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Seasonal nutrient fluxes variability of northern salt marshes: examples from the lower St. Lawrence Estuary

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Abstract

This study presents the tidal exchange of ammonium, nitrite + nitrate, phosphate and silicate between two salt marshes and adjacent estuarine waters. Marsh nutrient fluxes were evaluated for Pointe-au-Père and Pointe-aux-Épinettes salt marshes, both located along the south shore of the lower St. Lawrence Estuary in Rimouski area (QC, Canada). Using nutrients field data, high precision bathymetric records and a hydrodynamic numerical model (MIKE21-NHD) forced with predicted tides, nutrients fluxes were estimated through salt marsh outlet cross-sections at four different periods of the year 2004 (March, May, July and November). Calculated marsh nutrient fluxes are discussed in relation with stream inputs, biotic and abiotic marsh processes and the incidence of sea ice cover. In both marshes, the results show the occurrence of year-round and seaward NH4 + fluxes and landward NO2 − + NO3 − fluxes (ranging from 9.06 to 30.48 mg N day−1 m−2 and from −32.07 to −9.59 mg N day−1 m−2, respectively) as well as variable PO4 3− and Si(OH)4 fluxes (ranging from −3.73 to 6.34 mg P day−1 m−2 and from −29.19 to 21.91 mg Si day−1 m−2, respectively). These results suggest that NO2 − + NO3 − input to marshes can be a significant source of NH4 + through dissimilatory nitrate reduction to ammonium (DNRA). This NH4 +, accumulating in marsh sediment rather than being removed through coupled nitrification–denitrification or biological assimilation, is exported toward estuarine waters. From average P and Si tidal fluxes analysis, both salt marshes act as a sink during high productivity period (May and July) and as a source, supplying estuarine water during low productivity period (November and March).

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Acknowledgments

This research was funded by Natural Science and Engineering Research Council (NSERC-Discovery grant E.P.) and the Canada Research Chair in Ecotoxicology (E.P.). The authors gratefully acknowledge ISMER technical support as well as Dr. K. Lemarchand and M. Desève for biological data acquisition. This paper is a contribution to Quebec-Ocean network (FQRNT).

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  1. Institut des Sciences de la Mer de Rimouski (ISMER), Université du Québec à Rimouski, 310 allée des Ursulines, Rimouski, QC, G5L 3A1, Canada

    Patrick Poulin, Émilien Pelletier, Vladimir G. Koutitonski & Urs Neumeier

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  2. Émilien Pelletier
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Correspondence to Émilien Pelletier.

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Poulin, P., Pelletier, É., Koutitonski, V.G. et al. Seasonal nutrient fluxes variability of northern salt marshes: examples from the lower St. Lawrence Estuary. Wetlands Ecol Manage 17, 655–673 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11273-009-9141-y

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