Abstract
Coastal marshes are important blue carbon reservoirs, but it is unclear how vegetation shifts associated with tidal restoration and sea level rise alter soil microbial respiration rates and bacterial community composition. Within 20 Connecticut salt marshes (10 without tidal restrictions, 10 tidally restored), we sampled three vegetation zones dominated by Spartina alterniflora (short-form, < 30 cm tall), S. patens, and Phragmites australis to estimate microbial respiration rates (SIR, substrate-induced respiration; carbon mineralization), root zone bacterial 16S rRNA genes, and a suite of plant and soil characteristics. Carbon density was greater in unrestricted marshes than tidally restored marshes and was the only parameter that differed among sites with varying restoration histories. We observed strong differences among vegetation zones, with vegetation being a top predictor of both SIR and carbon mineralization. Electrical conductivity (EC) was also a top predictor for SIR, and we observed strong, positive correlations between EC and both metrics of microbial respiration, with elevated rates in more frequently inundated S. alterniflora than P. australis zones. We also observed distinct root zone microbial communities associated with vegetation zones, with greater abundance of sulfate-reducing bacteria in Spartina spp. zones. Our findings suggest that dominant salt marsh vegetation zones are useful indicators of hydrologic conditions and could be used to estimate microbial respiration rates; however, it is still unclear whether differences in microbial respiration and community composition among vegetation zones are driven by plant community, environmental conditions, or their interactions.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Ai, C., G. Liang, J. Sun, X. Wang, P. He, W. Zhou, and X. He. 2015. Reduced dependence of rhizosphere microbiome on plant-derived carbon in 32-year long-term inorganic and organic fertilized soils. Soil Biology and Biochemistry 80: 70–78. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.soilbio.2014.09.028.
Anderson, J.P.E., and K.H. Domsch. 1978. A physiological method for the quantitative measurement of microbial biomass in soils. Soil Biology and Biochemistry 10 (3): 215–221. https://doi.org/10.1016/0038-0717(78)90099-8.
APHA. 1999. Standard methods for the examination of water. DC: Washington.
Ballantine, K., and R. Schneider. 2009. Fifty-five years of soil development in restored freshwater depressional wetlands. Ecological Applications 19 (6): 1467–1480. https://doi.org/10.1890/07-0588.1.
Barbier, E.B., S.D. Hacker, C. Kennedy, E.W. Koch, A.C. Stier, and B.R. Silliman. 2011. The value of estuarine and coastal ecosystem services. Ecological Monographs 81 (2): 169–193. https://doi.org/10.1890/10-1510.1.
Bertness, M.D. 1991. Zonation of Spartina patens and Spartina alterniflora in New England Salt Marsh. Ecology 72 (1): 138–148. https://doi.org/10.2307/1938909.
Blazewicz, S.J., R.L. Barnard, R.A. Daly, and M.K. Firestone. 2013. Evaluating rRNA as an indicator of microbial activity in environmental communities: limitations and uses. The ISME Journal 7 (11): 2061–2068. https://doi.org/10.1038/ismej.2013.102.
Boon, J.D. 2012. Evidence of sea level acceleration at U.S. and Canadian Tide Stations, Atlantic Coast, North America. Journal of Coastal Research 285: 1437–1445. https://doi.org/10.2112/JCOASTRES-D-12-00102.1.
Bowen, J.L., B.C. Crump, L.A. Deegan, and J.E. Hobbie. 2009. Salt marsh sediment bacteria: their distribution and response to external nutrient inputs. ISME Journal 3 (8): 924–934. https://doi.org/10.1038/ismej.2009.44.
Brune, A., P. Frenzel, and H. Cypionka. 2000. Life at the oxic-anoxic interface: microbial activities and adaptations. FEMS Microbiology Reviews 24 (5): 691–710. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0168-6445(00)00054-1.
Burdick, D.M., M. Dionne, R.M. Boumans, and F.T. Short. 1996. Ecological responses to tidal restorations of two northern New England salt marshes. Wetlands Ecology and Management 4 (2): 129–144. https://doi.org/10.1007/bf01876233.
Caporaso, J.G., C.L. Lauber, W.A. Walters, D. Berg-Lyons, J. Huntley, N. Fierer, S.M. Owens, J. Betley, L. Fraser, and M. Bauer. 2012. Ultra-high-throughput microbial community analysis on the Illumina HiSeq and MiSeq platforms. The ISME Journal 6 (8): 1621–1624.
