Browsing by Author "Maher, DT"
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- ItemAre mangrove carbon exports old or modern? A multiple radio- and stable isotope analysis(University of New South Wales and Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation, 2015-07-09) Maher, DT; Call, M; Santos, IR; Sanders, CJ; Schulz, KG; Jenkinson, A; Jacobsen, GENot provided to ANSTO Library.
- ItemBlue carbon oxidation revealed by radiogenic and stable isotopes in a mangrove system(American Geophysical Union, 2017-05-8) Maher, DT; Santos, IR; Schulz, KG; Call, M; Jacobsen, GE; Sanders, CJMangroves are among the most carbon-rich ecosystems on Earth and can sequester carbon in sediments over long timescales. Here we assess whether century-old buried carbon may be remineralized and exported by measuring Δ14C in the exported dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) as well as sediment Δ14C profiles in a subtropical mangrove. Pore water exchange released isotopically depleted, old DIC to surface waters. Keeling plots revealed that the source of DIC to surface waters had a δ13C-DIC value of −29.4 ±1.9‰ and Δ14C-DIC value of −73±9‰. The respired and exported carbon comes from an average depth of ~40 cm, equivalent to ~100 years of sediment accumulation. Therefore, century-old sequestered carbon is still susceptible to remineralization and tidal export to the coastal ocean via pore water exchange or submarine groundwater discharge. We suggest that the timescales over which blue carbon burial is assessed should consider carbon losses via pore water exchange. © 2017. American Geophysical Union
- ItemReconstructing extreme climatic and geochemical conditions during the largest natural mangrove dieback on record(European Geosciences Union (EGU), 2020-02-28) Sippo, JZ; Santos, IR; Sanders, CJ; Gadd, PS; Hua, Q; Lovelock, CE; Santini, NS; Johnston, SG; Harada, Y; Reithmeir, G; Maher, DTA massive mangrove dieback event occurred in 2015–2016 along ∼ 1000 km of pristine coastline in the Gulf of Carpentaria, Australia. Here, we use sediment and wood chronologies to gain insights into geochemical and climatic changes related to this dieback. The unique combination of low rainfall and low sea level observed during the dieback event had been unprecedented in the preceding 3 decades. A combination of iron (Fe) chronologies in wood and sediment, wood density and estimates of mangrove water use efficiency all imply lower water availability within the dead mangrove forest. Wood and sediment chronologies suggest a rapid, large mobilization of sedimentary Fe, which is consistent with redox transitions promoted by changes in soil moisture content. Elemental analysis of wood cross sections revealed a 30- to 90-fold increase in Fe concentrations in dead mangroves just prior to their mortality. Mangrove wood uptake of Fe during the dieback is consistent with large apparent losses of Fe from sediments, which potentially caused an outwelling of Fe to the ocean. Although Fe toxicity may also have played a role in the dieback, this possibility requires further study. We suggest that differences in wood and sedimentary Fe between living and dead forest areas reflect sediment redox transitions that are, in turn, associated with regional variability in groundwater flows. Overall, our observations provide multiple lines of evidence that the forest dieback was driven by low water availability coinciding with a strong El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) event and was associated with climate change. © Author(s) 2020.
- ItemSeasonal wetlands make a relatively limited contribution to the dissolved carbon pool of a lowland headwater tropical stream(American Geophysical Union (AGU), 2024-02-07) Solano, V; Duvert, C; Hutley, LB; Cendón, DI; Maher, DT; Birkel, CWetlands process large amounts of carbon (C) that can be exported laterally to streams and rivers. However, our understanding of wetland inputs to streams remains unclear, particularly in tropical systems. Here we estimated the contribution of seasonal wetlands to the C pool of a lowland headwater stream in the Australian tropics. We measured dissolved organic and inorganic C (DOC and DIC) and dissolved gases (carbon dioxide—CO2, methane—CH4) during the wet season along the mainstem and in wetland drains connected to the stream. We also recorded hourly measurements of dissolved CO2 along a ‘stream–wetland drain–stream’ continuum, and used a hydrological model combined with a simple mass balance approach to assess the water, DIC and DOC sources to the stream. Seasonal wetlands contributed ∼15% and ∼16% of the DOC and DIC loads during our synoptic sampling, slightly higher than the percent area (∼9%) they occupy in the catchment. The riparian forest (75% of the DOC load) and groundwater inflows (58% of the DIC load) were identified as the main sources of stream DOC and DIC. Seasonal wetlands also contributed marginally to stream CO2 and CH4. Importantly, the rates of stream CO2 emission (1.86 g C s−1) and DOC mineralization (0.33 g C s−1) were much lower than the downstream export of DIC (6.39 g C s−1) and DOC (2.66 g g C s−1). This work highlights the need for further research on the role of riparian corridors as producers and conduits of terrestrial C to tropical streams. © 2024. The Authors. This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License.