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Assessing historical environmental conditions linked to habitat colonization is important for understanding long-term resilience and improving conservation and restoration efforts. Such information is lacking for the seagrass Zostera marina, an important foundation species across cold-temperate coastal areas of the Northern Hemisphere. Here, we reconstructed environmental conditions during the last 14,000 years from sediment cores in two eelgrass (Z. marina) meadows along the Swedish west coast, with the main aims to identify the time frame of seagrass colonization and describe subsequent biogeochemical changes following establishment. Based on vegetation proxies (lipid biomarkers), eelgrass colonization occurred about 2,000 years ago after geomorphological changes that resulted in a shallow, sheltered environment favoring seagrass growth. Seagrass establishment led to up to 20- and 24-fold increases in sedimentary carbon and nitrogen accumulation rates, respectively. This demonstrates the capacity of seagrasses as efficient ecosystem engineers and their role in global change mitigation and adaptation through CO2 removal, and nutrient and sediment retention. By combining regional climate projections and landscape models, we assessed potential climate change effects on seagrass growth, productivity and distribution until 2100. These predictions showed that seagrass meadows are mostly at risk from increased sedimentation and hydrodynamic changes, while the impact from sea level rise alone might be of less importance in the studied area. This study showcases the positive feedback between seagrass colonization and environmental conditions, which holds promise for successful conservation and restoration efforts aimed at supporting climate change mitigation and adaptation, and the provision of several other crucial ecosystem services. © 2024. The Authors.

Soil carbon (C) fluxes, soil respiration and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) leaching were explored along the young Damma glacier forefield chronosequence (7-128years) over a three-year period. To gain insight into the sources of soil CO2 effluxes, radiocarbon signatures of respired CO2 were measured and a vegetation-clipping experiment was performed. Our results showed a clear increase in soil CO2 effluxes with increasing site age from 9±1 to 160±67gCO2-Cm−2year−1, which was linked to soil C accumulation and development of vegetation cover. Seasonal variations of soil respiration were mainly driven by temperature; between 62 and 70% of annual CO2 effluxes were respired during the 4-month long summer season. Sources of soil CO2 effluxes changed along the glacier forefield. For most recently deglaciated sites, radiocarbon-based age estimates indicated ancient C to be the dominant source of soil-respired CO2. At intermediate site age (58-78years), the contribution of new plant-fixed C via rhizosphere respiration amounted up to 90%, while with further soil formation, heterotrophically respired C probably from accumulated ‘older' soil organic carbon (SOC) became increasingly important. In comparison with soil respiration, DOC leaching at 10cm depth was small, but increased similarly from 0.4±0.02 to 7.4±1.6gDOCm−2year−1 over the chronosequence. A strong rise of the ratio of SOC to secondary iron and aluminium oxides strongly suggests that increasing DOC leaching with site age results from a faster increase of the DOC source, SOC, than of the DOC sink, reactive mineral surfaces. Overall, C losses from soil by soil respiration and DOC leaching increased from 9±1 to 70±17 and further to 168±68gCm−2year−1 at the <10, 58-78, and 110-128year old sites. By comparison, total ecosystem C stocks increased from 0.2 to 1.1 and to 3.1kgCm−2 from the young to intermediate and old sites. Therefore, the ecosystem evolved from a dominance of C accumulation in the initial phase to a high

We analysed the distributions of glycerol dialkyl glycerol tetraethers (GDGTs) and other lipid biomarkers [glycerol dialkyl diethers (DGDs), fatty acids (FAs), sterols, hopanoids and phytol] in the water column and sediments of Lake Rotsee (Switzerland) to understand the processes and organisms involved in CH4 cycling. In the sediment we found substantial amounts of GDGT-0. This originates mainly from acetoclastic methanogens, as indicated by microbial data, high GDGT-0/crenarchaeol ratio and δ13C signature of the isoprenoid alkyl chains (ca. −35‰ to −30‰). The more depleted δ13C values of archaeol (as low as −62‰) can be attributed to hydrogenotrophic methanogens, with a potential contribution from methanotrophic archaea (anaerobic CH4 oxidising archaea). An increase in GDGT-0 in sediment layers deposited in the early 1920s [driven by an increase in organic matter supply to the sediment] indicates a maximum in methanogenic biomass and thus a potential peak in CH4 production, which fits with the eutrophication history of the lake. Excess methanogenesis most probably led to CH4 liberation to the water column and subsequent aerobic CH4 oxidation (MOx) as indicated by a higher concentration of diploptene and 17β,21β-homohopanoic acid, with δ13C values as low as −60‰ and −64‰, respectively.Variation in these markers in the sediment indicated changes in the abundance of aerobic CH4 oxidising bacteria (MOB), which thrive at the oxic/anoxic interface in the water column. In the water column, the presence of the C16:1ω8 FA indicated that the MOx community was dominated by Type I MOB. Incorporation of CH4-derived carbon into microbial biomass was also indicated by 13C-depleted diagnostic FAs with δ13C values as low as −53‰ (10-methyl-C16:0, C16:1ω7, C16:1ω5, C18:1ω7, C18:1ω5). In addition, CH4-derived carbon could also be traced into the biomass of photosynthetic organisms. In the water column, the sterols and phytol, originating from photosynthetic organisms, were 13C-deple

