Silicon pools, fluxes and the potential benefits of a silicon soil amendment in a nitrogen-enriched tidal marsh restoration

Tidal marshes are important sites of silicon (Si) transformation, where dissolved Si (DSi) taken up by macrophytic vegetation and algal species is converted to biogenic silica (BSi), which can accumulate in the soil, be recycled within marsh, or exported adjacent coastal waters. The role restored created tidal these processes not well understood, nor impact nutrient enrichment at either plant ecosystem level. Here, fluxes were examined develop a mass balance nitrogen (N)-enriched marsh with fine-grained dredged material from Chesapeake Bay, United States. In addition, effectiveness soil amendments ameliorate negative effects excess on Spartina alterniflora was through laboratory field experiments. Silicon estuary as DSi (49 g m −2 y −1 ) BSi (35 stoichiometric phosphorus. Rapid recycling both creeks appeared transformation export marsh. Enhanced macrophyte SiO 2 tissue concentrations observed experiment, end-of-season mean values 2.20–2.69% controls 2.49–3.24% amended plots, among highest reported for S. ; however, improved fitness detected experiment. Thus, fine-grained, N-rich appear function rich source local estuarine environment, an overlooked service. Soil amendments, did likely alleviate N-induced stress .