International Journal of Scientific Research in Environmental Sciences, 2(9), pp.

332-339, 2014
Available online at http://www.ijsrpub.com/ijsres
ISSN: 2322-4983; 2014 IJSRPUB
http://dx.doi.org/10.12983/ijsres-2014-p0332-0339


332
Full Length Research Paper

Sediment Carbon Storage of Two Main Wetlands in Pondicherry, India

Anand Miria, Anisa Basheer Khan
*


Department of Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Pondicherry University, Pondicherry 605 014, India
*Corresponding Author: E-mail: anisabasheer@gmail.com; Phone: +91-413-2654324; Fax: +91-413-2656180

Received 28 June 2014; Accepted 13 August 2014

Abstract. Assessing the carbon storage patterns in the sediments of Oussudu and Kaliveli, considered as potential wetlands for
conservation under RAMSAR convention and declared bird sanctuaries by the government was the objective of the study.
Dissolved oxygen and CO
2
diffusion rates in the surface waters was analyzed and the relationship between the sediment
carbon storage and oxygen/carbon dioxide in the waters was presented. The mean dissolved oxygen content for the study
period (2009 2011) was 17.28 3.25 mg/l for Oussudu and 35.5 7.23 mg/l for Kaliveli respectively. The rate of CO
2
diffusion was high (13.312.71 mg/l) in Kaliveli than in Oussudu (6.481.21 mg/l). High level of CO
2
diffusion causes
acidification forming carbonic acids which might be the cause of high levels of sediment calcium in Kaliveli. The mean
calcium carbonate and organic matter content of sediment was 2.110.51% and 1.510.59% for Oussudu and 36.214.51%
and 0.460.16% for Kaliveli respectively. The total organic carbon and phosphate content were 0.870.34% and 27.380.56
(mg/L) for Oussudu and 0.270.09% and 4.130.67 (mg/L) for Kaliveli respectively. There existed a significant inversely
proportional relationship between calcium carbonate and organic matter and a strong positive relationship between organic
matter and phosphate in the sediments. Our study reveals that majority of the carbon storage is through organic matter in
Oussudu lake and through calcium carbonate in Kaliveli.

Keywords: Oussudu, Kaliveli, CO
2,
organic matter, calcium carbonate
.


1. INTRODUCTION

Wetlands, one of the major sources of carbon sink
with their unique species diversity and
biogeochemical cycles are a major source of economy
besides possessing aesthetic value. The net primary
productivity (NPP) of freshwater wetlands is high
(1180 g C m
-2
yr
-1
) relative to other ecosystems
including tropical forests (Pant et al., 2003). However
algal blooms are one of the major threats to many
wetlands across the globe due to nutrient
accumulation from domestic, industrial and
commercial/tourism waste run off and such
anthropogenic intrusions have altered both the aquatic
flora and fauna. Wetlands sequester carbon mainly
through three main processes - photosynthesis or
primary productivity, run off or nutrient enrichment
through external factors, decomposition and
sedimentation. They play an important role in carbon
cycling accounting for 15% of the terrestrial organic
matter loss to the oceans (Adhikari et al., 2009).
Kaliveli and Oussudu are the two wetlands of
Pondicherry, Union Territory of India. Both the
wetlands are the declared bird watching sites by the
Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS). The
objective of this study is to understand the type of
carbon storage in these two wetlands - either in
organic or inorganic form by estimating organic
matter, CaCO
3,
P and to explore its relation with the
dissolved oxygen content by estimating monthly
changes in the dissolved oxygen (DO) levels and CO
2

of the wetlands. Phosphorus (P) is often the key
nutrient and limiting factor for the organisms in both
estuarine and fresh water ecosystems (Reddy et al.,
1999). Besides organic matter, phosphates also denote
pollution status and hence phosphate was estimated
and compared. Calcium carbonate as a major
constituent of deep-sea sediment, its dissolution and
burial are important parts of the global carbon
cycle (Archer et al., 1989) and as they constitute a
major source of inorganic carbon storage in wetlands,
quantification of sediment CaCO
3
was done for both
these wetlands. The aim of the study is to estimate the
type of carbon (organic or inorganic) storage in the
sediments in relation to the rate of carbon dioxide
diffusion in the surface waters of these two wetlands.




