Bioturbating organisms contribute significantly to elemental cycling in sediments through burrowing, grazing, organic matter and altering porewater chemical conditions. In the process, organisms are known to produce copious amounts of faecal material at high rates, sometimes in excess of 1 000 000 kg day⁻¹ in a 1 km² area. Material from three organisms (Arenicola marina, Callichirus major and Diopatra cuprea) was collected from two locations, Raccoon Key and Steamboat Pass, in the Ogeechee River estuary, Georgia, USA, to explore how faecal production affects organic carbon cycling and clay mineralogies. The individual organisms’ feeding strategies played a strong role in the extent to which they concentrate organic matter and lead to the formation of clay minerals. The faecal material of filter feeding Diopatra cuprea and selective deposit feeding Callichirus major contains up 45.8% and 47.3% kaolinite, respectively, while kaolinite is below detection limits in the surrounding matrix. By contrast, the non‐selective deposit‐feeder Arenicola marina does not appear to form or concentrate clay minerals. Callichirus major increases organic carbon contents at Raccoon Key by 68‐fold and Diopatra cuprea increases total organic carbon (w/w%) by 119‐fold and 32‐fold at Raccoon Key and Steamboat Pass, respectively. Arenicola marina, in contrast, does not noticeably concentrate organic matter in its faecal material, most likely as a consequence of non‐selective deposit‐feeding. Potentiometric titration data was used to explore surface reactivity and metal sorption. Diopatra cuprea and Callichirus major faecal material has strong metal binding affinities relative to the surrounding matrix, thereby increasing the potential for trace metals to be sequestered into the sedimentary record. The widespread occurrence of invertebrate faecal material enriched in clay minerals and organic matter likely has a significant influence on organic matter, grain size and trace metal distribution in estuarine sediments.

中文翻译：

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美国佐治亚州Ogeechee河口无脊椎动物粪便物质对成分异质性，成岩作用和微量金属分布的影响

生物扰动生物通过挖洞，放牧，有机质和改变孔隙水化学条件，大大促进了沉积物中元素的循环。在这个过程中，生物体是已知的以高速率产生大量量粪便物质，有时超过1 000 000 kg·天的^-1在1公里的²区。从三个生物（材料沙柳码头，Callichirus主要和Diopatra cuprea）是从美国佐治亚州Ogeechee河口的两个地方（Raccoon Key和Steamboat Pass）收集的，以研究粪便的产生如何影响有机碳循环和粘土矿物。单个生物的摄食策略在其浓缩有机物的程度以及导致粘土矿物质形成的程度方面发挥了重要作用。过滤器饲喂Diopatra cuprea的粪便材料和选择性沉积物饲喂的Callichirus major的粪便材料分别含有高达45.8％和47.3％的高岭石，而周围环境中的高岭土低于检测极限。相比之下，非选择性沉积物给养者Arenicola marina似乎没有形成或浓缩粘土矿物。大型Callichirus将浣熊礁的有机碳含量提高68倍，而Diopatra cuprea分别将浣熊礁和汽船通行证的总有机碳含量提高了119倍和32倍。相比之下，槟榔Arenicola marina不会在其粪便中显着浓缩有机物质，这很可能是非选择性沉积物喂养的结果。电位滴定数据用于研究表面反应性和金属吸附。Diopatra cuprea和Callichirus major粪便材料相对于周围的基质具有很强的金属结合亲和力，从而增加了将痕量金属螯合到沉积记录中的可能性。富含粘土矿物质和有机物的无脊椎动物粪便材料的广泛存在可能对河口沉积物中的有机物，粒度和微量金属分布产生重大影响。