wAbstract
@Wetland ecosystems in agricultural areas often become progressively
more isolated from main water bodies. Stagnation favors the accumulation
of organic matter as the supply of electron acceptors with water
renewal is limited. In this context it is expected that nitrogen
recycling prevails over nitrogen dissipation. To test this hypothesis,
denitrification rates, fluxes of dissolved oxygen (SOD), inorganic
carbon (DIC) and nitrogen and sediment features were measured
in winter and summer 2007 on 22 shallow riverine wetlands in the
Po River Plain (Northern Italy). Fluxes were determined from incubations
of intact cores by measurement of concentration changes or isotope
pairing in the case of denitrification. Sampled sites were eutrophic
to hypertrophic; 10 were connected and 12 were isolated from the
adjacent rivers, resulting in large differences in nitrate concentrations
in the water column (from ƒ5 to 1,133 ƒÊM). Benthic metabolism
and denitrification rates were investigated by two overarching
factors: season and hydrological connectivity. SOD and DIC fluxes
resulted in respiratory quotients greater than one at most sampling
sites. Sediment respiration was coupled to both ammonium efflux,
which increased from winter to summer, and nitrate consumption,
with higher rates in river-connected wetlands. Denitrification
rates measured in river-connected wetlands (35-1,888 ƒÊmol N m-2
h-1) were up to two orders of magnitude higher than
rates measured in isolated wetlands (2-231 ƒÊmol N m-2
h-1), suggesting a strong regulation of the process
by nitrate availability. These rates were also significantly higher
in summer (9-1,888 ƒÊmol N m-2 h-1) than
in winter (2-365 ƒÊmol N m-2 h-1). Denitrification
supported by water column nitrate (Dw) accounted
for 60-100“ of total denitrification (Dtot);
denitrification coupled to nitrification (DN)
was probably controlled by limited oxygen availability within
sediments. Denitrification efficiency, calculated as the ratio
between N removal via denitrification and N regeneration, and
the relative role of denitrification for organic matter oxidation,
were high in connected wetlands but not in isolated sites. This
study confirms the importance of restoring hydraulic connectivity
of riverine wetlands for the maintenance of important biogeochemical
functions such as nitrogen removal via denitrification.
Keywords: Denitrification; Benthic respiration; N-regeneration;
Hydrological connectivity; Riverine wetlandsx
Introduction
Materials and methods
@Study area
@Sampling program
@Sediment characteristics
@Dissolved oxygen, inorganic carbon and nutrient flux measurements
@Denitrification measurements
@Statistical analyses
Results
@General features of water column and surface sediments
@Benthic processes
@Denitrification rates
Discussion
@Denitrification in shallow eutrophic wetlands compared to
other ecosystems and methodological considerations
@Regulation of denitrification@Denitrification efficiency in shallow
eutrophic wetland sediments: N sink or sources?
@Benthic respiration and denitrification in shallow eutrophic
wetlands
Concluding remarks
Acknowledgements
References