MEPS Marine Ecology Progress Series Contact the journal Facebook Twitter RSS Mailing List Subscribe to our mailing list via Mailchimp HomeLatest VolumeAbout the JournalEditorsTheme Sections MEPS 441:33-47 (2011) - DOI: https://doi.org/10.3354/meps09362 In situ production and respiration of the benthic community during emersion on subtropical intertidal sandflats Li-Hua Lee1,2, Li-Yung Hsieh1,2, Hsing-Juh Lin2,3,* 1Endemic Species Research Institute, Jiji, Nantou 552, Taiwan 2Department of Life Sciences, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung 402, Taiwan 3Biodiversity Research Center, Academia Sinica, Taipei 115, Taiwan *Email: hjlin@dragon.nchu.edu.tw ABSTRACT: In situ benthic community production and respiration during emersion were measured monthly in the course of a 19 mo survey from June 2008 to December 2009 by monitoring CO2 fluxes in benthic chambers on intertidal sandflats of a subtropical coastal wetland. Maximum gross community production (GCPm) and community respiration (CR) all exhibited higher values in summer and fall and lower values in spring and winter. GCPm and CR were positively correlated with air temperature. Temperature coefficients (Q10) showed that a rise of 10°C would increase the GCPm and CR by factors of 3.72 and 4.80, respectively. GCPm was also positively correlated with sediment grain size and negatively correlated with the silt/clay content. CR exhibited a strong positive correlation with sediment chlorophyll a concentration and macrofaunal biomass. To provide an accurate annual budget of benthic production during emersion, corrections were considered for cloudiness and the time lag between emersion and maximum production due to vertical migration of benthic diatoms and variations in CR during nighttime emersion periods. Annual net community production (NCP) during emersion on sandflats was estimated to be 2.87 g C m−2 yr−1, indicating an autotrophic system. However, taking into account the variation in benthic metabolism during immersion, the subtropical intertidal sandflats shifted to a heterotrophic system, and annual NCP was calculated to be −91.47 g C m−2 yr−1. KEY WORDS: Carbon sink · Gross community production · Community respiration · Net community production · Sediment granulometry · Kaomei Wetland · Taiwan Full text in pdf format PreviousNextCite this article as: Lee LH, Hsieh LY, Lin HJ (2011) In situ production and respiration of the benthic community during emersion on subtropical intertidal sandflats. Mar Ecol Prog Ser 441:33-47. https://doi.org/10.3354/meps09362 Export citation RSS - Facebook - Tweet - linkedIn Cited by Published in MEPS Vol. 441. Online publication date: November 15, 2011 Print ISSN: 0171-8630; Online ISSN: 1616-1599 Copyright © 2011 Inter-Research.