact ion-heavy metal concentrations in relation to native and invasive marsh grasses. The study site, Blackbird Creek (BBC) is a tidal wetland that experiences agricultural, fishing, recreational, residential and other anthropogenic activities throughout the year. Heavy metals cadmium, arsenic, and lead in the soils and marsh grasses were monitored along with the ion compositions of soils. The main objective of this study was to understand if the marsh soils containing monotypic stands of native (Spartina) and non-native (Phragmites) vegetation display similar levels of heavy metals. Differences were observed in the concentrations of heavy metals at study sites with varying marsh vegetation types, and in soils containing vegetation and no vegetation. The soils with dense Spartina and Phragmites stands were anaerobic whereas soil at the boat ramp site was comparatively less anaerobic and also had increased levels of cadmium. Heavy metal concentrations in soil and Phragmites leaves were inversely correlated whereas they were positively correlated in Spartina sites. Electrical conductivity and pH levels in soil also showed increased cadmium and arsenic concentrations. These findings collectively infer that human activities and seasonal changes can increase soil complexities affecting the bioavailability of metals.

Hitchhiking halophytes in wrack and sediment-laden ice blocks contribute to tidal marsh development in the Upper Bay of Fundy

Salt marshes are a type of coastal wetland that are affected by dynamic coastal processes. Ice blocks and wrack (mats of plant debris) regularly float onto northern marshes and become stranded, affecting vegetation and soil accretion. There is little research regarding the capacity of ice and wrack to transport viable plant propagules onto marshes where they can colonize, which may be particularly important at barren new salt marsh restoration sites. Contributions of sediment by ice may also be important to raise the marsh platform to elevations appropriate for plant colonization. We collected ice (n = 27) and wrack (n = 18) samples at marshes in the Bay of Fundy, ran germination trials with the contents, and measured the quantity of sediment in the ice. We found viable propagules from halophytic and non-halophytic species in wrack, and viable propagules of Sporobolus pumilus in ice. Additionally, we found sediment densities between 0.01 and 4.75 g/cm3 in ice blocks that translated to 26.61–21,483.59 kg of total sediment per block, representing a large source of sediment. We found that the number of germinating propagules could not be predicted by wrack size, and that pH, sediment density, sediment weight in ice blocks were variable across the marsh surface, while ice salinity was negatively correlated with elevation and distance from creek. Our results indicate that ice and wrack represent a potential source for vegetation colonization at salt marsh sites and highlights their contributions to facilitating vegetation colonization through building marsh soils.

Impacts of Climate Change on Mycorrhizal Fungi in Salt Marsh Habitats

Salt marshes are coastal wetlands that cover 2-3% of land surface area.1 These habitats carry out several essential functions such as providing habitats for many species, acting as a buffer between terrestrial land and ocean waters, and most importantly, acting as a major carbon (C) storage pool. Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal (AMF) symbionts are key organisms in salt marsh habitats and are known to influence the following: plant zonation, plant resource competition, plant productivity, plant genetic diversity, soil C sequestration, soil C:N:P ratios, saprotrophic bacterial population and diversity, soil stability, and litter decomposition. Under rapidly changing conditions caused by climate change it is difficult to predict how AMF communities will respond to these factors, which would ultimately alter those processes. In this review, we will outline the functions and roles that AMF communities play in salt marsh soils. Additionally, we will present current knowledge and predictions of how AMF will respond to rising sea levels, elevated CO₂ levels, and eutrophication. Lastly, we will outline our research design and methods which aims to identify soil fungal diversity and abundance in different grass patches. We will also look at several factors that potentially alter soil fungi such as edge-effects, elevation gradients, patch size, soil conductivity, pH, and soil stoichiometry. Studying soil fungi is essential for understanding how these communities are predicted to react to a changing climate, and consequently alter salt marsh processes.

