Silica: an essential nutrient in wetland biogeochemistry
Open Access
- 13 February 2008
- journal article
- review article
- Published by Wiley in Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment
- Vol. 7 (2) , 88-94
Abstract
Recent research has emphasized the importance of terrestrial ecosystems in the global biogeochemical cycle of silica (Si). The production, retention, and dissolution of amorphous silica of biological origin in soils and vegetation effectively control terrestrial Si fluxes. However, surprisingly little is known about the role of wetlands in these processes. Wetlands are known hotspots for both nitrogen and phosphorus cycling, and there have been countless studies and numerous reviews on these nutrients worldwide. By bringing together previously scattered results, we show that wetland ecosystems may be as important for Si transport and processing as they are for other important biogeochemical cycles. Yet, the range of studied systems is small and incomplete. This constitutes a serious gap in our understanding of both coastal eutrophication and climate change, issues that are strongly linked to Si biogeochemistry. Ecosystem scientists and wetland biogeochemists around the world need to begin addressing these issues.Keywords
This publication has 44 references indexed in Scilit:
- Phragmites australis and silica cycling in tidal wetlandsAquatic Botany, 2007
- Dynamics of biogenic Si in freshwater tidal marshes: Si regeneration and retention in marsh sediments (Scheldt estuary)Biogeochemistry, 2006
- Biologic cycling of silica across a grassland bioclimosequenceGlobal Biogeochemical Cycles, 2006
- Review of methodologies for extracting plant-available and amorphous Si from soils and aquatic sedimentsBiogeochemistry, 2006
- Tidal marshes and biogenic silica recycling at the land-sea interfaceLimnology and Oceanography, 2006
- Changes in stoichiometric Si, N and P ratios of Mississippi River water diverted through coastal wetlands to the Gulf of MexicoEstuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science, 2004
- Terrestrial ecosystems and the global biogeochemical silica cycleGlobal Biogeochemical Cycles, 2002
- Hydrological alterations with river damming in northern Sweden: Implications for weathering and river biogeochemistryGlobal Biogeochemical Cycles, 2002
- Depletion of plant‐available silicon in soils: A possible cause of declining rice yieldsCommunications in Soil Science and Plant Analysis, 1997
- The impact of a riparian wetland on streamwater quality in a recently afforested upland catchmentJournal of Hydrology, 1994