Organic matter mineralization in intertidal sediments along an estuarine gradient

A seasonal study of organic matter mineralization rates was made at 8 intertidal stations in the Westerschelde Estuary (The Netherlands). Organic matter mineralization rates, based on the gaseous emission of carbon dioxide and methane, showed significant dynamic temporal and spatial variability at various scales. Annual rates of organic matter mineralization varied from 8 to about 339 mol C m -2 yr -1 . The temperature dependence of organic matter degradation was described using an Arrhenius-type equation. Activation energies ranged from 54 to 125 kJ mol -1 and correlated negatively with depth... Mehr ...