Soil Denitrification Potential Research Articles

The influence of revetment types on soil denitrification in the adjacent tidal urban riparian zones

Riparian zones adjacent to revetments, as the last position of the entire riparian, are the last barrier to intercept runoff nitrogen pollution. They are also the areas where hyporheic exchange occurs when soil is submerged by river water. Revetments can be classified into impervious revetments and permeable revetments according to their permeability. It has been realized that impervious revetments are not conducive to exchange between rivers and riparian zones. Tidal riparian zones undergo water level changes more frequently than normal riparian zones. Thus, revetments in tidal riparian zones may have a greater impact on nitrogen cycling. However, the quantitative influence of revetment types on nitrogen removal in adjacent tidal urban riparian zones is not clear, resulting in the lack of scientific support for the revetments construction. Removal of nitrogen from riparian zones primarily occurs through plant uptake, microbial immobilization, and denitrification. However, nitrogen will be released into soil again after plants die or microorganisms decompose. While denitrification can completely remove nitrogen through transferring nitrate (NO3−) into gaseous nitrous oxide (N2O) and dinitrogen (N2). In this study, we used three revetment types (permeable concrete pile revetments (PR), impervious masonry stone revetments (IR), and no revetments (NR)) as examples to quantify the effects of revetment types on soil denitrification in adjacent tidal urban riparian zones at three distances from the revetments (0.3 m, 0.6 m, 1.0 m) by measuring the soil (0–20 cm) denitrification potential (DP) and N2O production rates (N2OR). Results indicated that compared with soil denitrification (0.32 ± 0.06 mg kg−1h−1) in natural riparian zones (NR), PR could significantly improve it (0.97 ± 0.07 mg kg−1h−1), while IR significantly inhibited it (0.23 ± 0.04 mg kg−1h−1) in the adjacent tidal urban riparian zones (P < 0.01). Changes in soil properties caused by revetment types accounted for the differences in soil denitrification. Soil organic carbon (SOC) was a main direct chemical factor, and soil texture was a main indirect physical factor. Based on these results, revetments construction did not necessarily inhibit soil denitrification in natural riparian zones, and priority should be given to building permeable revetments to improve the soil denitrification provided by the riparian ecosystem.

Plant and soil effects on denitrification potential in agricultural soils

Microbial denitrification is the primary driver of nitrogen losses from the plant-soil system and the key process for the closure of the global N cycle. All major controls of denitrification might be directly or indirectly affected by plants. However, there is a lack of research of the direct effects of plants on soil denitrification and how this effect might be mediated by soil properties. This study assesses the effect of three common crop species and two agricultural soils on denitrification potentials. We conducted a factorial experiment under controlled conditions to analyze the effects of (1) different plant species (barley, wheat or ryegrass), (2) two different soils (texture/ SOC) and (3) two different soil moisture levels on Denitrification Enzyme Activity (DEA) in bulk and rhizosphere soil. The SOC richer clay loam soil showed on average higher DEA (+81%) compared to the SOC poorer silty loam soil. All three plants were found to stimulate denitrification with significant differences between certain species: rye grass (+92% ± 14%) ≥ barley (+75% ± 26%) ≥ wheat (+50% ± 19%). DEA in agricultural soils is interactively controlled by plant species and soil type with an overall stimulating effect of plants on the denitrification potential. Future research should focus on disentangling single mechanisms of plant control on actual denitrification rates and N gas product ratios.

Denitrification Potential and Carbon Mineralization in Restored and Unrestored Coastal Wetland Soils Across an Urban Landscape

The recovery of wetland function after tidal flow restoration may be influenced by water pollution and sea level rise. Our objective was to examine the effects of tidal flow restoration on denitrification potential and carbon (C) mineralization across an urban coastal landscape. Soil cores were collected from 32 tidal wetlands in Connecticut, U.S.A., spanning a wide range of salinity (0.3–29 ppt) and watershed development (<1–79%). In brackish wetlands, denitrification potential increased with time since restoration, while C mineralization showed no significant relationship. Soil chemistry was also a strong predictor of process rates; best fit multiple linear regression models for denitrification included both soil chemistry variables and time since restoration. Although principal components analysis revealed soil chemistry overlapped by wetland type (freshwater, saline, or brackish), process rates in freshwater versus brackish wetlands had different relationships with soil chemistry. In freshwater wetlands, denitrification potential and C mineralization increased with soil metal content. In brackish wetlands, denitrification potential decreased with increasing salinity and C mineralization increased with increasing organic matter, soil moisture, and ammonium. Our results highlight the potential for biogeochemical processes to recover after wetland restoration, along with complex interactions between these processes and chemicals in developed coastal landscapes.

