Do realignment sites restore microbial biodiversity-driven nutrient cycling and trace gas fluxes comparable to natural coastal ecosystems?
Lead Research Organisation:
University of York
Department Name: Biology
Abstract
Realigned salt marshes (restored salt marshes on previously developed land) play a substantial and growing role in coastal management practices within the UK. These managed ecosystems have different above- and below-ground biodiversity and community structures, relative to their natural salt marsh counterparts, which leads to differences in ecosystem processes.
Saltmarshes play a large role in global climate, nutrient cycling and regional biodiversity, especially given their relatively small area (<0.1%of the planet's surface). They are purported to be significant carbon sinks, although upper marshes can be substantial sources of methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O). Saltmarshes may therefore have multiple, potentially conflicting, effects upon global warming through greenhouse gas fluxes. Saltmarsh communities also affect climate by producing significant amounts of halogenated, nitrogen- and sulphur-bearing compounds, which affect ozone in the lower atmosphere and the stratosphere as well as acting as aerosol precursors. The biological and abiotic drivers of these climate-influencing processes within natural saltmarshes remain poorly understood and/or quantified. This lack of knowledge reduces our capacity to effectively model future climate, nor can we accurately assess the implications of various feedback mechanisms (e.g. global warming on saltmarsh carbon storage potential) upon these processes.
All of the questions that arise regarding ecosystem services, biodiversity and connectivity in natural systems remain for modified-by-human systems and, at this time, are generally less quantified and more poorly understood. Our prior research has found plant and microbial community compositional differences between natural and realigned sites. A generally accepted, compelling explanation for these differences does not exist although recent evidence suggests that it is likely to be driven by physical and chemical differences in local sediments, which are in turn driven by physical processes. These changes in biodiversity are likely to lead to functional changes between natural and realigned sites; for instance below-ground biodiversity appears to be affected by nutrient (over)supply within inundation waters as well as aboveground plant community and root structure. Conversely, below-ground communities can directly and indirectly affect aboveground biodiversity by their effect on carbon storage, nutrient cycling rates, and their release of a number of climate affecting trace gases (CH4, N2O, halocarbons and sulfur-bearing compounds).
Quantifying ecosystem services for future climate projections will therefore be maximally effective only when combined with an understanding of the drivers of biodiversity, community composition, and succession in natural versus realigned saltmarshes. We therefore propose to quantify trace gas fluxes from a chronology of realigned saltmarshes, with comparisons to local, natural counterparts. Our connection to currently established BESS saltmarsh study sites means that we do not duplicate research priorities unnecessarily yet we expand the intent of the original proposal into an important sub-category of coastal communities that are, as of yet, poorly quantified or understood.
Saltmarshes play a large role in global climate, nutrient cycling and regional biodiversity, especially given their relatively small area (<0.1%of the planet's surface). They are purported to be significant carbon sinks, although upper marshes can be substantial sources of methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O). Saltmarshes may therefore have multiple, potentially conflicting, effects upon global warming through greenhouse gas fluxes. Saltmarsh communities also affect climate by producing significant amounts of halogenated, nitrogen- and sulphur-bearing compounds, which affect ozone in the lower atmosphere and the stratosphere as well as acting as aerosol precursors. The biological and abiotic drivers of these climate-influencing processes within natural saltmarshes remain poorly understood and/or quantified. This lack of knowledge reduces our capacity to effectively model future climate, nor can we accurately assess the implications of various feedback mechanisms (e.g. global warming on saltmarsh carbon storage potential) upon these processes.
All of the questions that arise regarding ecosystem services, biodiversity and connectivity in natural systems remain for modified-by-human systems and, at this time, are generally less quantified and more poorly understood. Our prior research has found plant and microbial community compositional differences between natural and realigned sites. A generally accepted, compelling explanation for these differences does not exist although recent evidence suggests that it is likely to be driven by physical and chemical differences in local sediments, which are in turn driven by physical processes. These changes in biodiversity are likely to lead to functional changes between natural and realigned sites; for instance below-ground biodiversity appears to be affected by nutrient (over)supply within inundation waters as well as aboveground plant community and root structure. Conversely, below-ground communities can directly and indirectly affect aboveground biodiversity by their effect on carbon storage, nutrient cycling rates, and their release of a number of climate affecting trace gases (CH4, N2O, halocarbons and sulfur-bearing compounds).
