Energy Flow in a Salt Marsh Ecosystem: The Role of Reduced Inorganic Sulfur Compounds

In completely oxic ecosystems, energy flow is largely mediated by and is proportional to movements of organic carbon. This is not true in ecosystems which are partially anoxic since the reduced inorganic end products of anaerobic respiration contain significant quantities of energy. In a New England salt marsh, most organic degradation proceeds anaerobically, and reduced inorganic sulfur compounds are important in energy flow. The export of energy from the peat as reduced inorganic sulfur compounds is perhaps twice the net above-ground production by Spartina alterniflora.