Sulfide intrusion

In ecology, sulfide intrusion refers to an excess of sulfide molecules (S2-) in the soil that interfere with plant growth, often seagrass.[1][2][3]

Seagrass bed sediment (soil) is typically anoxic, containing a reduced form of sulfur: hydrogen sulfide (H2S). H2S is a phytotoxin that results from anaerobic digestion, the decomposition of organic matter in the absence of oxygen. However, seagrass can persist in this environment because of physiological adaptations, as well as functional adaptations of other organisms in the ecosystem. For example, bivalves (clams) in the family Lucinidae host symbiotic bacteria that oxidize sulfides. Lucinid bivalves' gills house the bacteria, and the siphon supplies the bacteria and surrounding pore water with oxygenated water from above the sediment. Bacterial oxidation of the sulfides results in sulfates, reducing toxicity.[4][5]

See also

References

  1. Núria Marbà; et al. (2007), "Iron Additions Reduce Sulfide Intrusion and Reverse Seagrass (Posidonia oceanica) Decline in Carbonate Sediments", Ecosystems, 10 (5): 745–756, doi:10.1007/s10021-007-9053-8
  2. Marianne Holmer; et al. (2009), "Sulfide intrusion in the tropical seagrasses Thalassia testudinum and Syringodium filiforme", Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science, 85 (2): 319–326, doi:10.1016/j.ecss.2009.08.015
  3. Harald Hasler-Sheetal and Marianne Holmer (2015), "Sulfide Intrusion and Detoxification in the Seagrass Zostera marina", PLoS ONE, 10 (6), doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0129136
  4. L.K. Reynolds, P. Berg, and J.C. Zieman (2007), "Lucinid clam influence on the biogeochemistry of the seagrass Thalassia testudinum sediments", Estuaries and Coasts, 30: 482–490, doi:10.1007/bf02819394
  5. Tjisse van der Heide; et al. (2012), "A Three-Stage Symbiosis Forms the Foundation of Seagrass Ecosystems", Science, 336 (6087): 1432–1434, doi:10.1126/science.1219973
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