Mangrove restoration enhances blue carbon sequestration and its stability in a subtropical tidal wetland

作者：Xingyun Huang, Wensui Li, Guoming Qin, Fangyuan Guan, Yongxing Cui, Jingwei Shi, Zhe Lü, Lulu Zhang, Jingfan Zhang, Jinge Zhou, Ruyi Ding, Hua He, Evans Asenso, Hui Li, Faming Wang · 发表于：Functional Ecology · 年份：2025 · DOI：10.1111/1365-2435.70121 · 被引用次数：13 · 研究领域：Coastal wetland ecosystem dynamics、Agricultural and Environmental Management

Abstract Mangrove forests are among the most productive blue carbon (C) ecosystems. While mangrove restoration is recognized for its potential to increase coastal blue C storage, its effects on soil organic C (SOC) stability and sources remain poorly understood. Here, we examined the effects of mangrove restoration on SOC fractions and explored the relative contributions of plant versus microorganisms to these fractions. Specifically, we assessed the contents of particulate organic carbon (POC), coarse mineral‐associated organic carbon (cMAOC), fine mineral‐associated organic carbon (fMAOC) and two biomarkers (lignin phenol and amino sugar) across different restored vegetation zones in a typical mature mangrove wetland. Our results showed that mangrove restoration significantly increased the contents of all SOC fractions: POC (increasing by 39.90%–178.15%), cMAOC (27.98%–134.03%) and fMAOC (96.39%–731.56%). Notably, restoration primarily increased SOC through the accumulation of fMAOC (explaining 59.07% of SOC variation). We also found that Fe‐bound C (17.10%) predominated over Ca‐bound C (6.84%) in fMAOC accumulation, likely due to redox changes following restoration. More than 65% of MAOC originates from plant residues, with a smaller proportion derived from microbial necromass. These findings emphasize the predominant role of minerals in stabilizing plant‐derived organic C over microbial‐derived organic C in mangroves. Overall, this study highlights the potential of mangro...