Suaeda japonica marsh

Salt Marsh Vegetation Boosts Organic Carbon Storage in Yellow Sea Wetlands

Salt marsh vegetation measurably amplifies organic carbon processing in the Yellow Sea wetlands. Our investigation of adjacent mud flat and *Suaeda japonica*-vegetated marsh sites confirmed that microbial turnover and carbon mineralization were consistently higher where vegetation thrived, with a pronounced summer surface hotspot coinciding with peak root biomass. Yet carbon burial efficiency remained modest, between 8.8 and 23.8 percent, demonstrating that stock inventories alone cannot capture a wetland's full carbon balance.