DOI: 10.5061/dryad.j3tx95xk8
title: Patterns and determinants of plant-derived lignin phenols in coastal wetlands: implications for organic C accumulation

description: 1. As a major plant-derived soil organic carbon (SOC) component, lignin
 phenols are unique biomarkers that reflect biogeochemical characteristics
 under different vegetation compositions and climatic zones in coastal
 wetlands. However, the latitudinal patterns of plant-derived lignin
 phenols to SOC and their link with the stability and controlling
 mechanisms remain poorly understood. 2. A total of 156 soil samples from
 39 sites along a 5000 km coastal transect, were taken to explore the
 effects of biological and environmental controls on the patterns of lignin
 phenols. Lignin phenols had contents ranging from 1.91 to 83.3 mg g−1 OC,
 and a positive correlation was detected in grass-dominated salt marsh, but
 a weakly negative correlation in mangrove. Positive correlations between
 SOC or lignin content and C/V or S/V (the cinnamyl- or
 syringyl-to-vanillyl) ratios were found, while overall negative
 correlations between SOC or lignin content and (Ad/Al)V or (Ad/Al)S (the
 acid-to-aldehyde of vanillyl or syringyl units) ratios were detected,
 respectively, which confirmed the validity of these lignin biomarker
 degradation parameters. 3. Our findings revealed that plant C inputs and
 monomer ratios directly influenced the capacity of lignin phenols in
 soils. Lignin content and stabilization was mainly controlled by soil
 properties (i.e., pH, EC, sand/clay). Mean annual temperature (MAT)
 influenced the patterns of lignin phenols both directly by increasing
 decomposition and indirectly by changing the vegetation and soil
 biogeochemistry (i.e., microbial substrate availability). 4. Coastal
 wetlands are characterized by high primary productivity and C burial rate,
 yet plant-derived lignin phenols are not as much as we thought compared to
 microbial residues C. Precise identification and quantification of the
 origin, decomposition, and determinants of lignin phenols help us
 understand their contribution to C sequestration and its response to
 climate and environmental changes.
description: Please see the README
 document  ("Lignin_content_and_monomer_composition.csv", "Site_location.csv", "Soil_organic_carbon_content.csv", "Soil_properties.csv", "Vegetation_and_climate.csv") and the accompanying published article: Shaopan Xia, Zhaoliang Song, Weiqi Wang, Yaran Fan, Laodong Guo, Lukas Van Zwieten, Iain P. Hartley, Yin Fang, Yidong Wang, Zhenqing Zhang, Cong-Qiang Liu, and Hailong Wang. 2023. Patterns and determinants of plant-derived lignin phenols in coastal wetlands: implications for organic C accumulation. Functional Ecology. Accepted. DOI: 10.5061/dryad.j3tx95xk8
description: Please see the README
 document  ("Lignin_content_and_monomer_composition.csv", "Site_location.csv", "Soil_organic_carbon_content.csv", "Soil_properties.csv", "Vegetation_and_climate.csv") and the accompanying published article: Shaopan Xia, Zhaoliang Song, Weiqi Wang, Yaran Fan, Laodong Guo, Lukas Van Zwieten, Iain P. Hartley, Yin Fang, Yidong Wang, Zhenqing Zhang, Cong-Qiang Liu, and Hailong Wang. 2023. Patterns and determinants of plant-derived lignin phenols in coastal wetlands: implications for organic C accumulation. Functional Ecology. Accepted. DOI: 10.5061/dryad.j3tx95xk8