Biogeochemistry simulations for the Salt Marsh Accretion Response to Temperature eXperiment (SMARTX)

Dataset · Mon Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 2024

DOI:https://doi.org/10.15485/2294096· OSTI ID:2294096

O'Meara, Theresa ^[1]; Yuan, Fengming; Sulman, Benjamin; Noyce, Genevieve ^[2]; Rich, Roy ^[2]; Thornton, Peter; Megonigal, J. Patrick ^[2]

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1. ESS-DIVE
2. Smithsonian Environmental Research Center

Coastal ecosystems have been largely ignored in Earth system models but are important zones for carbon and nutrient processing. Interactions between water, microbes, soil, sediments, and vegetation are important for mechanistic representation of coastal processes and ecosystem function. To investigate the role of these feedbacks, we used a reactive transport model (PFLOTRAN) that has the capability to be connected to the Energy Exascale Earth System Model (E3SM). PFLOTRAN was used to incorporate redox reactions and track chemical species important for coastal ecosystems as well as define simple representations of vegetation dynamics. Our goal was to incorporate oxygen flux, salinity, pH, sulfur cycling, and methane production along with plant-mediated transport of gases and tidal flux. Using porewater profile and incubation data for model calibration and evaluation, we were able to create depth-resolved biogeochemical soil profiles for saltmarsh habitat and use this updated representation to simulate direct and indirect effects of elevated CO2 and temperature on subsurface biogeochemical cycling. We found that simply changing the partial pressure of CO2 or increasing temperature in the model did not fully reproduce observed changes in the porewater profile, but the inclusion of plant or microbial responses to CO2 and temperature manipulations was more accurate in representing porewater concentrations. This indicates the importance of characterizing tightly coupled vegetation-subsurface processes for developing predictive understanding and the need for measurement of plant-soil interactions on the same time scale to understand how hotspots or moments are generated.Included in this data package are PFLOTRAN input (PFLOTRAN input files and chemical database) files for simulating single column biogeochemistry, root, and tide interactions at the Global Change Research Wetland (Kirkpatrick Marsh; Edgewater, MD). The biogeochemical network includes soil organic matter decomposition, nitrogen, iron, and sulfur cycling, and methanogenesis. Reduced species can be oxidized and plant processes include oxygen and nutrient priming, methane release, and nutrient uptake.Inputs:TAI_database.dat - geochemical database for reactions, more information on database structure and variables can be found here https://www.pflotran.org/documentation/user_guide/cards/pages/geochemical_database.htmlswamp.in - input file for biogeochemical network in PFLOTRANswamp_eCO2.in - input file for biogeochemical network in PFLOTRAN with input gas partial pressures/concentrations adjusted for elevated CO2 treatmentsOutputs:swamp_obs_0.tec - hourly porewater concentrations from from multiple depths in the soil columnswamp_eCO2_obs_0.tec - hourly porewater concentrations from multiple depths in the soil column for elevated CO2 treatmentsPFLOTRAN code access: https://github.com/fmyuan/pflotran-elm-interface.git

• Research Organization: Environmental System Science Data Infrastructure for a Virtual Ecosystem; Coastal Wetland Carbon Cycling Processes in a Warmer Climate
• Sponsoring Organization: U.S. DOE > Office of Science > Biological and Environmental Research (BER)
• DOE Contract Number: SC0014413; SC0019110; SC0021131; SC0021112
• OSTI ID: 2294096
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
EARTH SCIENCE > AGRICULTURE > SOILS > SOIL PH
EARTH SCIENCE > BIOSPHERE > ECOSYSTEMS > AQUATIC ECOSYSTEMS > WETLANDS > ESTUARINE WETLANDS
EARTH SCIENCE > BIOSPHERE > ECOSYSTEMS > AQUATIC ECOSYSTEMS > WETLANDS > MARSHES
EARTH SCIENCE > BIOSPHERE > ECOSYSTEMS > TERRESTRIAL ECOSYSTEMS > WETLANDS > MARSHES
EARTH SCIENCE > BIOSPHERE > VEGETATION
EARTH SCIENCE > CLIMATE INDICATORS > CLIMATE FEEDBACKS
EARTH SCIENCE > LAND SURFACE > SOILS
EARTH SCIENCE > LAND SURFACE > SOILS > CARBON
EARTH SCIENCE > LAND SURFACE > SOILS > NITROGEN
EARTH SCIENCE > LAND SURFACE > SOILS > SULFUR
EARTH SCIENCE > TERRESTRIAL HYDROSPHERE > WATER QUALITY/WATER CHEMISTRY
EARTH SCIENCE > TERRESTRIAL HYDROSPHERE > WATER QUALITY/WATER CHEMISTRY > CONTAMINANTS > IRON
EARTH SCIENCE > TERRESTRIAL HYDROSPHERE > WATER QUALITY/WATER CHEMISTRY > NUTRIENTS > ORGANIC MATTER