Ruifeng Zhang, Chongling Yan,Jingchu Liu.Journal of Coastal Research.2013. 29(6): 1341-1350

To examine the influence of the mangrove environment on the distribution of rare eartb elements (REE) in estuarinesediments, surface and core sediments were collected from regions of mangrove forest, forest fringe, and adjacentmudflat in the Zhangjiang estuary, SE China. Concentrations of REE were determined in surface sediments and coresamples using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. Light REE were more enriched than heavy REE, with arelatively weak negative europium anomaly with respect to the North American shale composite in sediments of theZhangjiang estuary. Significant differences for REE were found among sampling sites and locations, following the ordermangrove forest, to forest edge, to mudflat. The main source for REE in the estuary is tbe weathered continentalmaterials from the Zhangjiang River drainage hasin. The mangrove environment affected the physicochemical featuresand thus affected the REE spatial distributions in sediments. Vertical REE distributions in core samples were altered bymangrove root activity. Mangroves played a significant role in controlling the horizontal and vertical distribution of REEin sediments of the Zhangjiang estuary.