Castellano, M.J., K.E. Mueller, D.C. Olk, J.E. Sawyer, and J. Six. 2015. Integrating plant litter quality, soil organic matter stabilization, and the carbon saturation concept. Global Change Biology 21 (9): 3200–3209. https://doi.org/10.1111/gcb.12982.
Chambers, L.G., S.E. Davis, T. Troxler, J.N. Boyer, A. Downey-Wall, and L.J. Scinto. 2014. Biogeochemical effects of simulated sea level rise on carbon loss in an Everglades mangrove peat soil. Hydrobiologia 726 (1): 195–211. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10750-013-1764-6.
Chambers, R.M., L.A. Meyerson, and K. Saltonstall. 1999. Expansion of Phragmites australis into tidal wetlands of North America. Aquatic Botany 64 (3-4): 261–273. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0304-3770(99)00055-8.
Chapman, S.K., M.A. Hayes, B. Kelly, and J.A. Langley. 2019. Exploring the oxygen sensitivity of wetland soil carbon mineralization. Biology Letters 15 (1): 20180407. https://doi.org/10.1098/rsbl.2018.0407.
Chaudhary, D.R., J. Kim, and H. Kang. 2018. Influences of different halophyte vegetation on soil microbial community at temperate salt marsh. Microbial Ecology 75 (3): 729–738. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00248-017-1083-y.
Chmura, G.L., S.C. Anisfeld, D.R. Cahoon, and J.C. Lynch. 2003. Global carbon sequestration in tidal, saline wetland soils. Global Biogeochemical Cycles 17 (4). https://doi.org/10.1029/2002gb001917.
Chrzanowski, T.H., and J.D. Spurrier. 1987. Exchange of microbial biomass between a Spartina alterniflora marsh and the adjacent tidal creek. Estuaries. 10 (2): 118. https://doi.org/10.2307/1352175.
Donato, M., O. Johnson, B. Steven, and B.A. Lawrence. 2020. Nitrogen enrichment stimulates wetland plant responses whereas salt amendments alter sediment microbial communities and biogeochemical responses. PLoS One 15 (7): e0235225. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0235225.
Doody, J.P. 2004. “Coastal squeeze” - An historical perspective. Journal of Coastal Conservation 10 (1): 129. https://doi.org/10.1652/1400-0350(2004)010[0129:CSAHP]2.0.CO;2.
Doroski, A.A., A.M. Helton, and T.M. Vadas. 2019. Denitrification potential and carbon mineralization in restored and unrestored coastal wetland soils across an urban landscape. Wetlands. 39 (4): 895–906. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13157-019-01128-z.
Elmer, W.H., P. Thiel, and B. Steven. 2017. Response of sediment bacterial communities to sudden vegetation dieback in a coastal wetland. Phytobiomes Journal. 1 (1): 5–13. https://doi.org/10.1094/PBIOMES-09-16-0006-R.
Emery, H.E., and R.W. Fulweiler. 2014. Spartina alterniflora and invasive Phragmites australis stands have similar greenhouse gas emissions in a New England marsh. Aquatic Botany 116: 83–92. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aquabot.2014.01.010.
Farrar, J., M. Hawes, D. Jones, and S. Lindow. 2003. How roots control the flux of carbon to the rhizosphere. Ecology. 84 (4): 827–837. https://doi.org/10.1890/0012-9658(2003)084[0827:HRCTFO]2.0.CO;2.
Field, C.R., C. Gjerdrum, and C.S. Elphick. 2016. Forest resistance to sea-level rise prevents landward migration of tidal marsh. Biological Conservation 201: 363–369. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2016.07.035.
Fierer, N., M.A. Bradford, and R.B. Jackson. 2007. Toward an ecological classification of soil bacteria. Ecology. 88 (6): 1354–1364. https://doi.org/10.1890/05-1839.
Fourqueen, J., B. Johnson, J.B. Kauffman, H. Kennedy, C.E. Lovelock, D.M. Alongi, M. Cifuentes, et al. 2014. Field sampling of soil carbon pools in coastal ecosystems. Coastal Blue Carbon: Methods for assessing carbon stocks and emissions factors in mangroves. tidal marshes. and seagrass meadows.