Sulfur oxidation-reduction process and its coupling effects with other elements in marsh soil: A review

Sulfur oxidation-reduction process (SORP) in marsh soil is an important link in sulfur cycle, which plays an important role in maintaining the stability and health of marsh. We summarized the SORP in marsh soil and its influencing factors, and analyzed the research progress of its coupling effects with other elements. The influencing factors of SORP in marsh soil mainly involved biotic (plants, microorganisms, zoobenthos, human activities, etc.) and abiotic factors (physical factors such as temperature, moisture and particle size, and chemical factors such as pH, salinity, organic matter, etc.). Related research on the coupling effects of SORP and other elements in marsh soil mainly involved in biogenic elements such as carbon (C), nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P), and metal elements such as iron (Fe) and manganese (Mn). Currently, the underlying mechanism of SORP was not deeply explored, the research on coupling effects was unbalance, and the ecological effects were insufficient. In the future, key functional microorganisms involved in SORP should be strengthened, the coupling mechanism between SORP and micro-elements should be enhanced, and the ecological effects produced by the coupling effects of SORP with other elements should be emphasized.

The relative importance of intraspecific variation in above- and belowground plant traits in shaping salt marsh soil bacterial diversity and composition

The relative importance of intraspecific variation in above- and belowground plant traits in shaping salt marsh soil bacterial diversity and composition

Variable-Density Flow and Solute Transport in Stratified Salt Marshes

Subsurface hydrodynamics underpin the eco-functions of salt marshes. Many studies have investigated these processes under various conditions. However, the impact of soil stratification (a low-permeability mud layer overlying a high-permeability sand layer) on the variable-density groundwater flow (particularly unstable flow) and solute transport in regularly tide-flooded marshes remains poorly understood. The present study numerically explored this question based on a 2D cross-creek section of salt marshes, by comparing cases with and without stratification. Results show that, the low-permeability mud layer delays the initiation of unstable flow and leads to smaller and denser salt fingers. Consequently, solute plume stays in the marsh soil for a longer time and spreads more widely than that in the homogeneous case. Also, soil stratigraphy extends the duration and shrinks the zone of solute discharge across the tidal creek. Sensitivity analysis was conducted based on three key controlling variables: hydraulic conductivity contrast between mud layer and sand layer (Kmud/Ksand), salinity contrast between surface water and groundwater (Csea/Cpore), and mud layer thickness (Dmud). The results demonstrate that the residence time of solute plume in a two-layered salt marsh is less sensitive to Csea/Cpore than to Kmud/Ksand and Dmud. Moreover, the commencement and duration of solute discharge are more sensitive to Kmud/Ksand and Dmud than to Csea/Cpore. While the location of solute discharge zone is highly sensitive to Dmud and slightly influenced by Kmud/Ksand and Csea/Cpore. Findings from this study would facilitate a deeper understanding of the eco-functions of salt marshes.

Effects of wetland plant biochars on heavy metal immobilization and enzyme activity in soils from the Yellow River estuary.

The purpose of this study was to assess the effects of wetland plant biochars on the enzyme activity in heavy metal contaminated soil. The biochars were produced from Phragmites australis (PB), Suaeda salsa (SB), and Tamarix chinensis (TB) under different pyrolysis temperatures and times. The detected pyrolysis products showed that the ash, pH, electrical conductivity, and carbon content of the biochars increased significantly, while the production rate of the biochars decreased with increasing pyrolysis temperature and time. The results of the adsorption experiments indicated that biochar addition could effectively reduce the concentration of Pb and/or Cd in the Pb2+/Cd2+ single or mixed solutions, but the Pb2+ and Cd2+ in the mixed solution indicated a competitive adsorption. A 30-day incubation experiment was conducted using salt marsh soil amended with different biochar application rates to investigate the short-term effects of biochar addition on Pb and Cd immobilization. The PB and SB significantly immobilized Pb within the first 15days, but Pb remobilized within the next 15-day period. In contrast, TB addition did not significantly fix Pb. Moreover, biochar addition promoted the conversion of Cd from the residue to the less immobile fractions. The addition of three types of plant biochar had no significant effect on the urease activity in wetland soil but significantly increased soil sucrase activity. PB and SB significantly promoted catalase activity, while TB significantly inhibited soil catalase activity. According to the adsorption effect, the fixation effect, and the promotion of enzyme activities, the Suaeda salsa biochars are suitable for the remediation of heavy metal pollution in wetland soils.

