Carbon Losses Resulting from Wetland Deterioration

5 Carbon Losses Resulting from Wetland Deterioration 

Much of the wetland loss occurring in coastal Louisiana is due to the deterioration of highly organic marsh soil. As discussed earlier, conversion of coastal marshes to inland open water is associated with plant stresses such as saltwater intrusion into nonsaline marshes and increased soil waterlogging as a result of subsidence. Marsh elevation decreases rapidly following plant mortality because of the structural collapse of the living root networks (DeLaune et al., 1994). The peat collapse and the associated erosion result in the conversion of marsh into open water. Conversions to open water system releases a considerable amount of carbon into the estuary where it is either decomposed or 

Spartina altemiflora (salt) Spartina patens (brackish) Panicum hemitomon (fresh) 

Marsh surface Marsh surface Marsh surface 

Carbon Flux Occurring in Mississippi Deltaic Plain Marshes 

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