Freeman, C., N. Ostle, and H. Kang. 2001. An enzymic “latch” on a global carbon store. Nature. 409 (6817): 149. https://doi.org/10.1038/35051650.
Gedan, K., B. Bromberg, R. Silliman, and M.D. Bertness. 2009. Centuries of human-driven change in salt marsh ecosystems. Annual Review of Marine Science 1 (1): 117–141. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.marine.010908.163930.
Gkarmiri, K., S. Mahmood, A. Ekblad, S. Alström, N. Högberg, and R. Finlay. 2017. Identifying the active microbiome associated with roots and rhizosphere soil of oilseed rape. Applied and Environmental Microbiology 83 (22). https://doi.org/10.1128/AEM.01938-17.
Grayston, S.J., S. Wang, C.D. Campbell, and A.C. Edwards. 1998. Selective influence of plant species on microbial diversity in the rhizosphere. Soil Biology and Biochemistry 30 (3): 369–378. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0038-0717(97)00124-7.
Gutknecht, J.L.M., R.M. Goodman, and T.C. Balser. 2006. Linking soil process and microbial ecology in freshwater wetland ecosystems. Plant and Soil 289 (1-2): 17–34. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-006-9105-4.
Holmquist, J.R., L. Windham-Myers, N. Bliss, S. Crooks, J.T. Morris, J.P. Megonigal, T. Troxler, D. Weller, J. Callaway, J. Drexler, M.C. Ferner, M.E. Gonneea, K.D. Kroeger, L. Schile-Beers, I. Woo, K. Buffington, J. Breithaupt, B.M. Boyd, L.N. Brown, N. Dix, L. Hice, B.P. Horton, G.M. MacDonald, R.P. Moyer, W. Reay, T. Shaw, E. Smith, J.M. Smoak, C. Sommerfield, K. Thorne, D. Velinsky, E. Watson, K.W. Grimes, and M. Woodrey. 2018. Accuracy and precision of tidal wetland soil carbon mapping in the conterminous United States. Scientific Reports 8 (1): 9478. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-018-26948-7.
Hu, Y., L. Wang, X. Fu, J. Yan, J. Wu, Y. Tsang, Y. Le, and Y. Sun. 2016. Salinity and nutrient contents of tidal water affects soil respiration and carbon sequestration of high and low tidal flats of Jiuduansha wetlands in different ways. The Science of the Total Environment 565: 637–648. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2016.05.004.
Hunter, B.A., R.S. Warren, and R.A. Askins. 1998. Bird use of restoration and reference marshes within the Barn Island Wildlife Management Area, Stonington, Connecticut, USA. Environmental Management 22 (4): 625–633. https://doi.org/10.1007/s002679900134.
Johnson, O.F., S.C. Lishawa, and B.A. Lawrence. 2019. Submerged harvest reduces invasive Typha and increases soil macronutrient availability. Plant and Soil 442 (Springer): 157–167.
Kearns, P.J., J.H. Angell, E.M. Howard, L.A. Deegan, R.H.R. Stanley, and J.L. Bowen. 2016. Nutrient enrichment induces dormancy and decreases diversity of active bacteria in salt marsh sediments. Nature Communications 7 (1). https://doi.org/10.1038/ncomms12881.
Keeney, D.R., and D.W. Nelson. 1983. Nitrogen-Inorganic Forms. In Methods of soil analyses, ed. A. Page and D. Keeney, 643–698. Ltd: John Wiley & Sons. https://doi.org/10.2134/agronmonogr9.2.2ed.c33.
Keuskamp, J.A., B.J.J. Dingemans, T. Lehtinen, J.M. Sarneel, and M.M. Hefting. 2013. Tea Bag Index: A novel approach to collect uniform decomposition data across ecosystems. Methods in Ecology and Evolution. https://doi.org/10.1111/2041-210X.12097.
Kim, S., J. Kang, J.P. Megonigal, H. Kang, J. Seo, and W. Ding. 2018. Impacts of Phragmites australis invasion on soil enzyme activities and microbial abundance of tidal marshes. Microbial Ecology 76 (3): 782–790. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00248-018-1168-2.