Nutrient Retention and Release in Eroding Chesapeake Bay Tidal Wetlands

AbstractThe worldwide loss of coastal wetlands has traditionally been addressed as the loss of ongoing nutrient retention ecosystem services. However, nutrient remineralization from eroded particles may further exacerbate water quality degradation. Using data on nutrient burial and denitrification from northern Chesapeake Bay, along with estimates of the bioavailability of eroded marsh particulates, the changing role of wetlands as an important sink for nutrients is examined. Although the erosion of wetlands results in the reintroduction of nitrogen and phosphorus into open‐water habitats, the potential for exacerbating eutrophication is highly diminished by the low lability of wetland organic matter. The impact of such erosion on the cycling of Fe‐bound phosphorus from marsh soils is highly dependent on both the amount of inorganic P, its solid phase association with Fe, and its potential remobilization from the estuarine sediments into which it is deposited. Although nutrient sequestration in newly constructed wetlands built from dredged materials suggested a rapid development of nutrient sequestration, a better understanding of nutrient ecosystem services provided by marshes created by transgression into uplands is necessary for understanding the long‐term nutrient retention value of coastal wetlands.

Benthic Biofilm Potential for Organic Carbon Accumulation in Salt Marsh Sediments

Coastal salt marshes are productive environments with high potential for carbon accumulation and storage. Even though organic carbon in salt marsh sediment is typically attributed to plant biomass, it can also be produced by benthic photosynthetic biofilms. These biofilms, generally composed of diatoms and their secretions, are known for their high primary productivity and contribution to the basal food web. The growth of biofilms and the preservation of carbon produced by biofilms depends on the amount of sedimentation; low sedimentation rates will favor decomposition, while high sedimentation rates could decrease biofilm productivity. In this study, we conducted laboratory experiments to test (1) if biofilms can potentially accumulate carbon in marsh soil and (2) how different sedimentation rates affect the amount of carbon accumulation. Containers filled with a settled mud bed were inoculated with natural biofilms collected from a marsh surface and allowed to grow with favorable light exposure, nutrient supply, and absence of grazing. Mud was added weekly in different amounts, resulting in an equivalent sedimentation rate from 12 to 189 mm/yr. After 11 weeks, the sediment columns were sampled and analyzed for chl a, organic matter via loss on ignition (LOI), and total organic carbon (TOC). Chl a accumulation rates ranged from 123 to 534 mg/cm2/yr, organic matter accumulation ranged from 86 to 456 g/m2/yr, and TOC accumulation rates ranged from 31 to 211 g/m2/yr. These values are on the same order of magnitude of marsh carbon accumulation rates measured in the field. All three metrics (chl a, organic matter, and TOC) increased with increased sedimentation rate. These results show that biofilms can potentially contribute to carbon accumulation in salt marsh soils. Furthermore, areas with high sedimentation rates have the potential for higher amounts of organic matter from biofilms in the sediment.

PECULIARITY OF SOIL COVER FORMATION IN THE UPPER PART OF THE KANIV RESERVOIR

The problem of water reservoirs, their role and positive and negative effects on the environment has become extremely acute around the world. The issue of the impact of reservoirs on soils has been studied for a long time. The greatest attention was paid to the soils erosion on the coasts, especially those composed of loamy rocks. Flooding of lands and waterlogging of soils in humid regions and salinization of flooded soils in arid regions have been widely studied. There was a need to study the features of litho-morphogenesis and soil formation on the islands (residual and newly formed) and the coast of these reservoirs during the study of the Dnieper reservoirs. There is also a need to study successions of terrestrial and aquatic vegetation, as reservoirs are rapidly overgrown, reducing their water permeability. The research methods are land and water routes on the islands and reservoir coasts, standard methods of description and analysis of soil morphology and mapping of their distribution. The locations of soil profile were recorded with a GARMIN GPS receiver. Dynamics of hydromorphic landscapes in time and space on the islands were studied using Landsat and Sentinel satellites remote sensing data of Earth. Hydrological and morphological conditions and dynamics of vegetation cover as factors in the formation of the soil cover of the islands and reservoir coast were considered. It was done in order to assess the peculiarities of their profile, properties and recreational and economic value. It was established that the upper (river) part of the reservoir is dominated by soddy soils of varying degrees of gleyey, as well as meadow, meadow-swamp, and marsh soils. The formation of soils as the biotope basis of hydromorphic landscapes occurs differently on the "frontal" (mainly northern) part of the islands and on their rear (southern) part in accordance with the hydromorphological features and laws of litho-morphogenesis. Research is provided by the community with the Czech Institute "CzechGlobe" and has the further perspective of a scientific project of international scale.

