Distribution, sources, and decomposition of soil organic matter along a salinity gradient in estuarine wetlands characterized by C:N ratio, δ13C‐δ15N, and lignin biomarker

Abstract Despite increasing recognition of the critical role of coastal wetlands in mitigating climate change, sea‐level rise, and salinity increase, soil organic carbon (SOC) sequestration mechanisms in estuarine wetlands remain poorly understood. Here, we present new results on the source, decomposition, and storage of SOC in estuarine wetlands with four vegetation types, including single Phragmites australis (P, habitat I), a mixture of P. australis and Suaeda salsa (P + S, habitat II), single S. salsa (S, habitat III), and tidal flat (TF, habitat IV) across a salinity gradient. Values of δ 13 C increased with depth in aerobic soil layers (0–40 cm) but slightly decreased in anaerobic soil layers (40–100 cm). The δ 15 N was significantly enriched in soil organic matter at all depths than in the living plant tissues, indicating a preferential decomposition of 14 N‐enriched organic components. Thus, the kinetic isotope fractionation during microbial degradation and the preferential substrate utilization are the dominant mechanisms in regulating isotopic compositions in aerobic and anaerobic conditions, respectively. Stable isotopic (δ 13 C and δ 15 N), elemental (C and N), and lignin composition (inherited (Ad/Al)s and C/V) were not completely consistent in reflecting the differences in SOC decomposition or accumulation among four vegetation types, possibly due to differences in litter inputs, root distributions, substrate quality, water‐table level, salinity, and microbial community composition/activity. Organic C contents and storage decreased from upstream to downstream, likely due to primarily changes in autochthonous sources (e.g., decreased onsite plant biomass input) and allochthonous materials (e.g., decreased fluvially transported upland river inputs, and increased tidally induced marine algae and phytoplankton). Our results revealed that multiple indicators are essential to unravel the degree of SOC decomposition and accumulation, and a combination of C:N ratios, δ 13 C, δ 15 N, and lignin biomarker provides a robust approach to decipher the decomposition and source of sedimentary organic matter along the river‐estuary‐ocean continuum.