Miria and Khan
Sediment Carbon Storage of Two Main Wetlands in Pondicherry, India
333
2. MATERIALS AND METHODS

The study was done for a period of two years (Oct
2009 Sep 2011). The average annual rainfall in
Pondicherry during the study period was 1479.8 mm
(2009 2010) and 1834 mm (2010 2011) and the
average maximum and minimum temperature were
31.5C to 23.9C.

(a) Bridge road
(b) a group of painted storks
Fig. 1: A view of Kaliveli wetland near bridge road and the wetland with painted storks

2.1. Kaliveli

Kaliveli (Fig 1) with a total area of 13,200 ha is an
estuarine wetland, located (12 0512 15 N, 79
4779 59 E) near Marakkanam, on the east coast of
Tamil Nadu. It lies parallel to the east coast and joins
the sea through a narrow channel. Being a seasonal
wetland, the water level in the wetland varies with the
International Journal of Scientific Research in Environmental Sciences, 2(9), pp. 332-339, 2014
334
amount of precipitation it receives and may be dry
during summer months.
During the initial period of our study the water
level in Kaliveli wetland was high though later the
water depth was reduced to a few feet.The area
regularly holds over 30,000 ducks in winter and
20,000 - 40,000 shore birds and 20,000 - 50,000 terns
during the migration seasons and has lush growth of
mangroves (Ramanujam, 2005), though number of
migratory birds visiting has reduced drastically due to
anthropogenic intrusions. The locals are extending
their paddy fields into the wetland and anumber of
prawn farms have come up around Kaliveli and the
wastes are let out into the wetland.


Fig. 2: A view of Oussudu Lake


Fig. 3: Dissolved oxygen content of the two study sites

2.2. Oussudu

Oussudu (Fig 2) is an inland fresh water lake
previously called as Ousteri. Identified as one of the
heritage sites by IUCN, with an area of 3.90 sq.km, it
is ranked among the most important wetlands of Asia.
It is located 11 57 N; 79 45 E) and is almost
equally shared between Tamil Nadu (410 ha) and
Pondicherry (390 ha) with a total volume of about 700
ha (Murugesan et al., 2013). It is the most important
freshwater lake for Pondicherry region. More than 200
species of plants and trees belonging to 60 families
have been identified in Oussudu (IBCN, 2011). More
than 103 species of native and migratory birds have
been spotted in and around Oussudu (MOEF, 2010).

0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
Oussudu Kaliveli
D
I
S
S
O
L
V
E
D

O
X
Y
G
E
N

(
m
g
/
l
)

Miria and Khan
Sediment Carbon Storage of Two Main Wetlands in Pondicherry, India
335
2.3. Water analysis

Water and sediment samples were collected from
three different locations every month from each of
these two these wetlands during noon time when the
primary productivity is at its peak. The collected
sample was immediately precipitated at the field itself
and analyzed in the lab. Dissolved oxygen was
analyzed from the surface waters by Winkler Azide
method (APHA, 1998). CO
2
content was calculated by
converting the DO values to its equivalent moles of
(coversion factor 0.375) CO
2
fixed (Ribes et al., 1998,
Sakhare, 2007). Sediment samples were collected
from the top 10 cm and pH was noted before they
were air dried, then sieved and homogenized. Calcium
carbonate (CaCO
3
) was analyzed by titrimetry (Ryan
et al., 2001). Organic matter (OM) and Total organic
carbon (TOC) were analyzed by Walkley Black
Method and phosphate by Brays spectrophotometric
method (Motsara and Roy, 2008).