Climate and soil parameters are more important than denitrifier abundances in controlling potential denitrification rates in Chinese grassland soils

Denitrification is an important process that influences nitrogen (N) loss and the production of greenhouse gas in grassland soils. However, the relative contributions of abiotic and biotic factors to soil denitrification potential at the regional and sub-regional scales in grassland ecosystems remain elusive. In this study, soil samples were collected from 21 sites at three steppes of China, including the Inner Mongolia Plateau (IMP), the Xinjiang Autonomous Region (XAR) and the Tibetan Plateau (TP) grasslands. Results showed that the key factors controlling the denitrification potential were regional and scale-dependent. At the sub-regional scales, soil pH, aridity index (AI) and total organic carbon (TOC) explained the highest variances on denitrification potential in the IMP, XAR and TP steppe, respectively. At the regional scale, the mean annual precipitation (MAP) was the most important environmental driver for the denitrification potential. Partial least squares (PLS) path modeling revealed that the MAP might regulate denitrification potential directly and indirectly by its effects on the plant and soil properties. Overall, these results help to improve our understandings on the prediction of the denitrification potential under global changes and revealed that the denitrification potential at various scales could be regulated by the multiple interactions of abiotic and biotic factors.

Controls of the spatial variability of denitrification potential in nontidal floodplains of the Chesapeake Bay watershed, USA

Identifying floodplains with high rates of denitrification will help prioritize restoration projects for the removal of nitrogen. Currently, relationships of denitrification with hydrogeomorphic, physiographic, and climate (i.e., largescale) characteristics of floodplains are relatively unknown, even though these characteristics have datasets (e.g., geographic mapping tools) that are publicly available (or soon-to-become) that could be used to understand denitrification variability. Thus, we investigated control of denitrification by these largescale characteristics in eighteen nontidal floodplains of the Chesapeake Bay watershed (i.e., at regional scale, >100 km, scale), using measurements or compiled data at the scales of the stream reach and respective catchment; floodplain soil and herbaceous vegetation (i.e., local) characteristics were additionally investigated. Soil denitrification potentials were measured in May, July, and August using complementary acetylene-based techniques under an anoxic environment. Linear largescale predictors of denitrification potential measurements included stream nitrogen and phosphorus concentrations (+), channel width-to-depth ratio (+), floodplain sedimentation (+), forested (−) and urban (+) catchment land cover, and seasonal air temperature (−). Three predictors, catchment forested land cover (strongly related to agricultural land cover), catchment urban land cover, and floodplain sedimentation were related to the most number of denitrification potential measurements. Soil structure, soil nutrient concentrations, and herbaceous vegetation characteristics that were seasonally measured (with a few exceptions) were linear predictors of denitrification potentials in May and August, with nitrogen and carbon characteristics the most consistent (positive) predictors across measurements. Nutrient amendment assays further supported the importance of nitrogen and carbon controls. Using the local characteristics as statistical mediators in path analysis, greater non-forested catchment land cover indirectly increased denitrification through greater floodplain soil nitrate, total phosphorus, and herbaceous aboveground biomass. Additionally, greater floodplain sedimentation indirectly increased denitrification through greater soil pH, total phosphorus, and potential carbon mineralization. Due to the consistency of relationships across denitrification potential measurements along with path modeling results, hotspots of floodplain denitrification should be found in urban and agricultural catchments where river-floodplain hydrologic connectivity promotes sedimentation. Largescale predictors explained 43–57% of the variation in denitrification potentials and should be useful for prediction in floodplains. Siting restoration projects in watersheds for maximum nitrate removal using publicly available largescale datasets is both feasible and effective.

Controls on denitrification potential in nitrate-rich waterways and riparian zones of an irrigated agricultural setting.