A multi-proxy study of a sediment sequence from Braamhoek wetland, covering the last c. 16,000 years, reveals a record of regional climate and vegetation dynamics in the Drakensberg region, South Africa, including signals from both the organic sediment fraction (fossil pollen, charcoal, n-alkane abundance, n-alkane delta C-13, TOC) and the inorganic fraction (mineral magnetic properties). The reconstruction, supported by a robust chronology, indicates two major periods of increased regional wetness during the late Pleistocene to early Holocene phase (c. 13,800-12,600 cal yr BP; c. 10,200-8500 cal yr BP) and one during the late Holocene (c. 2000 cal yr BP to present). Drier conditions are recorded during the Younger Dryas (c. 12,600-11,300 cal yr BP) and mid-Holocene (c. 7000-2000 cal yr BP). A major decline in fynbos vegetation during the early Holocene suggests a shift towards warmer temperatures and possibly towards less pronounced winter rains in eastern South Africa from c. 8500 cal yr BP. Comparison with records from interior of South Africa show relatively high inter-site variability, however, the Braamhoek moisture proxies do co-vary with the speleothem isotope records from Makapansgat, suggesting a similar hydro-climate evolution in eastern and interior parts of the summer rainfall region during the studied period. On multi-millennial time scales, an inverse hydro-climatological pattern is evident between these two South African records and reconstructions from tropical locations in southeast Africa. Such a rainfall dipole between eastern tropical and southern Africa, has previously been identified on shorter time scales, i.e. on inter-annual to millennial scales. The Braamhoek study suggests that a similar dipole pattern is acting also on a multi-millennial perspective. These long-term precipitation anomalies are tentatively coupled to teleconnections from multi-millennial changes in the dynamics of the Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) and El Nino-Southern Oscilla

We analysed glycerol dialkyl glycerol tetraether (GDGT) distributions in the water column, sediment and catchment soils of the Swiss Lake Rotsee to determine the sources of GDGTs in the lake sediment and to determine the implications for GDGT-based palaeoclimate proxies. The branched GDGT (brGDGT) distribution in the soils surrounding the lake showed significant heterogeneity, which may be partly explained by vegetation cover and soil moisture. One group of soils seems to provide the largest contribution of soilderived GDGTs to the lake, or the distribution of GDGTs in these soils is affected by the relatively high soil moisture availability, creating lake-like conditions and GDGT distributions. Comparison of GDGT distributions in soils, water column and sediments indicated that brGDGTs and crenarchaeol in the sediment are partly soil derived, but that in situ production in the water column and/or sediment also takes place. Eutrophication seems to affect the distributions of brGDGTs by dilution of the supply of soil derived brGDGTs to the lake and by changing the degree of in situ production of brGDGTs in the water column. Furthermore, the eutrophic conditions in the lake promote methanogenic activity and subsequently cause a contribution of isoprenoid GDGTs (isoGDGTs) of methanogenic origin to the sediments. The aquatic production of GDGTs has implications for the reliability of GDGT-based proxy results. In particular, the application of the BIT and TEX86 indices is hampered by the mixed sources of the GDGTs in the lake. In contrast, global lake-specific brGDGT-based temperature calibrations resulted in temperature estimates that resemble measured mean annual and summer air temperatures. CBT-derived pH values agreed well with measured soil and water column values. Our results demonstrate that understanding the source ofGDGTs in lake sediments is important for thWe analysed glycerol dialkyl glycerol tetraether (GDGT) distributions in the water column, sediment and c

Genesis of soil organic matter (SOM) during pedogenesis is still a matter of controversy in soil science. Recently, it was hypothesized that microbial cell-envelope fragments contribute significantly to SOM formation. We tested the relevance of this process during pedogenesis by evaluating the development of SOM along a chronosequence of a glacier forefield (Damma glacier). Samples of increasing soil age collected along the forefield were analyzed for C and N contents, phospholipid and total fatty acids (PLFA and tFA), water contact angle, micro-hydrophobicity and surface coverage by microbial cell-envelope residues. The surface coverage was visualized and quantified by analysis of representative, equally-scaled scanning electron micrographs (SEM). Increasing SOM contents were accompanied by increasing coverage and overall abundance of microbial cell-envelope fragments as evaluated on the basis of scanning electron microscopy; this is also reflected in the amounts of tFA and PLFA, the trend of C/N ratios, and the increasing hydrophobicity and water contact angles of the soil samples. Using SEM and the image analysis approach, we can provide a process-based description of the development of SOM in the newly developing ecosystem of the glacier forefield. The majority of small-sized SOM visible with scanning electron microscopy appears to consist of bacterial cell envelope fragments that remain stable after cell death, such that their shape does not change with soil age. Our results show the importance of microbial processing of SOM, and highlight the existence of microbial necromass as a significant part of the fine-particulate SOM even in later stages of soil development.