Quantifying ecosystem services for future climate projections will therefore be maximally effective only when combined with an understanding of the drivers of biodiversity, community composition, and succession in natural versus realigned saltmarshes. We therefore propose to quantify trace gas fluxes from a chronology of realigned saltmarshes, with comparisons to local, natural counterparts. Our connection to currently established BESS saltmarsh study sites means that we do not duplicate research priorities unnecessarily yet we expand the intent of the original proposal into an important sub-category of coastal communities that are, as of yet, poorly quantified or understood.
Planned Impact
Our proposed research will identify connections between aboveground and below-ground biodiversity in restored saltmarshes and will correlate composition and activity within these communities to climate-impacting, biogenic trace gas fluxes and nutrient cycling. The proposal will quantify trace gas fluxes from a chronology of realigned saltmarshes, with comparisons to local, natural counterparts. The measured trace gas fluxes will be compared to and correlated with biodiversity (both microbial and aboveground) through meta-genomic and quadrat analyses. Comparisons of trace gas fluxes and biodiversity measures will be correlated with soil ecosystem function, as characterized through analysis of the sediment transcriptome. All of these ecosystem processes will be analysed in context of sediment physico-chemical properties. This combination of approaches will provide a unique resource through which various research, management and policy communities interested in salt marsh restoration and management, trace gas fluxes, ecosystem services and climate change will benefit.
We will engage with local and national UK management bodies, such as the Environment Agency, Associated British Ports, English Nature and regional counties throughout the research programme. These organizations are involved in the management decisions for all our UK study sites, and therefore have a vested interest in the observed outcomes. We will ensure rapid and thorough debriefings at the close of each sampling campaign, with an extended face-to-face meeting involving all stakeholders at the end of the grant. This meeting will reflect upon research conclusions and present the results from a meta-analysis of trace gas fluxes from natural and realigned saltmarshes. This workshop will, with input from the stakeholder community, develop and refine a white paper which will identify important research questions that engage with microbial biodiversity and trace gas fluxes in restored ecosystems for the next 5-10 years.
We intend to develop a summer training program for secondary school students which will incorporate human modifications of landscapes on microbial biodiversity and trace gas fluxes within the larger context of environmental complexity and climate change feedbacks. This outreach course will be offered at the University of York primarily, but will be constructed in such a way that it will be "portable" to any interested location. Training will be provided to secondary school teachers who wish to engage with this subject matter.
We will engage with local and national UK management bodies, such as the Environment Agency, Associated British Ports, English Nature and regional counties throughout the research programme. These organizations are involved in the management decisions for all our UK study sites, and therefore have a vested interest in the observed outcomes. We will ensure rapid and thorough debriefings at the close of each sampling campaign, with an extended face-to-face meeting involving all stakeholders at the end of the grant. This meeting will reflect upon research conclusions and present the results from a meta-analysis of trace gas fluxes from natural and realigned saltmarshes. This workshop will, with input from the stakeholder community, develop and refine a white paper which will identify important research questions that engage with microbial biodiversity and trace gas fluxes in restored ecosystems for the next 5-10 years.
We intend to develop a summer training program for secondary school students which will incorporate human modifications of landscapes on microbial biodiversity and trace gas fluxes within the larger context of environmental complexity and climate change feedbacks. This outreach course will be offered at the University of York primarily, but will be constructed in such a way that it will be "portable" to any interested location. Training will be provided to secondary school teachers who wish to engage with this subject matter.
Publications
Alessi AM
(2018)
A practical introduction to microbial molecular ecology through the use of isolation chips.