Konisky, R.A., D.M. Burdick, M. Dionne, and H.A. Neckles. 2006. A regional assessment of salt marsh restoration and monitoring in the Gulf of Maine. Restoration Ecology 14 (4): 516–525. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1526-100X.2006.00163.x.
Kozich, J.J, S.L. Westcott, N.T Baxter, S.K. Highlander, and P.D. Schloss. 2013. Development of a dual-index sequencing strategy and curation pipeline for analyzing amplicon sequence data on the MiSeq Illumina sequencing platform. Applied and Environmental Microbiology. 79. Am Soc Microbiol: 5112–5120.
Krauss, K.W., and J.L. Whitbeck. 2012. Soil greenhouse gas fluxes during wetland forest retreat along the lower savannah river, Georgia (USA). Wetlands. 32 (1): 73–81. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13157-011-0246-8.
Kristensen, E., S. Bouillon, T. Dittmar, and C. Marchand. 2008. Organic carbon dynamics in mangrove ecosystems: A review. Aquatic Botany 89 (2): 201–219. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aquabot.2007.12.005.
Kroeger, K.D., S. Crooks, S. Moseman-Valtierra, and J. Tang. 2017. Restoring tides to reduce methane emissions in impounded wetlands: A new and potent blue carbon climate change intervention. Scientific Reports 7 (1): 11914. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-017-12138-4.
Ladygina, N., and K. Hedlund. 2010. Plant species influence microbial diversity and carbon allocation in the rhizosphere. Soil Biology and Biochemistry 42 (2): 162–168. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.soilbio.2009.10.009.
Love, M.I., W. Huber, and S. Anders. 2014. Moderated estimation of fold change and dispersion for RNA-seq data with DESeq2. Genome Biology 15 (12): 550. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13059-014-0550-8.
Luo, M., J.F. Huang, W.F. Zhu, and C. Tong. 2019. Impacts of increasing salinity and inundation on rates and pathways of organic carbon mineralization in tidal wetlands: a review. Hydrobiologia. 827 (1): 31–49. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10750-017-3416-8.
Martin, R.M, and S. Moseman-Valtierra. 2015. Greenhouse gas fluxes vary between Phragmites australis and native vegetation zones in coastal wetlands along a salinity gradient. Wetlands 35. Springer: 1021–1031.
McLeod, E., G.L. Chmura, S. Bouillon, R. Salm, M. Björk, C.M. Duarte, C.E. Lovelock, W.H. Schlesinger, and B.R. Silliman. 2011. A blueprint for blue carbon: toward an improved understanding of the role of vegetated coastal habitats in sequestering CO2. Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment 9 (10): 552–560. https://doi.org/10.1890/110004.
Miller, W.R., and F.E. Egler. 1950. Vegetation of the Wequetequock-Pawcatuck Tidal-Marshes, Connecticut. Ecological Monographs 20 (2): 143–172. https://doi.org/10.2307/1943548.
Moreno-Mateos, D., M.E. Power, F.A. Comín, and R. Yockteng. 2012. Structural and functional loss in restored wetland ecosystems. PLoS Biology 10: e1001247. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pbio.1001247.
Morrissey, E.M., J.L. Gillespie, J.C. Morina, and R.B. Franklin. 2014. Salinity affects microbial activity and soil organic matter content in tidal wetlands. Global Change Biology 20 (4): 1351–1362. https://doi.org/10.1111/gcb.12431.
Moseman-Valtierra, S., O.I. Abdul-Aziz, J. Tang, K.S. Ishtiaq, K. Morkeski, J. Mora, R.K. Quinn, R.M. Martin, K. Egan, E.Q. Brannon, J. Carey, and K.D. Kroeger. 2016. Carbon dioxide fluxes reflect plant zonation and belowground biomass in a coastal Marsh. Ecosphere 7 (11). https://doi.org/10.1002/ecs2.1560.
Mozdzer, T.J., J.A. Langley, P. Mueller, and J.P. Megonigal. 2016. Deep rooting and global change facilitate spread of invasive grass. Biological Invasions 18 (9): 2619–2631. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10530-016-1156-8.
Mozdzer, T.J, and J.P. Megonigal. 2013. Increased methane emissions by an introduced Phragmites australis lineage under global change. Wetlands 33. Springer: 609–615.
