Benthic microeukaryotes beta diversity, but not alpha diversity, modulates carbon dioxide fluxes in a subtropical unvegetated tidal flat

Résumé fourni par la source

Unvegetated flats are receiving increasing attention due to their widespread distribution in “non-classical” blue carbon ecosystems. However, the relationship between CO2 flux and benthic microeukaryotes in unvegetated mudflats remains uncertain. This study focused on a subtropical tidal flat in Southeast China, integrating seasonal measurements, co-occurrence network construction, and partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) to elucidate the mechanisms by which microeukaryotes drive carbon sink functionality under seasonal dynamics. Our results showed that the annual CO2 flux showed net absorption, compared to net greenhouse gas source. Pennate diatoms determined seasonal change from CO2 sources to sinks. α-Diversity peaked in winter, while β-diversity showed strong seasonal turnover, directly suppressing CO2 emissions by optimizing species composition. PLS-SEM further confirmed that environmental factors influenced carbon sink functionality through both direct regulation and biodiversity-mediated indirect pathways. Our study provides a critical theoretical foundation for “non-classical” blue carbon ecosystems restoration and carbon neutrality pathway optimization.

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