2023 Early Hearing Detection & Intervention Conference

March 5-7, 2023 • Cincinnati, OH

5/23/2019 | 2:15 PM - 2:30 PM | THE MULTIPLE PATHWAYS THAT SALTS CAN MOVE ACROSS RIPARIAN-STREAM BOUNDARIES. | 151 ABC

THE MULTIPLE PATHWAYS THAT SALTS CAN MOVE ACROSS RIPARIAN-STREAM BOUNDARIES.

Gradual increases in freshwater salinity is a global trend that threatens riparian and freshwater carbon (C) exchange. Freshwaters cover a small fraction of Earth’s surface but receive at least 1.9 Pg C Y-1 from terrestrial ecosystems, and at least 50% of this is stored in freshwaters. Therefore, terrestrial-aquatic exchanges are essential for understanding global C cycling. Salts typically enter streams from riparian areas via multiple pathways that researchers have not fully quantified. Yet, increased salinization can alter C dynamics through limitation or increased access to sodium and ultimately the quality and quantity of C exchanged between terrestrial and freshwater systems. We conducted laboratory and field studies to identify the riparian-stream pathways of C change across salt gradients. First, salts added to a Louisiana riparian area resulted in a 21% reduction in litter decomposition. Second, direct increases in salt concentrations to streamwater increased, decreased, or did not change the microbial and macroinvertebrate detritivore performance, depending on taxa and ion identity. Finally, riparian plants and aquatic macroinvertebrates took-up and stored sodium. We propose that salt limitation could drive greater cross-boundary C efficiency, while toxicity could drive C decoupling at the riparian-stream interface.

Carbon
Landscape
Salinity

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Presenters/Authors

Sally Entrekin (), Virginia Tech, sallye@vt.edu;