Coastal riverine wetland biogeochemistry follows soil organic matter distribution along a marsh-to-mangrove gradient (Florida, USA)

Many subtropical coastal wetland vegetation communities are transitioning from herbaceous marsh to woody mangrove, often facilitated by sea-level rise. This study investigated the relationships between vegetation community (upstream marsh, ecotone/transition, and downstream mangrove), salinity (S), and soil biogeochemistry in wetlands along three rivers on the Florida Gulf coast (the Little Manatee, Peace, and Fakahatchee Rivers). Vegetation was surveyed, and soil and water samples were collected during both the dry and the wet season and analyzed for biogeochemical properties (soil: bulk density, pH, organic matter, extractable inorganic and total nutrients, dissolved organic carbon (DOC), and microbial biomass carbon; water: inorganic nutrients and DOC) and processes (greenhouse gas production) while salinity and water level were continuously monitored in the field. Results indicated landscape-scale patterns in soil biogeochemistry differed significantly by river and were most strongly correlated with soil organic matter content, regardless of vegetation community or salinity regime. Contrary to expectations, soil organic matter content gradients were not always inversely related to salinity gradients, and methane production was observed in moderate- (S = 12) and high- (S = 34) salinity mangrove communities. The vegetation ecotone experienced seasonally variable salinity and did not serve as a true biogeochemical intermediate between the marsh and mangrove communities. This study demonstrates the need for site-specific studies of biogeochemical gradients in coastal wetlands and indicates the marsh-to-mangrove ecotone is not a proxy for salinity or biogeochemical tipping points. Instead, soil organic matter content is suggested as the most relevant indicator of biogeochemical properties and processes in wetlands along coastal rivers, superseding vegetation community or salinity