in Ecology and evolution
Cai L
(2022)
Changes in sediment characteristics in the first year of a realigned saltmarsh
in Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science
Hodson A
(2019)
Seasonal Dynamics of Methane and Carbon Dioxide Evasion From an Open System Pingo: Lagoon Pingo, Svalbard
in Frontiers in Earth Science
Hutchings, AM
(2019)
Creek dynamics determine pond subsurface geochemical heterogeneity in East Anglian (UK) salt marshes
in Frontiers in Earth Science
Hodson, A
(2019)
Seasonal dynamics of Methane and Carbon Dioxide evasion from an open system pingo: Lagoon Pingo, Svalbard
in Frontiers in Earth Science
McMahon L
(2023)
Maximizing blue carbon stocks through saltmarsh restoration
in Frontiers in Marine Science
Wilkening J
(2019)
The Production and Fate of Volatile Organosulfur Compounds in Sulfidic and Ferruginous Sediment
in Journal of Geophysical Research: Biogeosciences
Hodson A
(2021)
Marked Seasonal Changes in the Microbial Production, Community Composition, and Biogeochemistry of Glacial Snowpack Ecosystems in the Maritime Antarctic
in Journal of Geophysical Research: Biogeosciences
Redeker K
(2018)
Next Generation Biomonitoring: Part 2
Nightingale J
(2022)
Carbon neutrality does not equal climate neutrality in saltmarsh restoration
Description | To date we have learned that: 1) Soil density in realigned sites does normalize to natural levels but that this may take longer than aboveground plant biomass recovery 2) Soil pH can be much more acidic in realigned sites than in natural sites 3) Trace gas fluxes suggest that carbon neutrality may not be the best lens through which to judge the climate impact of salt marshes generally and realigned sites in particular. Specifically, several aerosol precursors are generated at sufficient rates that the energy balance implications of salt marshes from aerosol production may be greater than the implications of greenhouse gas production and loss. 4) Aboveground biomass recovers within 20 years but plant community structures in realigned sites remain different from managed realignments even after >120 years have passed. 5) Trace gas fluxes are dependent upon site, seasonality and plant type. 6) Trace gases are predictive of both microbial community and also environmental parameters within the subsurface sediment. 7) Early stage (<1 year) realigned salt marshes are most influenced by local geology and wave intensity, which drive sediment loading and type of sediment. These conditions are most likely to drive future biodiversity on site. |
Exploitation Route | We will be uploading the datasets to the EIDC and genebank as appropriate and the genetic resource in particular may be interesting to those looking for novel enzymes and metabolisms. We are working with stakeholders along the coast to further expand on this work and to inform best practice for realignment creation and management. |
Sectors | Construction,Environment |
Description | We have been in discussion with both RSPB and the Environment Agency as to how development of more natural marshes may be established. These discussions have led to changes in approach for developing re-alignment strategies. This has led to a research agreement with the RSPB to study flooding of agricultural fields along the Humber to study the impacts of this land use strategy on agricultural yield, pest control and soil properties/function. |
First Year Of Impact | 2017 |
Sector | Construction,Environment,Leisure Activities, including Sports, Recreation and Tourism |
Impact Types | Policy & public services |
Description | Climatic forcing of terrestrial methane gas escape through permafrost in Svalbard |
Amount | kr 12,695,000 (NOK) |
Funding ID | ES625493 |
Organisation | Research Council of Norway |
Sector | Public |
Country | Norway |
Start | 02/2019 |
End | 07/2022 |
Description | NERC Strategic Capitol Funding |
Amount | £170,000 (GBP) |
Organisation | Natural Environment Research Council |
Sector | Public |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start | 07/2014 |
End | 12/2014 |
Description | Self funded PhD studentship |
Amount | £50,000 (GBP) |
Organisation | University of York |
Sector | Academic/University |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start | 10/2014 |
End | 09/2017 |
Description | Isoprene fluxes from natural and managed salt marshes |
Organisation | University of Essex |
Country | United Kingdom |
Sector | Academic/University |
PI Contribution | We have sampled and analyzed isoprene fluxes from natural and human-managed salt marshes within the Colne and Blackwater estuaries in Essex. Two full season sampling have been accomplished to date, with ~200 trace gas flux measurements for isoprene taken (~600 trace gas concentration samples are required for 200 flux measurements). |
Collaborator Contribution | To date the McGenity lab has provided standards for calibration and identification purposes. As the project becomes more data rich we will be in greater contact for analysis and dissemination of results. |
Impact | This collaboration and other interactions from this particular grant have led to the development of a larger consortium of like-minded researchers interested in the "volabilome", or the ways in which small molecules are used for signalling in terrestrial and marine systems. This collaboration is very multidisciplinary, involving marine and terrestrial food web specialists, analytical chemists, microbial ecologists and fluid dynamicists. We have published a paper in Advances in Ecological Research on "Noninvasive Analysis of the Soil Microbiome: Biomonitoring Strategies Using the Volatilome, Community Analysis, and Environmental Data". |
