Phosphorus Budget of the Sundarban Mangrove Ecosystem: Box Model Approach |
| |
| Authors: | R Ray N Majumder C Chowdhury S Das T K Jana |
| |
| Institution: | 1.Department of Marine Science,University of Calcutta,Kolkata,India;2.Laboratoire des Sciences de l’Environnement Marin (LEMAR), UMR 6539 (UBO/CNRS/IRD/Ifremer),Institut Universitaire Europeen de la Mer,Plouzane,France |
| |
| Abstract: | Phosphorus (P) cycling in mangroves plays an important role in productivity but the magnitude of atmospheric input in the mangrove P budget is still uncertain. This study applied a box model approach to assess P budget in the Indian Sundarban, the world’s largest mangrove ecosystem for conceptual understanding of P cycling and for better representation of transport and transformation of P within the mangrove ecosystem. The P content in the sediment (0.19–0.67 μg g?1) was found much below its maximum retention capacity (322 μg g?1) and was lower than the mean marine sediment (669 μg g?1). The C:N and C:P ratios were correlated (r 2 = 0.66, P < 0.01) and the major fraction of available P was recycled within the organic structure of mangrove ecosystem, thus maintaining productivity through conservation strategies. Atmospheric input accounted for 56.7% of total P input (16.06 Gg year?1) and 50% of total P output (14.7 Gg year?1) was attributed to plant uptake. Budget closing or unaccounted P (1.36 Gg) was only 8.5% of the total input. Two feedback pathways, i.e., input of P from dust fallout and biochemical mineralization of organic matter, significantly affected P availability. The findings of the study suggest that atmospheric deposition is of major importance as a natural and/or anthropogenic forcing function in the Sundarban mangrove system. |
| |
| Keywords: | |
| 本文献已被 SpringerLink 等数据库收录！ |
|