Mueller, P., K. Jensen, and J.P. Megonigal. 2016. Plants mediate soil organic matter decomposition in response to sea level rise. Global Change Biology 22 (1): 404–414. https://doi.org/10.1111/gcb.13082.
Nahlik, A.M., and M.S. Fennessy. 2016. Carbon storage in US wetlands. Nature Communications 7 (1). https://doi.org/10.1038/ncomms13835.
Pascault, N., L. Ranjard, A. Kaisermann, D. Bachar, R. Christen, S. Terrat, O. Mathieu, J. Lévêque, C. Mougel, C. Henault, P. Lemanceau, M. Péan, S. Boiry, S. Fontaine, and P.A. Maron. 2013. Stimulation of different functional groups of bacteria by various plant residues as a driver of soil priming effect. Ecosystems. 16 (5): 810–822. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10021-013-9650-7.
Pietrangelo, L., A. Bucci, L. Maiuro, D. Bulgarelli, and G. Naclerio. 2018. Unraveling the composition of the root-associated bacterial microbiota of Phragmites australis and Typha latifolia. Frontiers in Microbiology 9. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2018.01650.
Quast, C., E. Pruesse, P. Yilmaz, J. Gerken, T. Schweer, P. Yarza, J. Peplies, and F.O. Glöckner. 2013. The SILVA ribosomal RNA gene database project: Improved data processing and web-based tools. Nucleic Acids Research 41 (D1): D590–D596. https://doi.org/10.1093/nar/gks1219.
R Core Team (2019). 2019. R: A language and environment for statistical computing. Accessed 1st April 2019.
Raposa, K.B., R.L.J. Weber, M.C. Ekberg, and W. Ferguson. 2017. Vegetation dynamics in Rhode Island salt marshes during a period of accelerating sea level rise and extreme sea level events. Estuaries and Coasts 40 (3): 640–650. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12237-015-0018-4.
Ravit, B., J.G. Ehrenfeld, and M.M. Haggblom. 2003. A comparison of sediment microbial communities associated with Phragmites australis and Spartina alterniflora in two brackish wetlands of New Jersey. Estuaries. 26 (2): 465–474. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02823723.
Rietl, A.J., M.E. Overlander, A.J. Nyman, and C.R. Jackson. 2016. Microbial community composition and extracellular enzyme activities associated with Juncus roemerianus and Spartina alterniflora vegetated sediments in Louisiana saltmarshes. Microbial Ecology 71 (2): 290–303. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00248-015-0651-2.
Roman, C.T., W.A. Niering, and R.S. Warren. 1984. Salt marsh vegetation change in response to tidal restriction. Environmental Management 8 (2): 141–149. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01866935.
Roman, C.T., K.B. Raposa, S.C. Adamowicz, M.J. James-Pirri, and J.G. Catena. 2002. Quantifying vegetation and nekton response to tidal restoration of a New England salt marsh. Restoration Ecology 10 (3): 450–460. https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1526-100X.2002.01036.x.
Rozsa, R. 2012. Restoration of tidal flow to degraded tidal wetlands in Connecticut. In In Tidal Marsh Restoration: A Synthesis of Science and Management, 147–155. Island: Press-Center for Resource Economics. https://doi.org/10.5822/978-1-61091-229-7_8.
Sallenger, A.H., K.S. Doran, and P.A. Howd. 2012. Hotspot of accelerated sea-level rise on the Atlantic coast of North America. Nature Climate Change 2 (12): 884–888. https://doi.org/10.1038/nclimate1597.
Sandi, S.G., J.F. Rodríguez, N. Saintilan, G. Riccardi, and P.M. Saco. 2018. Rising tides, rising gates: The complex ecogeomorphic response of coastal wetlands to sea-level rise and human interventions. Advances in Water Resources 114: 135–148. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.advwatres.2018.02.006.
Santini, N.S., C.E. Lovelock, Q. Hua, A. Zawadzki, D. Mazumder, T.R. Mercer, M. Muñoz-Rojas, S.A. Hardwick, B.S. Madala, W. Cornwell, T. Thomas, E.M. Marzinelli, P. Adam, S. Paul, and A. Vergés. 2019. Natural and regenerated saltmarshes exhibit similar soil and belowground organic carbon stocks, root production and soil respiration. Ecosystems 22: 1803–1822.