Start Year | 2014 |
Description | Sulfur-Iron-Methane cycling in the environment |
Organisation | University of Cambridge |
Country | United Kingdom |
Sector | Academic/University |
PI Contribution | I have specifically measured reactive, volatile sulfur-bearing trace gas fluxes from sediment surfaces in natural versus human managed salt marshes within the Colne and Blackwater estuaries in Essex. To date this has included multiple sampling periods, over four paired sites, generating ~200 trace gas flux profiles. I have also measure methane fluxes from these salt marsh systems, as well as trace metal content and methane isotopic values from permafrost and pingo samples. I have co-supervised (with A Hodson, now at UNIS) a PhD student (E Jones @ Sheffield) that works within permafrost ecosystems. I also co-supervise (with JPJ Chong) a PhD student (Yumechris Amechan @ York) who works on sulfur cycling in AD systems. |
Collaborator Contribution | Sasha Turchyn and I engaged in work within the Essex salt marshes to compare trace gas fluxes with ongoing inorganic cycling of sulfur in mud pans and mud flat environments. Dr. Turchyn has sampled and analysed a small set of preliminary cores (~10) at substantial cost (>10K) to examine sulfur and iron ions, along with a number of physical sediment characteristics. This work has led to a partnership that has recently applied for an NERC Urgency grant to explore the impacts of volcanic degassing from Icelandic volcanoes on sensitive coastal ecosystems. Since 2016 James Chong, Sasha Turchyn and Kelly Redeker further developed an application to the 2016 July NERC standard grant round which was unsuccessful. Ongoing work progresses within the Turchyn laboratories from 2017 to explore microbial communities driving sulfur/iron cycling in salt marshes and expanding measurements to include DMDS and MeSH from sediments in salt marshes. The Chong lab has developed substantial experitise in anaerobic digestor technologies since this collaboration has begun and has specifically since 2017 investigated the impact of sulfur feedstocks on AD efficiancy, inclusive of a 6-month visiting researcher and PhD student focus. A Hodson has provided substantial field experience and access to polar field sites. He has also sampled, over a three year period starting from 2017, within permafrost and at a range of pingo sites within Svalbard. |
Impact | We (Harry Oduro, Sasha Turchyn, and I) submitted an Urgency grant to the NERC in Early November (NE/M020681/1: Tracing Large Volcanic SO2 and Sulfate Aerosol Loading and their Distribution in the UK using a Novel Sulfur Isotope Proxy). This work has progressed since the retirement of Dr. Oduro as now includes Dr. James Chong (York) as a microbial specialist, as well as Prof. Andy Hodson a glaciologist/polar specialist. This collaboration is multidisciplinary, involving organic geochemists, inorganic geochemists, microbial ecologists, polar geologists and biogeochemists. Preliminary outcomes of this work have been presented at the annual Goldschmidt Conference, 2015 Sahsa Turchyn and Kelly Redeker have convened a session on sulfur geobiology at the Goldschmidt 2017 conference, at which we presented two talks. Further poster presentations of the polar work have been presented at EGU and AGU conferences during 2017 and 2018. Two papers have been published this year in Frontiers of Earth Science, on polar evasion of methane and on salt marsh dynamics and sulfur-iron cycling. A Hodson, AV Turchyn and KR Redeker (and other Co-Investigators) have obtained funding from the Norwegian Council of Research (CLIMAGAS) to explore methane evasion (using sulfur-iron cycling as an explanatory parameter to describe the source of methane from uplifting polar regions) |
Start Year | 2014 |
Description | Trace metals in human managed coastal ecosysems |
Organisation | University of York |
Country | United Kingdom |
Sector | Academic/University |
PI Contribution | We have sampled sediment from paired natural and realigned coastal salt marshes in the Colne and Blackwater Estuaries in Essex. These cores will be analysed for a range of physical/chemical characteristics, including trace metal content. To date, two full seasons of samples have been collected, including ~400 sediment cores. We are currently finishing the preparatory processing for these samples prior to analysis. |
Collaborator Contribution | Our collaborators in teh Environment Department have helped determine the most efficient processing method and will provide standards and calibration for the ICP-OES which will be used for quantification of trace metals. After analysis they will be engaged in discussion and dissemination of the results. |
Impact | None yet |
Start Year | 2014 |
Description | "Carbon neutral does not equal climate neutral" as presented to the Essex Wildlife Trust |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Regional |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | A presentation entitled "Carbon neutral does not equal climate neutral" based upon our work in coastal salt marshes with implications to management practices in deciding biodiversity versus climate outcomes. (10/4/15) |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2015 |
Description | "Carbon neutral does not equal climate neutral"- presented to members of the regional Environment Agency |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Regional |
Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
Results and Impact | A presentation to the Environment Agency entitled "Carbon neutral does not equal climate neutral" based upon our work in coastal salt marshes with implications to management practices in deciding biodiversity versus climate outcomes. (10/11/14) |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2015 |
Description | AGU Conference 2018 |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | Poster presentation at the Fall AGU conference 2018 |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
Description | BES Winter 2015 conference presentation on Salt Marsh research |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | BES Annual Meeting, Edinburgh UK December 2015: "Can realigned salt marshes ever match natural conditions? -Sediment analysis" - L.L. Cai, K.M. Fenn, A. Garbutt, T. Helgason and K.R. Redeker |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2015 |
Description | ECSA 55 poster presentation |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | ECSA 55, London UK September 2015: "Can realigned salt marshes ever match natural conditions? -Sediment analysis" - L.L. Cai, K.M. Fenn, A. Garbutt, T. Helgason and K.R. Redeker Poster presented by L. Cai, a self funded PhD student in her second year. There was a good interaction with professed interest in future outcomes. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2015 |
Description | Goldschmidt Conference 2015- Sulfur Interactions in Salt Marshes |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | A poster presentation (presented by Turchyn's PhD student G Antler) on sulfur cycling in salt marsh ecosystems. The Sulfur-Iron Interplay and its Role in the Fate of Carbon in Salt Marsh Sediments Antler G, Turchyn AV, Mills JV, Povia S & Redeker K |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2015 |
Description | Hagge Woods Trust Experts day talk |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Local |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | During this event (11/7/15) the Hagge Woods Trust allowed various experts to describe the work they are performing on this re-wilded agricultural land. I discussed our research into ecosystem function and resilience as mediated by management practice, both in terms of our salt marsh research but also in terms of re-purposing agricultural land to obtain biodiversity benefits. This provoked a good discussion throughout the afternoon among the Trust membership, leading to a small consultancy request. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2015 |
Description | Half a Pint of Science |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Local |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | An informal talk on current research directions (including CBESS and polar research) and discussion afterwards To date (less than one month after the activity), there has been no direct outputs from this activity |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2014,2015 |
Description | Invited talk - "Carbon neutral does not equal climate neutral" to Warwick School of Life Sciences |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Local |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | An invited talk to Warwick's School of Life Sciences |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2014 |
Description | Media report for larger scientific community website |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | This release has only just happened (October 2014), so results from this web release have yet to be identified None yet |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2014 |
Description | Presentation at EGU conference |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | Poster presentation at 2017 EGU conference: Redox chemistry of shallow permafrost porewaters in western Spitsbergen |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
URL | https://meetingorganizer.copernicus.org/EGU2017/EGU2017-13891.pdf |
Description | Presentation at EGU conference 2019 |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | Poster presentation at 2019 EGU conference: Biogeochemistry of a degrading ice-wedge polygon in the High Arctic |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
URL | https://meetingorganizer.copernicus.org/EGU2019/orals/31572 |
Description | Presentation at Goldschmidt Conference, 2017 |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | Poster presentation at Goldschmidt conference: Role of Sulfur Intermediates and Volatiles in Euxinic and Ferruginous Environments |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
URL | https://goldschmidtabstracts.info/program/conferenceSeriesAuthorView?conferenceSeriesAuthorId=34076 |
Description | Presentation at Goldschmidt Conference, 2017 |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | Presentation at the Goldschmidt conference: The Key Role of Bioturbation in the Carbon-Sulfur-Iron Interplay in Salt Marsh Sediments |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
URL | https://goldschmidtabstracts.info/program/conferenceSeriesAuthorView?conferenceSeriesAuthorId=34076 |
Description | Presentation at Goldschmidt Conference, 2017 |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | Presentation at Goldschmidt conference: Volatile Metabolite Fluxes from Natural Salt Marshes |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
URL | https://goldschmidtabstracts.info/program/conferenceSeriesAuthorView?conferenceSeriesAuthorId=34076 |