OCS,H2S,and CS2 fluxes from a salt water marsh

The diurnal-to-monthly behavior of the fluxes of OCS, H₂S, and CS₂ from a mixed-Spartina grass-covered site in a Wallops Island salt water marsh was determined through a series of experiments in August and September, 1982. Absolute flux values were determined for OCS and H₂S, while only relative values were determined for CS₂. The rates of emission of OCS and H₂S were observed to vary diurnally and to be strongly influenced by tides. The time-averaged flux values show that such mixed-Spartina stands are insignificant ( 1%) global sources of H₂S or CS₂ and insignificant contributors to the global OCS cycle (< 1%). These results demonstrate that some marsh regions play a minor role in the global sulfur budget and, consequently, that the inclusion of such areas in extrapolations of measurements of more productive regions could lead to an overestimate of the role of salt water marshes in the global sulfur budget.