Variability of carbon stored in inland freshwater wetland in Northeast India

Inland freshwater wetland ecosystems are among the largest sink of carbon (C) in the biosphere. However, improved scientific understanding of the C stability and sequestration potential is required to predict response of C pool under environmental change and to identify priorities for lacustrine C sink management. This study analyses the concentration of organic C fractions based on their stability and estimates C stock along with depth and eco-zones of the Rudrasagar lake in Northeast India. Sediment samples up to 100 cm depth were collected from littoral, sub-littoral and deep layers, and analysed for organic C concentrations. Results showed that C concentration decreases with depth in the littoral layer but increases with depth in sub-littoral and deep layers. Two-way analysis of variance showed that concentrations of soil organic C (SOC) fractions were significantly different among the eco-zones but not between the soil depth. Average SOC stock was significantly higher in the deep layer (334.9 Mg C ha-1) followed by sub-littoral (248.4 Mg C ha-1) and littoral layer (106.1 Mg C ha-1). Overall, we show that substantial spatial variability in SOC stock exists among the eco-zones and depth that may be driven by water inundation in deep layer and fluctuating hydrological conditions at the edges of the lacustrine ecosystem. Our study demonstrates that inland freshwater wetland is a major sink of organic C and if disturbed it can act as a carbon dioxide source.