ОЦЕНКА ЗАПАСОВ ОРГАНИЧЕСКОГО УГЛЕРОДА В ПОЧВЕННОМ ПОКРОВЕ ОСТРОВНЫХ ЭКОСИСТЕМ КУЙБЫШЕВСКОГО ВОДОХРАНИЛИЩА

Assessment of organic carbon stocks in soils and other components of ecosystems are becoming increasingly important as a necessary reference point for a reliable determination of the amount of greenhouse gas removals at country scale. The gradual tightening of carbon balance requirements dictates the urgency of the problem under consideration. The aim of the work was to assess the stocks of organic carbon in the soils of the islands of the Kazan region of the variable backwater of the Kuibyshev reservoir in the 0–20 cm layer, and also to determine which type of soils makes the greatest contribution to the sequestration of carbon. The reserves of organic carbon in the soils of the islands of the Kuibyshev water reservoir were determined in the area from the Zelenodolsk – Nizhnie Vyazovye bridge (55°49’27.1 «N; 48°31’05.6″E) to the islands in front of the Teteyevo village (55°24’11.8 «N; 49°07’59.6» E). Surveys of the islands’ soil cover and selection of the soil samples were carried out in 2018-2019. The calculation of the organic carbon content was carried out for the 0–20 cm layer. The calculations took into account the total carbon content in the organogenic, organic-mineral and mineral horizons. It was found that the highest carbon content in the upper soil layer was observed in the profile of marsh-podzolic soils – 51.7 t / ha. The lowest organic carbon content was noted in sod-alluvial soils (12.0 t / ha) and artificial sandy deposits (3.8 t / ha). Carbon stocks in soil profiles and proportion of carbon in organogenic horizons increased with increasing of hydromorphic properties in the following row: 1) sod-podzolic soil < marsh-podzolic soil; 2) light gray forest soil < gray forest gley soil; 3) sod-alluvial soil < alluvial meadow-marsh soil < marsh-alluvial soil. The total reserves of organic carbon in the islands’ soils were calculated taking into account the areas occupied by individual soil contours. The total stock of organic carbon in the 0–20 cm layer of the studied area of the water reservoir was 49,190.9 tons. About 83 % of the total stock of organic carbon stored in the form of humus of accumulative mineral horizons and only 17 % in the organogenic and organic-mineral horizons. It was shown that alluvial meadow-marsh (23,125.9 t) and sod-podzolic soils (8,957.5 t), occupying the largest areas on the territory of the islands, make the largest contribution to the organic carbon reserves. An interesting point is that on the islands of floodplain origin, a greater contribution to the total humus reserves was made by soils with pronounced hydromorphic properties – alluvial meadow-marsh soils and alluvial meadow soils. On the islands of terrace origin, the bulk of carbon was concentrated in automorphic soils. A possible reason is the features of the islands’ relief of different origins. Reasonable data on the rate of organic carbon accumulation were obtained only for alluvial marsh soils, the organogenic horizon of which was formed after the creation of the reservoir – 390 kg / ha annually. Flooded soils are the most promising reservoirs for organic carbon deposition from greenhouse gases. Thanks to the research carried out using accurate GPS referencing of soil profiles, the islands’ soils are becoming a very valuable object for monitoring the rate of organic carbon accumulation, the volume of absorption of greenhouse gases and the increase in total organic carbon stocks.

