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Zhang F, Liu X, Chen J, Lu C, Chen G, Ye Y. Differences in organic carbon accumulation in mangrove soils due to foraging by herbivorous crabs. MARINE ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2024; 194:106332. [PMID: 38171257 DOI: 10.1016/j.marenvres.2023.106332] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2023] [Revised: 12/21/2023] [Accepted: 12/27/2023] [Indexed: 01/05/2024]
Abstract
Crabs in mangroves could enhance the transfer of organic carbon (OC) from leaf litter to soils, whose variation with the difference in crab size is, however, not well known. A 32-day laboratory feeding experiment was conducted to explore the effects of different sizes of the crabs Parasesarma plicatum foraging on leaf litter of Kandelia obovata on OC accumulation in mangrove soils. Mean rates of soil OC accumulation due to leaf foraging by large, medium, and small crabs were 21.11, 16.11, and 0.77 mg C ind-1 d-1, corresponding to the rates of OC removal from leaf litter of 62.60%, 51.37%, and 2.19%, respectively. Large and medium crabs ingested larger amounts of leaf litter, and soil OC accumulation rates resulting from leaf foraging by large and medium crabs were approximately 8 times higher than those by leaf litter decomposition and triple those by non-leaf foraging. Small crabs ingested the smallest amount of leaf litter, which was almost used for their growth and metabolism. These results underline the key ecological roles of leaf foraging by crabs, especially those with large and medium sizes, in OC accumulation in mangrove soils, which is conducive to estimating carbon sequestration in mangrove soils.
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Affiliation(s)
- Furong Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Ministry of Education for Coastal and Wetland Ecosystems, College of the Environment and Ecology, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, China; Fujian Key Laboratory of Coastal Pollution Prevention and Control, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, China
| | - Xiaoxi Liu
- Key Laboratory of Ministry of Education for Coastal and Wetland Ecosystems, College of the Environment and Ecology, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, China
| | - Jiahui Chen
- Key Laboratory of Ministry of Education for Coastal and Wetland Ecosystems, College of the Environment and Ecology, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, China; Fujian Key Laboratory of Coastal Pollution Prevention and Control, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, China; Third Institute of Oceanography, Ministry of Natural Resources, Xiamen, Fujian, China
| | - Changyi Lu
- Key Laboratory of Ministry of Education for Coastal and Wetland Ecosystems, College of the Environment and Ecology, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, China
| | - Guangcheng Chen
- Third Institute of Oceanography, Ministry of Natural Resources, Xiamen, Fujian, China
| | - Yong Ye
- Key Laboratory of Ministry of Education for Coastal and Wetland Ecosystems, College of the Environment and Ecology, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, China; Fujian Key Laboratory of Coastal Pollution Prevention and Control, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, China.
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