Invasive Spartina alterniflora accelerates the increase in microbial nitrogen fixation over nitrogen removal in coastal wetlands of China

Salt marsh plants play a vital role in mediating nitrogen(N)biogeochemical cycle in estuarine and coastal ecosystems.However,the effects of invasive Spartina alterniflora on N fixation and removal,as well as how these two processes balance to determine the N budget,remain unclear.Here,simultaneous quantifications of N fixation and removal via^(15)N tracing experiment with native Phragmites australis,invasive S.alterniflora,and bare flats as well as corresponding functional gene abundance by qPCR were carried out to explore the response of N dynamics to S.alterniflora invasion.Our results showed that N fixation and removal rates ranged from 0.77±0.08 to 16.12±1.13 nmol/(g·h)and from 1.42±0.14 to 16.35±1.10 nmol/(g·h),respectively,and invasive S.alterniflora generally facilitated the two processes rates.Based on the difference between N removal and fixation rates,net N_(2)fluxes were estimated in the range of-0.39±0.14 to 8.24±2.23 nmol/(g·h).Estimated net N_(2)fluxes in S.alterniflora stands were lower than those in bare flats and P.australis stands,indicating that the increase in N removal caused by S.alterniflora invasion may be more than offset by N fixation process.Random forest analysis revealed that functional microorganisms were the most important factor associated with the corresponding N transformation process.Overall,our results highlight the importance of N fixation in evaluating N budget of estuarine and coastal wetlands,providing valuable insights into the ecological effect of S.alterniflora invasion.

In situ nitrogen removal processes in intertidal wetlands of the Yangtze Estuary

Estuarine and intertidal wetlands are important sites for nitrogen transformation and elimination.However,the factors controlling nitrogen removal processes remain largely uncertain in the highly dynamic environments.In this study,continuous-flow experiment combined with 15 N isotope pairing technique was used to investigate in situ rates of denitrification and anaerobic ammonium oxidation(anammox)and their coupling with nitrification in intertidal wetlands of the Yangtze Estuary.The measured rates varied from below the detection limit to 152.39μmol N/(m^2·hr)for denitrification and from below the detection limit to 43.06μmol N/(m^2·hr)for anammox.The coupling links of nitrogen removal processes with nitrification were mainly dependent on nitrate,organic carbon,sulfide,dissolved oxygen and ferric iron in the estuarine and intertidal wetlands.Additionally,it was estimated that the actual nitrogen removal processes annually removed approximately 5%of the terrigenous inorganic nitrogen discharged into the Yangtze Estuary.This study gives new insights into nitrogen transformation and fate in the estuarine and intertidal wetlands.

Marine aquaculture regulates dissimilatory nitrate reduction processes in a typical semi-enclosed bay of southeastern China

Marine aquaculture in semi-enclosed bays can significantly influence nutrient cycling in coastal ecosystems.However,the impact of marine aquaculture on the dynamics of dissimilatory nitrate reduction processes(DNRPs)and the fate of reactive nitrogen remain poorly understood.In this study,the rates of DNRPs and the abundances of related functional genes were investigated in aquaculture and non-aquaculture areas.The results showed that marine aquaculture significantly increased the denitrification(DNF)and dissimilatory nitrate reduction to ammonium(DNRA)rates and decreased the rate of anaerobic ammonium oxidation(ANA),as compared with non-aquaculture sites.DNF was the dominant pathway contributing to the total nitrate reduction,and its contribution to the total nitrate reduction significantly increased from 66.72%at non-aquaculture sites to 78.50%at aquaculture sites.Marine aquaculture can significantly affect the physicochemical characteristics of sediment and the abundances of related functional genes,leading to variations in the nitrate reduction rates.Although nitrate removal rates increased in the marine aquaculture area,ammonification rates and the nitrogen retention index in the aquaculture areas were 2.19 and 1.24 times,respectively,higher than those at non-aquaculture sites.Net reactive nitrogen retention exceeded nitrogen removal in the aquaculture area,and the retained reactive nitrogen could diffuse with the tidal current to the entire bay,thereby aggravating N pollution in the entire study area.These results show that marine aquaculture is the dominant source of nitrogen pollution in semi-enclosed bays.This study can provide insights into nitrogen pollution control in semi-enclosed bays with well-developed marine aquaculture.