Aggravation of Nitrous Oxide Emissions Driven by Burrowing Crab Activities in Intertidal Marsh Soils: Mechanisms and Environmental Implications

Aggravation of Nitrous Oxide Emissions Driven by Burrowing Crab Activities in Intertidal Marsh Soils: Mechanisms and Environmental Implications

Estimates of protein in coastal marsh soils: A case study of the utility of the Bradford assay for quantifying soil protein

The fraction of soil protein extracted by autoclaving soil (AESP) has emerged as a potential indicator of available organic nitrogen (N), aggregate stability, and soil carbon (C) storage potential. Estimates of AESP are often based on colorimetric assays—primarily the Bradford assay—yet the results of these assays can be confounded by interference from polyphenolic contaminants of soil protein extracts. The extent to which polyphenolic interference in the Bradford assay may contribute to over- or underestimation of AESP content and whether a correction can be made for the interference has remained unclear. Here, we present a case study of how Bradford-based estimates of AESP compared to maximum and minimum estimates of AESP across two chronosequences of marsh soils that ranged widely in soil organic matter concentration (20–580 mg·g−1). Our maximum estimates were based on the amount of N in the dialyzed extracts; our minimum estimates were based on the proportion of the extracted N that was accounted for by hydrolysable amino acids. We observed that the Bradford-based estimates usually followed trends that were qualitatively similar to those of the maximum and minimum estimates across different marshes. However, the Bradford-based estimates were almost always greater than the maxima (by up to 450%) and never below the minima. This extent of overestimation was positively correlated with the C:N ratio of the extracts, but the relationships between the overestimates and C:N ratios differed between the two chronosequences. Contrary to what has been previously suggested, the dilution of extracts only exacerbated the extent of overestimation in the Bradford assay. Instead of a continued reliance on the Bradford assay for AESP measurements, we propose that the N content of semi-purified soil extracts serve as a surrogate metric for AESP, primarily because it may be more amenable to inter-study comparisons while still being feasible for most soil laboratories.

Soil Acidification, Mineral Neoformation and Heavy Metal Contamination Driven by Weathering of Sulphide Wastes in a Ramsar Wetland

Past waste disposal practices have left large volumes of sulphidic material stockpiled in a Ramsar wetland site on the Atlantic coast of southwestern Spain, leading to severe land degradation. With the aim of addressing this legacy issue, soil core samples were collected along two transects extending from the abandoned stockpiles to the adjacent marshland and subjected to XRD, SEM-EDS, ICP-OES and ICP-MS analyses. Sulphide oxidation has been shown to be a major driver of acid generation and metal leaching into the environment. The marsh soil receiving acid discharges from the sulphide wastes contains elevated levels (in mg kg−1) of Pb (up to 9838), As (up to 1538), Zn (up to 1486), Cu (up to 705), Sb (up to 225) and Tl (up to 13), which are retained both in relatively insoluble secondary minerals (mainly metal sulphates and oxides) and in easily soluble hydrated salts that serve as a transitory pool of acidity and available metals. By using a number of enrichment calculation methods that relate the metal concentrations in soil and their baseline concentrations and regulatory thresholds, there is enough evidence to conclude that these pollutants may pose an unacceptable risk to human and ecological receptors.

Inorganic and methylated mercury dynamics in estuarine water of a salt marsh in Massachusetts, USA

