Preprints
https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2023-2784
https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2023-2784
18 Dec 2023
 | 18 Dec 2023

Spatial patterns of Organic Matter content in the surface soil of the salt marshes of the Venice Lagoon (Italy)

Alice Puppin, Davide Tognin, Massimiliano Ghinassi, Erica Franceschinis, Nicola Realdon, Marco Marani, and Andrea D'Alpaos

Abstract. Salt marshes are crucial eco-geomorphic features of tidal environments as they provide numerous important ecological functions and deliver a wide range of ecosystem services that contribute to human well-being. Being controlled by the interplay between hydrodynamics, geomorphology and vegetation, the deposition of both organic matter (OM) and inorganic sediments drives salt-marsh vertical accretion. This allows marshes to keep pace with relative sea-level rise, and likewise capture and store carbon, making them valuable allies in climate mitigation strategies. Thus, Soil Organic Matter (SOM), i.e. the organic component of the soil, plays a key role within salt-marsh environments, directly contributing to soil formation and supporting carbon storage. This study aims at inspecting spatial patterns of OM in surface salt-marsh soils, providing further insights into the physical and biological factors driving OM dynamics, affecting salt-marsh survival and carbon sink potential. Our results reveal two scales of variations in sedimentary OM content in salt-marsh soils. At the marsh scale OM variability is influenced by the interplay between surface elevation and changes in sediment supply linked with the distance from tidal channels. At the system scale, OM content distribution is dominated by the gradient generated by marine and fluvial influence. Variations in inorganic and organic inputs, both autochthonous and allochthonous, sediment grain size, and preservation conditions may explain the observed variations in SOM. Our results highlight marsh importance as carbon sink environments, furthermore emphasizing that environmental conditions within a tidal system may generate strongly variable and site-specific carbon accumulation patterns, enhancing blue carbon assessment complexity.

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Journal article(s) based on this preprint

18 Jun 2024
Spatial patterns of organic matter content in the surface soil of the salt marshes of the Venice Lagoon (Italy)
Alice Puppin, Davide Tognin, Massimiliano Ghinassi, Erica Franceschinis, Nicola Realdon, Marco Marani, and Andrea D'Alpaos
Biogeosciences, 21, 2937–2954, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-2937-2024,https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-2937-2024, 2024
Short summary
Alice Puppin, Davide Tognin, Massimiliano Ghinassi, Erica Franceschinis, Nicola Realdon, Marco Marani, and Andrea D'Alpaos

Interactive discussion

Status: closed

Comment types: AC – author | RC – referee | CC – community | EC – editor | CEC – chief editor | : Report abuse
  • RC1: 'Comment on egusphere-2023-2784', Anonymous Referee #1, 29 Jan 2024
    • AC1: 'Reply on RC1', Alice Puppin, 21 Feb 2024
  • RC2: 'Comment on egusphere-2023-2784', Anonymous Referee #2, 01 Feb 2024
    • AC2: 'Reply on RC2', Alice Puppin, 21 Feb 2024

Interactive discussion

Status: closed

Comment types: AC – author | RC – referee | CC – community | EC – editor | CEC – chief editor | : Report abuse
  • RC1: 'Comment on egusphere-2023-2784', Anonymous Referee #1, 29 Jan 2024
    • AC1: 'Reply on RC1', Alice Puppin, 21 Feb 2024
  • RC2: 'Comment on egusphere-2023-2784', Anonymous Referee #2, 01 Feb 2024
    • AC2: 'Reply on RC2', Alice Puppin, 21 Feb 2024

Peer review completion

AR: Author's response | RR: Referee report | ED: Editor decision | EF: Editorial file upload
ED: Reconsider after major revisions (22 Feb 2024) by Steven Bouillon
AR by Alice Puppin on behalf of the Authors (22 Mar 2024)  Author's response   Author's tracked changes   Manuscript 
ED: Referee Nomination & Report Request started (24 Mar 2024) by Steven Bouillon
RR by Anonymous Referee #1 (19 Apr 2024)
RR by Anonymous Referee #2 (26 Apr 2024)
ED: Publish subject to technical corrections (27 Apr 2024) by Steven Bouillon
AR by Alice Puppin on behalf of the Authors (03 May 2024)  Author's response   Manuscript 

Journal article(s) based on this preprint

18 Jun 2024
Spatial patterns of organic matter content in the surface soil of the salt marshes of the Venice Lagoon (Italy)
Alice Puppin, Davide Tognin, Massimiliano Ghinassi, Erica Franceschinis, Nicola Realdon, Marco Marani, and Andrea D'Alpaos
Biogeosciences, 21, 2937–2954, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-2937-2024,https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-2937-2024, 2024
Short summary
Alice Puppin, Davide Tognin, Massimiliano Ghinassi, Erica Franceschinis, Nicola Realdon, Marco Marani, and Andrea D'Alpaos
Alice Puppin, Davide Tognin, Massimiliano Ghinassi, Erica Franceschinis, Nicola Realdon, Marco Marani, and Andrea D'Alpaos

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Short summary
This study aims at inspecting organic matter dynamics affecting the survival and carbon sink potential of salt marshes, which are valuable yet endangered wetland environments. Measuring the organic matter content in marsh soils and its relationship with environmental variables, we observed that the organic matter accumulation vary at different scales and it is driven by the interplay between sediment supply and vegetation, which are affected, in turn, by marine and fluvial influences.