Schloss, P.D, S.L. Westcott, T. Ryabin, J.R. Hall, M. Hartmann, E.B Hollister, R.A Lesniewski, B.B Oakley, D.H Parks, and C.J. Robinson. 2009. Introducing mothur: open-source, platform-independent, community-supported software for describing and comparing microbial communities. Applied and Environmental Microbiology. 75. Am Soc Microbiol: 7537–7541.
Shepard, C.C., C.M. Crain, and M.W. Beck. 2011. The protective role of coastal marshes: A systematic review and meta-analysis. PLoS One 6 (11): e27374. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0027374.
Simon, M.R., G.P. Zogg, and S.E. Travis. 2017. Impacts of sea-level rise on sediment microbial community structure and function in two New England salt marshes, USA. Journal of Soils and Sediments 17 (12): 2847–2855. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11368-017-1710-8.
Sinsabaugh, R.L. 2010. Phenol oxidase, peroxidase and organic matter dynamics of soil. Soil Biology and Biochemistry. Pergamon. 42 (3): 391–404. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.soilbio.2009.10.014.
Smith, S.M. 2014. Vegetation change in salt marshes of Cape Cod national seashore (Massachusetts, USA) between 1984 and 2013. Wetlands 35 (1): 127–136. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13157-014-0601-7.
Sutton-Grier, A.E., and J.P. Megonigal. 2011. Plant species traits regulate methane production in freshwater wetland soils. Soil Biology and Biochemistry 43. Elsevier Ltd: 413–420. 43 (2): 413–420. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.soilbio.2010.11.009.
Warren, R.S., P.E. Fell, R. Rozsa, A.H. Brawley, A.C. Orsted, E.T. Olson, V. Swamy, and W.A. Niering. 2002. Salt marsh restoration in Connecticut: 20 years of science and management. Restoration Ecology 10 (3): 497–513. https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1526-100X.2002.01031.x.
Watson, E.B., K.B. Raposa, J.C. Carey, C. Wigand, and R.S. Warren. 2017. Anthropocene survival of southern New England’s salt marshes. Estuaries and Coasts 40. Estuaries and Coasts: 617–625. 40 (3): 617–625. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12237-016-0166-1.
West, A.W., and G.P. Sparling. 1986. Modifications to the substrate-induced respiration method to permit measurement of microbial biomass in soils of differing water contents. Journal of Microbiological Methods 5. Elsevier: 177–189. 5 (3-4): 177–189. https://doi.org/10.1016/0167-7012(86)90012-6.
Windham, L., and R.G. Lathrop. 1999. Effects of Phragmites australis (common reed) invasion on aboveground biomass and soil properties in brackish tidal marsh of the Mullica River, New Jersey. Estuaries 22 (4): 927. https://doi.org/10.2307/1353072.
Yarwood, S.A. 2018. The role of wetland microorganisms in plant-litter decomposition and soil organic matter formation: A critical review. FEMS Microbiology Ecology 94 (11). https://doi.org/10.1093/femsec/fiy175.
Funding
This manuscript is a resulting product from project R/CMB-42-CTNY funded under award LI96172701, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, on behalf of Connecticut Sea Grant, and in collaboration with New York Sea Grant. The statements, findings, conclusions, views and recommendations are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of any of those organizations. This project was also supported by the Connecticut Institute for Resilience and Climate Adaptation’s (CIRCA) Matching Funds Program. BS was supported by the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture Hatch Grant 1006211. Roger Wolfe and Harry Yamalis provided logistical support, and Branford Land Trust, Groton Long Point Association, Milford Land Trust and the town of Guilford granted us access to their property. Alaina Bisson, Kayleigh Granville, Olivia Johnson, and Samantha Walker assisted with field sampling and laboratory processing.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Ethics declarations
Conflict of Interest
The authors declare no competing interests.
Additional information
Communicated by Lijun Hou
Supplementary Information
ESM 1
(DOCX 38 kb)
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Barry, A., Ooi, S.K., Helton, A.M. et al. Vegetation Zonation Predicts Soil Carbon Mineralization and Microbial Communities in Southern New England Salt Marshes. Estuaries and Coasts 45, 168–180 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12237-021-00943-0
Received:
Revised:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12237-021-00943-0