Exotic Spartina alterniflora invasion alters ecosystem–atmosphere exchange of CH4 and N2O and carbon sequestration in a coastal salt marsh in China

Abstract Coastal salt marshes are sensitive to global climate change and may play an important role in mitigating global warming. To evaluate the impacts of Spartina alterniflora invasion on global warming potential ( GWP ) in Chinese coastal areas, we measured CH 4 and N 2 O fluxes and soil organic carbon sequestration rates along a transect of coastal wetlands in Jiangsu province, China, including open water; bare tidal flat; and invasive S. alterniflora , native Suaeda salsa, and Phragmites australis marshes. Annual CH 4 emissions were estimated as 2.81, 4.16, 4.88, 10.79, and 16.98 kg CH 4 ha −1 for open water, bare tidal flat, and P. australis , S. salsa , and S. alterniflora marshes, respectively, indicating that S. alterniflora invasion increased CH 4 emissions by 57–505%. In contrast, negative N 2 O fluxes were found to be significantly and negatively correlated ( P < 0.001) with net ecosystem CO 2 exchange during the growing season in S. alterniflora and P. australis marshes. Annual N 2 O emissions were 0.24, 0.38, and 0.56 kg N 2 O ha −1 in open water, bare tidal flat and S. salsa marsh, respectively, compared with ‐0.51 kg N 2 O ha −1 for S. alterniflora marsh and −0.25 kg N 2 O ha −1 for P. australis marsh. The carbon sequestration rate of S. alterniflora marsh amounted to 3.16 Mg C ha −1 yr −1 in the top 100 cm soil profile, a value that was 2.63‐ to 8.78‐fold higher than in native plant marshes. The estimated GWP was 1.78, −0.60, −4.09, and −1.14 Mg CO 2 eq ha −1 yr −1 in open water, bare tidal flat, P. australis marsh and S. salsa marsh, respectively, but dropped to −11.30 Mg CO 2 eq ha −1 yr −1 in S. alterniflora marsh. Our results indicate that although S. alterniflora invasion stimulates CH 4 emissions, it can efficiently mitigate increases in atmospheric CO 2 and N 2 O along the coast of China.