Denitrification, the microbial conversion of NO3- to N gases, is an important process contributing to whether lotic and riparian ecosystems act as sinks for excess NO3- from agricultural activities. Though agricultural waterways and riparian zones have been a focus of denitrification research for decades, almost none of this research has occurred in the irrigated agricultural settings of arid and semiarid climates. In this study, we conducted a broad survey of denitrification potential in riparian soils and channel sediments from 79 waterway reaches in the irrigated agricultural landscape of California's Central Valley. With this approach, we sought to capture the wide range of variation that arose from diverse waterway management and fluctuating flow conditions, and use this variation to identify promising management interventions. We explored associations of denitrification potentials with surface water NO3- -N, organic matter, flow conditions, vegetation cover, near-channel riparian bank slope, and channel geomorphic features using generalized linear mixed models. We found strong associations of sediment denitrification potentials with reach flow conditions, which we hypothesize was the result of variation in microbial communities' tolerance to dry-wet cycles. Denitrification potentials in riparian soils, in contrast, did not appear affected by flow conditions, but instead were associated with organic matter, vegetation cover, and bank slope in the riparian zone. These results suggest a strong need for further work on how denitrification responds to varying flow conditions and dry-wet cycles in non-perennial lotic ecosystems. Our findings also demonstrate that denitrifier communities respond to key features of waterway management, which can therefore be leveraged to control denitrification through a variety of management actions.

Effects of warming and precipitation exclusion on soil N2O fluxes in subtropical forests.

In order to explore how soil warming and precipitation exclusion influence soil N2O fluxes, we used related functional genes as markers, and four treatments were set up, i.e. , control (CT), soil warming (W, 5 ℃ above the ambient temperature of the control), 50% precipitation reduction (P), soil warming plus 50% precipitation reduction (WP). The results showed that precipitation exclusion reduced soil ammonium nitrogen concentration significantly. Soil warming decreased soil N2O flux and soil denitrification potential significantly. Soil microbial biomass nitrogen (MBN) in warming treatment (W) and precipitation exclusion treatment (P) was significantly lower than that in the control. The amoA gene abundance of AOA was negatively correlated with MBN and ammonium nitrogen contents, but neither soil nitrification potential nor soil N2O flux was correlated with the amoA gene abundance of AOA. Path analysis showed that the denitrification potential affected soil N2O flux directly, while microbial biomass phosphorus (MBP) and warming affected soil N2O flux indirectly through their direct effects on denitrification potential. Temperature might be the main driver of N2O flux in subtropical forest soils. Global warming would reduce N2O emissions from subtropical forest soils.

Microbial communities with distinct denitrification potential in spruce and beech soils differing in nitrate leaching

Nitrogen leaching owing to elevated acid deposition remains the main ecosystem threat worldwide. We aimed to contribute to the understanding of the highly variable nitrate losses observed in Europe after acid deposition retreat. Our study proceeded in adjacent beech and spruce forests undergoing acidification recovery and differing in nitrate leaching. We reconstructed soil microbial functional characteristics connected with nitrogen and carbon cycling based on community composition. Our results showed that in the more acidic spruce soil with high carbon content, where Acidobacteria and Actinobacteria were abundant (Proteo:Acido = 1.3), the potential for nitrate reduction and loss via denitrification was high (denitrification: dissimilative nitrogen reduction to ammonium (DNRA) = 3). In the less acidic beech stand with low carbon content, but high nitrogen availability, Proteobacteria were more abundant (Proteo:Acido = 1.6). Proportionally less nitrate could be denitrified there (denitrification:DNRA = 1), possibly increasing its availability. Among 10 potential keystone species, microbes capable of DNRA were identified in the beech soil while instead denitrifiers dominated in the spruce soil. In spite of the former acid deposition impact, distinct microbial functional guilds developed under different vegetational dominance, resulting in different N immobilization potentials, possibly influencing the ecosystem’s nitrogen retention ability.

Denitrification Potential and Influencing Factors of the Riparian Zone Soils in Different Watersheds,Taihu Basin

In the recent decades, most rivers and lakes in the Taihu Basin have experienced degradation from an excess of nutrients. The presence of the nitrogen in water contributes to the increase of eutrophication. The riparian zones are associated with these watercourses and can effectively reduce any excess nitrogen. Soil denitrification is the most significant process in the transfer of nitrogen, which migrates from the terrestrial to the aquatic ecosystem. The relationship between soil denitrification and soil characteristics is well documented. However, the degree of soil denitrification and the main impact factors during different processes within the riparian zones due to gradual changes in the surroundings are not well understood. The present study selected four types of riparian soils that are contained in three different watersheds. The soil denitrification potential was determined within these soils using the acetylene block technique. The results indicate that, among the local factors studied, the soil denitrification potential increased with the intensity of anthropogenic activities, which varied significantly within the basin. This variation indicated a trend in the soil denitrification potential: cropland > woodland > grassland > bareland. Results suggest that soil moisture, nitrate-nitrogen concentration, and microbial biomass carbon concentration are the dominant factors that influence the riparian soil denitrification potential in the Tiaoxi watershed, while soil organic matter is the major factor for soil denitrification potential in the Hexi watershed and nitrate-nitrogen concentration is the dominant factor in the Tianmuhu watershed.