Two commonly used proxies based on the distribution of glycerol dialkyl glycerol tetraethers (GDGTs) are the TEX86 paleothermometer for sea-surface temperature reconstructions and theBIT index for reconstructing soil organic matter input to the ocean. An initial round-robin studyof two sediment extracts, in which fifteen laboratories participated, showed relatively consistentTEX86 values (reproducibility ±3-4 °C when translated to temperature) but a large spread in BITmeasurements (reproducibility ±0.41 on a scale of 0 to 1). Here we report results of a secondround-robin study with thirty-five laboratories in which three sediments, one sediment extractand two mixtures of pure, isolated GDGTs were analyzed. The results for TEX86 and BIT index showed improvement compared to the previous round-robin study. The reproducibility, indicating interlaboratory variation, of TEX86 values ranged from 1.3-3.0 °C when translated totemperature. These results are similar to those of other temperature proxies used inpaleoceanography. Comparison of the results obtained from one of the three sediments showed that TEX86 and BIT indices are not significantly affected by interlaboratory differences insediment extraction techniques. BIT values of the sediments and extracts were at the extremes of the index with values close to 0 or 1, and showed good reproducibility (ranging from 0.013 to 0.042). However, the measured BIT values for the two GDGT mixtures, with known molar ratios of crenarchaeol and branched GDGTs, had intermediate BIT values and showed poorreproducibility and a large overestimation of the =true‘ (i.e., molar-based) BIT index. The latter is likely due to, amongst other factors, the higher mass spectrometric response of branched GDGTscompared to crenarchaeol, which also varies among mass spectrometers. Correction for thisdifferent mass spectrometric response showed a considerable improvement in the reproducibilityof BIT index measurements among laboratories, as well as a su

The effects of eutrophication on short term changes in the microbial community were investigated using high resolution lipid biomarker and trace metal data for sediments from the eutrophic Lake Rotsee (Switzerland). The lake has been strongly influenced by sewage input since the 1850s and is an ideal site for studying an anthropogenically altered ecosystem. Historical remediation measures have had direct implications for productivity and microbial biota, leading to community composition changes and abundance shifts. The higher sewage and nutrient input resulted in a productivity increase, which led predominantly to a radiation in diatoms, primary producers and methanogens between about 1918 and 1921, but also affected all microorganism groups and macrophytes between about 1958 and 1972. Bacterial biomass increased in 1933, which may have been related to the construction of a mechanical sewage treatment plant. Biomarkers also allowed tracing of fossil organic matter/biodegraded oil contamination in the lake. Stephanodiscus parvus, Cyclotella radiosa and Asterionella formosa were the dominant sources of specific diatom biomarkers. Since the 1850s, the cell density of methanogenic Archaea (Methanosaeta spp.) ranged within ca. 0.5–1.8 × 109 cells g−1 dry sediment and the average lipid content of Rotsee Archaea was ca. 2.2 fg iGDGTs cell−1. An altered BIT index (BITCH), indicating changes in terrestrial organic matter supply to the lake, is proposed.

Soil carbon (C) fluxes, soil respiration and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) leaching were explored along the young Damma glacier forefield chronosequence (7-128years) over a three-year period. To gain insight into the sources of soil CO2 effluxes, radiocarbon signatures of respired CO2 were measured and a vegetation-clipping experiment was performed. Our results showed a clear increase in soil CO2 effluxes with increasing site age from 9±1 to 160±67gCO2-Cm−2year−1, which was linked to soil C accumulation and development of vegetation cover. Seasonal variations of soil respiration were mainly driven by temperature; between 62 and 70% of annual CO2 effluxes were respired during the 4-month long summer season. Sources of soil CO2 effluxes changed along the glacier forefield. For most recently deglaciated sites, radiocarbon-based age estimates indicated ancient C to be the dominant source of soil-respired CO2. At intermediate site age (58-78years), the contribution of new plant-fixed C via rhizosphere respiration amounted up to 90%, while with further soil formation, heterotrophically respired C probably from accumulated ‘older' soil organic carbon (SOC) became increasingly important. In comparison with soil respiration, DOC leaching at 10cm depth was small, but increased similarly from 0.4±0.02 to 7.4±1.6gDOCm−2year−1 over the chronosequence. A strong rise of the ratio of SOC to secondary iron and aluminium oxides strongly suggests that increasing DOC leaching with site age results from a faster increase of the DOC source, SOC, than of the DOC sink, reactive mineral surfaces. Overall, C losses from soil by soil respiration and DOC leaching increased from 9±1 to 70±17 and further to 168±68gCm−2year−1 at the <10, 58-78, and 110-128year old sites. By comparison, total ecosystem C stocks increased from 0.2 to 1.1 and to 3.1kgCm−2 from the young to intermediate and old sites. Therefore, the ecosystem evolved from a dominance of C accumulation in the initial phase to a high