(a) CaCO
3
Calcium carbonate, (b) Organic matter, (c) TOC Total organic carbon and (d) Phosphate
Fig. 4: CACO
3
, OM, TOC and Phosphate in Oussudu and Kaliveli wetlands

3. RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS

The level of dissolved oxygen from the surface waters
of both these wetlands indicates the level of water
interaction with the atmospheric oxygen and carbon
dioxide. Kaliveli being a marine estuarine wetland has
high levels of dissolved oxygen, since sea water has
more dissolved oxygen than fresh water wetlands.
Climate change plays an important role in tidal
wetlands since they are sensitive to both sea level rise
and their ability to sequester atmospheric carbon
dioxide (Callaway et al., 2012).
The mean dissolved oxygen (DO) content for
Oussudu was 17.283.25 mg/l and its lower and
higher values being 10.4 mg/l, 26 mg/l. The DO flux
for Kaliveli was 35.57.23 mg/l which was higher
than Oussudu (Fig. 3) with its maximum and
minimum values as 60 mg/l, 24 mg/l respectively.
Oussudu Lakes DO increased from 5.780.99 mg/l in
the first year to 7.171.03 mg/l by the second year of
the study which could be due to increased rainfall
(400 mm) during 2010 2011. Dissolved oxygen
affects the CO
2
fixation in water.
The rate of CO
2
diffusion was high (13.312.71
mg/l) in Kaliveli than in Oussudu (6.481.21 mg/l).
High level of CO
2
diffusion causes acidification
forming carbonic acids which further leads to the
formation of carbonates and bicarbonates and could
account partly for the high level of sediment calcium
formation in Kaliveli, since the shells and debris
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
Oussudu Kaliveli
C
a
C
O
3

(
%
)

(a)
0.0
0.5
1.0
1.5
2.0
2.5
Oussudu Kaliveli
O
R
G
A
N
I
C

M
A
T
T
E
R

(
%
)

(b)
0.0
0.2
0.4
0.6
0.8
1.0
1.2
1.4
Oussudu Kaliveli
T
O
C

(
%
)

(c)
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
Oussudu Kaliveli
P
H
O
S
P
H
A
T
E

(
m
g
/
l
)

(d)
International Journal of Scientific Research in Environmental Sciences, 2(9), pp. 332-339, 2014
336
brought through the estuary also contributes to its high
calcium content in the sediment. Carbon dioxide
concentration increase and acidity have an adverse
effect on calcification process in the sediments
beyond a saturation point. Salinity and minerals in the
estuarine wetland also impact calcification process in
the sediments.
The average CaCO
3
and organic matter content of
sediment was 2.110.51% (min and max: 1.39%,
2.95%) and 1.510.59% (min and max: 0.88%,
3.04%) for Oussudu and 36.214.51% (min and max:
31.4%, 54.8%) and 0.460.16% (min and max:
0.22%, 0.82%) for Kaliveli respectively. The
phosphate content was 27.380.56 mg/l (min and
max: 24.18, 28.00 mg/l) for Oussudu and 4.130.67
mg/l (min and max: 2.3, 5.03 mg/l) for Kaliveli
respectively. T-test showed that all the water
parameters (DO and CO
2
) as well as sediment
characteristics (CaCO
3
, OM, TOC and P (Fig 4)
varied significantly among the two study sites.
Sediment of Oussudu has a pH ranging from 6.5 to
8 and for Kaliveli the range was from 8 to 9. The high
level of pH in Kaliveli indicates high level of CO
2

