Sulfide intrusion

In ecology, sulfide intrusion refers to an excess of sulfide molecules (S^2-) 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]

References

^ 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, hdl:10261/88858, S2CID 24303572
^ 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
^ Harald Hasler-Sheetal and Marianne Holmer (2015), "Sulfide Intrusion and Detoxification in the Seagrass Zostera marina", PLOS ONE, 10 (6): e0129136, doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0129136, PMC 4452231, PMID 26030258
^ 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 (3): 482–490, doi:10.1007/bf02819394, S2CID 14461273{{citation}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
^ 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, hdl:11370/23625acb-7ec0-4480-98d7-fad737d7d4fe, PMID 22700927, S2CID 27806510

[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, hdl:10261/88858, S2CID 24303572

[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): e0129136, doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0129136, PMC 4452231, PMID 26030258

[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 (3): 482–490, doi:10.1007/bf02819394, S2CID 14461273{{citation}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)

[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, hdl:11370/23625acb-7ec0-4480-98d7-fad737d7d4fe, PMID 22700927, S2CID 27806510

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See also

References