Denitrification potential of riparian soils in relation to multiscale spatial environmental factors: a case study of a typical watershed, China.

The objective of this study was to test the hypothesis that environmental regulators of riparian zone soil denitrification potential differ according to spatial scale within a watershed; consequently, a second objective was to provide spatial strategies for conserving and restoring the purification function of runoff in riparian ecosystems. The results show that soil denitrification in riparian zones was more heterogeneous at the profile scale than at the cross-section and landscape scales. At the profile scale, biogeochemical factors (including soil total organic carbon, total nitrogen, and nitrate-nitrogen) were the major direct regulators of the spatial distribution of soil denitrification enzyme activity (DEA). At the cross-section scale, factors included distance from river bank and vegetation density, while landscape-scale factors, including topographic index, elevation, and land use types, indirectly regulated the spatial distribution of DEA. At the profile scale, soil DEA was greatest in the upper soil layers. At the cross-section scale, maximum soil DEA occurred in the mid-part of the riparian zone. At the landscape scale, soil DEA showed an increasing trend towards downstream sites, except for those in urbanized areas.

Optimizing rice plant photosynthate allocation reduces N2O emissions from paddy fields.

Rice paddies are a major source of anthropogenic nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions, especially under alternate wetting-drying irrigation and high N input. Increasing photosynthate allocation to the grain in rice (Oryza sativa L.) has been identified as an effective strategy of genetic and agronomic innovation for yield enhancement; however, its impacts on N2O emissions are still unknown. We conducted three independent but complementary experiments (variety, mutant study, and spikelet clipping) to examine the impacts of rice plant photosynthate allocation on paddy N2O emissions. The three experiments showed that N2O fluxes were significantly and negatively correlated with the ratio of grain yield to total aboveground biomass, known as the harvest index (HI) in agronomy (P < 0.01). Biomass accumulation and N uptake after anthesis were significantly and positively correlated with HI (P < 0.05). Reducing photosynthate allocation to the grain by spikelet clipping significantly increased white root biomass and soil dissolved organic C and reduced plant N uptake, resulting in high soil denitrification potential (P < 0.05). Our findings demonstrate that optimizing photosynthate allocation to the grain can reduce paddy N2O emissions through decreasing belowground C input and increasing plant N uptake, suggesting the potential for genetic and agronomic efforts to produce more rice with less N2O emissions.

Detection and Diversity of Fungal Nitric Oxide Reductase Genes (p450nor) in Agricultural Soils.

Members of the Fungi convert nitrate (NO3 (-)) and nitrite (NO2 (-)) to gaseous nitrous oxide (N2O) (denitrification), but the fungal contributions to N loss from soil remain uncertain. Cultivation-based methodologies that include antibiotics to selectively assess fungal activities have limitations, and complementary molecular approaches to assign denitrification potential to fungi are desirable. Microcosms established with soils from two representative U.S. Midwest agricultural regions produced N2O from added NO3 (-) or NO2 (-) in the presence of antibiotics to inhibit bacteria. Cultivation efforts yielded 214 fungal isolates belonging to at least 15 distinct morphological groups, 151 of which produced N2O from NO2 (-) Novel PCR primers targeting the p450nor gene, which encodes the nitric oxide (NO) reductase responsible for N2O production in fungi, yielded 26 novel p450nor amplicons from DNA of 37 isolates and 23 amplicons from environmental DNA obtained from two agricultural soils. The sequences shared 54 to 98% amino acid identity with reference P450nor sequences within the phylum Ascomycota and expand the known fungal P450nor sequence diversity. p450nor was detected in all fungal isolates that produced N2O from NO2 (-), whereas nirK (encoding the NO-forming NO2 (-) reductase) was amplified in only 13 to 74% of the N2O-forming isolates using two separate nirK primer sets. Collectively, our findings demonstrate the value of p450nor-targeted PCR to complement existing approaches to assess the fungal contributions to denitrification and N2O formation. A comprehensive understanding of the microbiota controlling soil N loss and greenhouse gas (N2O) emissions is crucial for sustainable agricultural practices and addressing climate change concerns. We report the design and application of a novel PCR primer set targeting fungal p450nor, a biomarker for fungal N2O production, and demonstrate the utility of the new approach to assess fungal denitrification potential in fungal isolates and agricultural soils. These new PCR primers may find application in a variety of biomes to assess the fungal contributions to N loss and N2O emissions.