fixation in the water making the wetland alkaline
(Morris et al., 2013). For every mole of organic
carbon fixed one mole of oxygen is generated though
iron and sulphur flux also determine the oxygen cycle.
By clubbing the data on dissolved oxygen of water
and the organic matter of the sediments of the two
sites, a correlation of 53% (y = -0.0465x + 2.2092 R
= 0.5378) indicated that dissolved oxygen has direct
effect on the organic carbon assimilation in the
sediments.
In the present study when data sets of the two sites
were combined a significant inversely proportional
relationship (Fig 5) between calcium carbonate
content and organic matter in the sediments was
evident which corroborates the study of Berelson et
al., 1990. This shows that when organic matter is
more in the sediment calcium carbonate was less in
the sediment and vice versa.
Oxidation of organic matter is an important factor
as it supplies the acid for total calcium carbonate
dissolution occurring in wetlands (Berelson et al.,
1990). Organic carbon rich soils have more than 1%
of organic matter and it is discernible that in sediment
of Oussudu lake, where organic matter (1.51%) is
more than 1% which shows high primary productivity
in Oussudu. According to Tyson (1995), high organic
matter contents relate to high mud content which
again is directly linked either to low hydrodynamic
area or a high primary productivity region. For
dissolved oxygen content of these wetlands based on
the central pollution control board standards, (CPCB),
INDIA (2007 2008 dissolved oxygen 4mg/l or
more) both these wetlands are highly suitable for the
propagation of wildlife and fisheries.
Organic matter appears to control total phosphate
content of wetland soils and in sediments with high
organic matter the total phosphates are stored in the
form of organic phosphates (Dunne et al., 2007).
Organic phosphate accumulation is essential for
assimilation by the living organisms meanwhile if the
phosphate concentration increases it can cause
eutrophication. The harvested carbon dioxide is
incorporated into the sediment either through biomass,
organic matter or through the process of calcification
and the sediment carbon is a long term reservoir of the
net carbon assimilated. In Oussudu carbon storage is
mainly through organic matter and in Kaliveli carbon
is stored in the inorganic calcium carbonate of the
sediments as is evident from the results.
Apart from carbon dioxide diffused other biotic
and abiotic factors involved also play a significant
role in the organic matter and calcium carbonate
accumulation and the process of carbon storage in the
sediment is a long time process.However, when data
sets of the two sites were combined together, there
existed a significant relationship between organic
matter and Phosphate in the sediments (Fig 6).
Flooding and organic effluents and also the biomass
would increase organic matter accretion rates, which
typically is the controlling factor for long-term
phosphate storage in wetlands (Richardson and
Marshall, 1986).

4. CONCLUSION

Carbon dioxide dilution rate in the surface water was
high in estuarine wetland compared to the fresh water
wetland. Organic matter and calcium carbonate in the
sediment of these wetlands has an inversely
proportional relationship. Organic phosphate was
affected by the organic matter present in the sediment
layer. In Oussudu the organic matter influx was
through the decay of living organisms, domestic and
industrial wastes. In Kaliveli the carbonic
acidification plays a major role in the sediment
calcium deposition apart from debris. Estuarine
wetland Kaliveli stores more carbon than the fresh
water wetland Oussudu. From the results a significant
relationship is obtained between CaCO
3
, OM and P.
Both these wetlands require conservation measures as
carbon sink, for sustainability of the flora and fauna
and to prevent the water body from getting polluted.

Miria and Khan
Sediment Carbon Storage of Two Main Wetlands in Pondicherry, India
337

Fig. 5: Relationship between CaCO
3
and Organic matter (OM) of sediment for the two sites, O - Oussudu and K Kaliveli


Fig. 6: Relationship between Organic Matter (OM) and Phosphate (P) of the sediment for the two sites, O - Oussudu and K
Kaliveli

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Sediment Carbon Storage of Two Main Wetlands in Pondicherry, India
339


Dr Anisa Basheer Khan is a Professor in Ecology and Environmental Sciences and Dean of
School of Life Sciences at Pondicherry University, Pondicherry, India. She acquired her Master
Degree from Andhra University (1975). She received her doctorate from Andhra University
(1978). Her fields of interests are Bioremediation, Marine Ecology, Epidemiology,
Vermicomposting and Carbon sequestration. She has published many refereed articles in
journals of international repute. She has presented scientific papers in international and national
conferences both in India and abroad.










A MIRIA is a PhD research scholar in Ecology and Environmental Sciences at Pondicherry
University, Pondicherry, India. She has a Bachelor Degree in Plant Biology and Plant
Biotechnology from the University of Madras (2004) as well as Master Degree in Ecology &
Environmental Sciences from Pondicherry University (2009). Her current research focus is on
growth and carbon storage studies in plants and wetland sediment carbon storage. She has
published several scientific articles related to carbon storage in national and international peer
reviewed journals.