Stable Carbon Isotope and Long-Chain Alkane Compositions of the Major Plants and Sediment Organic Matter in the Yellow River Estuarine Wetlands

摘要

Elemental(TOC,TN,C/N)and stable carbon isotopic(δ^13C)compositions and long-chain alkane(n C16-38)concentrations were measured for eight major plants and a sediment core collected from the Yellow River estuarine wetlands.Our results indicate that both C3(-25.4‰to-29.6‰)and C4(-14.2‰to-15.0‰)plants are growing in the wetlands and C3 plants are the predominant species.The biomass of the wetland plants had similar organic carbon(35.5-45.8%)but very different organic nitrogen(0.35-4.15%)contents.Both C3 and C4 plants all contained long-chain alkanes with strong odd-to-even carbon numbered chain predominance.Phragmites australis,a dominant C3 plant contained mainly n C29 and n C31 homologues.Aeluropus littoralis,an abundant C4 plant were concentrated with n C27 and n C29 homologues.Organic matter preserved in the Yellow River estuarine sediments showed strong terrestrial signals(C/N=11-16,δ^13C=-22.0‰to-24.3‰).The distribution of long-chain n-alkanes in sediments also showed strong odd-to-even carbon chain predominance with n C29 and n C31 being the most abundant homologues.These results suggest that organic matter preserved in the Yellow River estuarine sediments were influenced by the wetland-derived organic matter,mainly C3 plants.The Yellow River estuarine wetland plants could play important role affecting both the carbon and nutrient cycling in the estuary and adjacent coastal waters.