Effects of water level and vegetation on nitrate dynamics at varying sediment depths in laboratory-scale wetland mesocosms

Abstract

Recent increases in the frequency of extreme floods and droughts associated with climate change can affect fluctuating groundwater or wetland water levels and wetland plant growth, and consequently cause redox condition changes in nitrogen dynamics in wetland sediments. Here, we studied the fate of nitrate (NO3-), dissolved organic carbon (DOC), and the microbial characteristics at different sediment depths in response to water levels (i.e., 5 or 2.5 cm) above the sediment surface and in the presence or absence of plants (Phragmites communis Trin) for four months in three wetland mesocosms. Results showed that mesocosm A (MA) with a high water level (5 cm above the surface) and plants had significantly higher DOC concentrations (17.57 ± 8.22 mg/L) in sediment that were actively consumed by microorganisms than other mesocosms with low water level (MB) and without plant (MC) (8.77 ± 2.38 mg/L and 7.87 ± 2.72 mg/L in MB and MC, respectively). Consequently, the most of influent NO3- (20 mg-N/L) dramatically reduced in the vicinity of plant roots (-20 to -15 cm sediment depth) where active denitrification was expected in MA. Moreover, the functional genes involved in denitrification such as narG (2.4 × 108 –3.5 × 108 copies·g-1) and nirS (5.6 × 106–1.1 × 107 copies·g-1) were more abundant in this mesocosm. The profile of the microbial community structure at the class level revealed that Alphaproteocbacteria (MA: 14.19 ± 1.19%; MB: 14.01 ± 0.51%; MC: 15.21 ± 2.76%) and Actinobacteria (MA: 8.21 ± 1.91%; MB: 13.91 ± 2.13%; MC: 11.75 ± 3.43%) were predominant in all three mesocosms. Interestingly, the clustered heatmap supported the obvious difference in microbial composition of MA from other mesocosms showing relatively more abundant Clostridia (6.71 ± 1.54%) and Deltaproteobacteria (7.05 ± 0.68%). These results can provide an insight to understand the biogeochemical nitrogen cycle associated with climate change in wetland systems.