title: Mercury cycling and sequestration in salt marshes sediments: an ecosystem service provided by Juncus maritimus and Scirpus maritimus.
abstract: In this study two time scales were looked at: a yearlong study was completed, and a 180-day decay experiment was done. Juncus maritimus and Scirpus maritimus have different life cycles, and this seems to have implications in the Hg-contaminated salt marsh sediment chemical environment, namely Eh and pH. In addition, the belowground biomass decomposition rates were faster for J. maritimus, as well as the biomass turnover rates. Results show that all these species-specific factors have implications in the mercury dynamics and sequestration. Meaning that J. maritimus belowground biomass has a sequestration capacity for mercury per square metre approximately 4-5 times higher than S. maritimus, i.e., in S. maritimus colonized areas Hg is more extensively exchange between belowground biomass and the rhizosediment. In conclusion, J. maritimus seems to provide a comparatively higher ecosystem service through phytostabilization (Hg complexation in the rhizosediment) and through phytoaccumulation (Hg sequestration in the belowground biomass).
authors.affiliation: CESAM - Centre for Environment and Marine Studies, Department of Chemistry, University of Aveiro, Campus de Santiago, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Marques
authors.forename: A I
authors.initials: AI
authors.lastname: Lillebø
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Pereira
authors.forename: A C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Duarte
mesh_terms: D001673:Biodegradation, Environmental; D052918:Environmental Restoration and Remediation / Q000379:methods*; D019015:Geologic Sediments / Q000032:analysis*; D019684:Magnoliopsida / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D008628:Mercury / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism*; D053833:Wetlands
chemical_list: D008628:Mercury