Salt marsh estuaries serve as sources and sinks for nutrients and elements to and from estuarine water, which enhances and alleviates watershed fluxes to the coastal ocean. We assessed sources and sinks of mercury in the intertidal Plum Island Sound estuary in Massachusetts, the largest salt marsh estuary of New England, using 25-km spatial water sampling transects. Across all seasons, dissolved (FHg) and total (THg) mercury concentrations in estuarine water were highest and strongly enhanced in upper marshes (1.31 ± 0.20 ng L−1 and 6.56 ± 3.70 ng L−1, respectively), compared to riverine Hg concentrations (0.86 ± 0.17 ng L−1 and 0.88 ± 0.34 ng L−1, respectively). Mercury concentrations declined from upper to lower marshes and were lowest in ocean water (0.38 ± 0.10 ng L−1 and 0.56 ± 0.25 ng L−1, respectively). Conservative mixing models using river and ocean water as endmembers indicated that internal estuarine Hg sources strongly enhanced estuarine water Hg concentrations. For FHg, internal estuarine Hg contributions were estimated at 26 g yr−1 which enhanced Hg loads from riverine sources to the ocean by 44%. For THg, internal sources amounted to 251 g yr−1 and exceeded riverine sources six-fold. Proposed sources for internal estuarine mercury contributions include atmospheric deposition to the large estuarine surface area and sediment re-mobilization, although sediment Hg concentrations were low (average 23 ± 2 μg kg−1) typical of uncontaminated sediments. Soil mercury concentrations under vegetation, however, were ten times higher (average 200 ± 225 μg kg−1) than in intertidal sediments suggesting that high soil Hg accumulation might drive lateral export of Hg to the ocean. Spatial transects of methylated Hg (MeHg) showed no concentration enhancements in estuarine water and no indication of internal MeHg sources or formation. Initial mass balance considerations suggest that atmospheric deposition may either be in similar magnitude, or possibly exceed lateral tidal export which would be consistent with strong Hg accumulation observed in salt marsh soils sequestering Hg from current and past atmospheric deposition.

Spatial and temporal comparisons of salt marsh soil fungal communities following the deepwater horizon spill

Spatial and temporal comparisons of salt marsh soil fungal communities following the deepwater horizon spill

Enrichment and Fractionation of Rare Earth Elements in an Estuarine Marsh Soil Receiving Acid Discharges from Legacy Sulfide Mine Wastes

This paper provides new insights into the geochemical cycling of rare earth elements (REEs) in acid sulfate soils developed on salt marsh sediments of the Huelva estuary (Spain) as a result of sulfide mineral oxidation in abandoned ore stockpiles. The study was aimed at determining the REE abundance, fractionation pattern and mineralogical control of the dispersal and retention of REEs in the soil system. Forty-one samples were collected at 13 core sampling sites along two transects extending across the degraded marshland, and they were subjected to XRD, ESEM-EDS and ICP-MS analyses. Measurements revealed that the soil receiving acid discharges has relatively high concentrations of ΣREEs (174.77 ± 19.77 mg kg−1) compared to local baseline concentrations. Shale-normalized REE patterns are generally flat, but a slight middle REE (MREE) enrichment is consistently apparent in all soil samples, involving relatively low LaN/GdN ratios (0.83 ± 0.08) and GdN/LuN ratios up to 1.42. The convex-upward REE pattern supports the possibility that iron oxy-hydroxide minerals play an important role in MREE retention through adsorption and co-precipitation mechanisms. Efflorescent sulfate salts left on the topsoil by the evaporation of acid waters show a strong depletion of light REEs (LaN/GdN = 0.16 ± 0.10) and act as a temporary reservoir of labile MREEs and heavy REEs during dry periods.

Phosphorus retention within a relic agricultural ditch in a constructed wetland.

Stormwater treatment areas (STAs) are constructed wetlands established to capture phosphorus (P) from agricultural runoff before reaching the Florida Everglades. Retained P is primarily stored in wetland soils and sediments generated through a collection of interrelated physical, chemical, and biological processes. The amount of P and other elements (Al, Ca, Cu, Fe, Mg, Mn, Pb, and Zn) retained in the flocculent (floc) and recently accreted soil (RAS) horizons from a relic agricultural ditch within Cell 4S of STA-1E were compared with the surrounding marsh soils (upstream and downstream sites of the ditch). The amount of P retained in the ditch was significantly greater than the surrounding marsh soils and for all the elements in the floc horizon and five of the nine elements in the RAS horizon, suggesting that different processes or process rates influenced accumulation. Phosphorus species in the floc and RAS sediment horizons were identified and quantified using 31 P nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy and total P determined by microwave plasma-optical emission spectroscopy. In general, P forms were dominated by orthophosphate, sugar phosphates, nucleotides, DNA, and pyrophosphate, with varying relative abundances of species. Total P concentration significantly decreased from upstream to downstream of the ditch by an average of 28 and 35% for floc and RAS soils, respectively. The relatively high P accrual rate within the ditch suggested that relic ditches perpendicular to flow could reduce P transport to downstream soils and sediments and, in turn, help maintain low P levels in overlying water.