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.

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