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A New Coupled Biogeochemical Modeling Approach Provides Accurate Predictions of Methane and Carbon Dioxide Fluxes Across Diverse Tidal Wetlands

Journal Article · · Journal of Geophysical Research. Biogeosciences
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1029/2023JG007943· OSTI ID:2466255
 [1];  [2];  [3];  [4];  [1];  [1];  [5];  [6];  [7];  [8];  [9];  [10];  [11];  [11];  [12];  [13];  [14];  [15];  [16];  [10] more »;  [10] « less
  1. Department Earth and Environmental Sciences California State University East Bay Hayward CA USA
  2. Departments of Plant and Microbial Biology and Crop and Soil Sciences, N.C. Plant Sciences Initiative North Carolina State University Raleigh NC USA
  3. Marine Biological Laboratory Ecosystems Center Woods Hole MA USA, Now at Department of Environmental Sciences University of Toledo Toledo OH USA
  4. Pacific Northwest National Laboratory Earth System Science Division Richland WA USA
  5. Department Earth System Science Stanford Palo Alto CA USA
  6. Department of Physics Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona Barcelona Spain
  7. Department of Geography The University of British Columbia Vancouver BC Canada
  8. Department of Geography The University of British Columbia Vancouver BC Canada, Now at Department of Geography McGill University Montreal QC Canada
  9. Department Earth and Environmental Sciences University of Illinois Chicago Chicago IL USA
  10. Smithsonian Environmental Research Center Edgewater MD USA
  11. Earth System Process Division United States Geological Survey Water Mission Area Reston VA USA
  12. Institute of Ecology and Evolution University of Oregon Eugene OR USA
  13. Department Environmental Science and Technology University of Maryland College Park MD USA
  14. Department of Plant and Soil Sciences University of Delaware Newark DE USA
  15. Department Earth and Environmental Sciences Rutgers Newark NJ USA
  16. United States Geological Survey Wetland and Aquatic Research Center Reston VA USA, University of Maryland Earth System Science Interdisciplinary Center College Park MD USA

Abstract

Tidal wetlands provide valuable ecosystem services, including storing large amounts of carbon. However, the net exchanges of carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) and methane (CH 4 ) in tidal wetlands are highly uncertain. While several biogeochemical models can operate in tidal wetlands, they have yet to be parameterized and validated against high‐frequency, ecosystem‐scale CO 2 and CH 4 flux measurements across diverse sites. We paired the Cohort Marsh Equilibrium Model (CMEM) with a version of the PEPRMT model called PEPRMT‐Tidal, which considers the effects of water table height, sulfate, and nitrate availability on CO 2 and CH 4 emissions. Using a model‐data fusion approach, we parameterized the model with three sites and validated it with two independent sites, with representation from the three marine coasts of North America. Gross primary productivity (GPP) and ecosystem respiration (R eco ) modules explained, on average, 73% of the variation in CO 2 exchange with low model error (normalized root mean square error (nRMSE) <1). The CH 4 module also explained the majority of variance in CH 4 emissions in validation sites ( R 2  = 0.54; nRMSE = 1.15). The PEPRMT‐Tidal‐CMEM model coupling is a key advance toward constraining estimates of greenhouse gas emissions across diverse North American tidal wetlands. Further analyses of model error and case studies during changing salinity conditions guide future modeling efforts regarding four main processes: (a) the influence of salinity and nitrate on GPP, (b) the influence of laterally transported dissolved inorganic C on R eco , (c) heterogeneous sulfate availability and methylotrophic methanogenesis impacts on surface CH 4 emissions, and (d) CH 4 responses to non‐periodic changes in salinity.

Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE
Grant/Contract Number:
NONE; 89243020SSC000054; SC0022314; SC0022185; AC05-76RL01830
OSTI ID:
2466255
Alternate ID(s):
OSTI ID: 2525462
OSTI ID: 2515631
Journal Information:
Journal of Geophysical Research. Biogeosciences, Journal Name: Journal of Geophysical Research. Biogeosciences Journal Issue: 10 Vol. 129; ISSN 2169-8953
Publisher:
American Geophysical Union (AGU)Copyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

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