Sea-level rise will reduce net CO₂ uptake in subtropical coastal marshes

Coastal marshes have a significant capacity to sequester carbon; however, sea-level rise (SLR) is expected to result in prolonged flooding and saltwater intrusion in coastal regions. To explore the effects of SLR projections on net CO₂ uptake in coastal marshes, we conducted a “double-check” investigation, including the eddy covariance (EC) measurements of the CO₂ fluxes in subtropical coastal marshes along inundation and salinity gradients, in combination with a mesocosm experiment for analyzing CO₂ flux components under waterlogging and increased salinity conditions. During the same measurement periods, the net ecosystem CO₂ exchange (NEE_EC based on the EC dataset) in an oligohaline marsh was higher than that in a low-elevation mesohaline marsh, whereas the NEE_EC was lower than that in a high-elevation freshwater marsh. The declines in NEE_EC between the marshes could be attributed to a greater decrease in gross primary production relative to ecosystem respiration. Waterlogging slightly increased the NEE_ms (NEE based on the mesocosms) because of inhibited soil respiration and slight changes in plant photosynthesis and shoot respiration. However, the NEE_ms measured during the drainage period decreased significantly due to the stimulated soil respiration. The NEE_ms decreased with increasing salinity (except under mild salinity), and waterlogging exacerbated the adverse impacts of salinity. The amplificatory effect of decreases in both leaf photosynthesis and growth under hydrological stresses contributed more to reduce the NEE_ms than to respiratory effluxes. Both waterlogging and increased salinity reduced the root biomass, soil microbial biomass, and activities of assayed soil enzymes (except for cellulase under waterlogging conditions), leading to limited soil respiration. The declines in plant growth, photosynthesis, and soil respiration could also be attributed to the decrease in soil nutrients under waterlogging and increased salinity conditions. We propose that the coupling of SLR-driven hydrological effects lowers the capacity of CO₂ uptake in subtropical coastal marshes.