Patterns in ecosystem C dynamics in Everglades Freshwater Marsh

Hydrology drives the carbon balance of wetlands by controlling the uptake and release of CO₂. In the Everglades, hydrology has been linked to seasonal and annual patterns in net ecosystem exchange rates. Short-hydroperiod freshwater marsh productivity rates are higher during the dry season, while long-hydroperiod freshwater marshes exhibit greater productivity during the wet season. Although they exhibit diverging seasonally patterns, freshwater marsh are nearly CO₂ neutral (-11– -110 g CO₂ m^-2 yr^-1). While seasonal patterns might be better explained by aboveground activity in the short-hydroperiod freshwater marsh, changes in respiration rates better explain seasonal variation in long-hydroperiod freshwater marsh.