Catchment agriculture and local environment affecting the soil denitrification potential and nitrous oxide production of riparian zones in the Han River Basin, China

Riparian zones play an important role in reducing nitrogen (N) loading to rivers and streams primarily through soil denitrification which reduces nitrate (NO3–) to nitrous oxide (N2O) and dinitrogen (N2) gases. Although the relationships between local environments and soil denitrification are well understood, relatively little is known about the indirect effects of landscape factors (e.g., catchment agriculture) on the soil denitrification of riparian zones. In this study, we used the acetylene block technique to measure the denitrification potential and net N2O production of soils collected from 62 riparian sites in 15 subtropical rivers of varying catchment land uses. The results indicated that, among the local factors studied, the soil moisture, organic matter and NO3– concentrations were positively associated with both the denitrification potential and N2O production rate. Agricultural riparian zones had a denitrification potential (2.81±1.01ngNg−1h−1) significantly higher than forested riparian zones (0.66±0.24ngNg−1h−1). Additionally, the riparian denitrification potential increased with the percentage of agriculture in the catchments (R=0.53, P<0.05). Structural equation modeling revealed that the indirect effects of catchment agriculture on the riparian denitrification potential and N2O production rate were mediated primarily through soil NO3–. Our findings suggest that, compared to forested riparian zones, agricultural riparian zones have greater potential to remove N from polluted runoff. The conversion of original vegetation to agricultural lands in catchments may have a profound impact on the soil N cycles and NO3– removal capacity of riparian zones.

Hydrologic conditions drive denitrification and greenhouse gas emissions in stormwater detention basins

Stormwater detention basins are primarily designed to detain large volumes of storm runoff and trap suspended sediments and associated pollutants. Detaining and retaining nutrients are often not a design focus. The combination of variable moisture patterns in stormwater basins along with potential nutrient influxes may make these basins hotspots for nitrogen transformations such as denitrification, as well as potential sources of greenhouse gases nitrous oxide (N2O) and methane (CH4). Nitrous oxide and CH4 emissions were measured using static chambers in four stormwater detention basins – two fast-draining or ‘dry’ basins and two slow-draining or ‘wet’ basins. Denitrification potential of soils collected from these basins was also measured using the denitrification enzyme assay (DEA). While N2O emissions were low, CH4 emissions were higher in both wet basins, averaging 5667μgCm−2h−1 in the wettest basin. Denitrification potential was higher in the wet basins (2.27mgNkg−1h−1) compared to the dry basins (0.23mgNkg−1h−1). Overall, wet detention basins had higher greenhouse gas emissions but also had higher potential for nitrate removal via denitrification. Designing future stormwater control measures to maintain a subsurface saturated zone rather than fully saturated soils should be considered to promote denitrification while also reducing CH4 emissions at the surface.

Denitrification controls in urban riparian soils: implications for reducing urban nonpoint source nitrogen pollution

The purpose of this research was to thoroughly analyze the influences of environmental factors on denitrification processes in urban riparian soils. Besides, the study was also carried out to identify whether the denitrification processes in urban riparian soils could control nonpoint source nitrogen pollution in urban areas. The denitrification rates (DR) over 1 year were measured using an acetylene inhibition technique during the incubation of intact soil cores from six urban riparian sites, which could be divided into three types according to their vegetation. The soil samples were analyzed to determine the soil organic carbon (SOC), soil total nitrogen (STN), C/N ratio, extractable NO3 (-)-N and NH4 (+)-N, pH value, soil water content (SWC), and the soil nitrification potential to evaluate which of these factors determined the final outcome of denitrification. A nitrate amendment experiment further indicated that the riparian DR was responsive to added nitrate. Although the DRs were very low (0.099 ~ 33.23 ng N2O-N g(-1) h(-1)) due to the small amount of nitrogen moving into the urban riparian zone, the spatial and temporal patterns of denitrification differed significantly. The extractable NO3 (-)-N proved to be the dominant factor influencing the spatial distribution of denitrification, whereas the soil temperature was a determinant of the seasonal DR variation. The six riparian sites could also be divided into two types (a nitrate-abundant and a nitrate-stressed riparian system) according to the soil NO3 (-)-N concentration. The DR in nitrate-abundant riparian systems was significantly higher than that in the nitrate-stressed riparian systems. The DR in riparian zones that were covered with bushes and had adjacent cropland was higher than in grass-covered riparian sites. Furthermore, the riparian DR decreased with soil depth, which was mainly attributed to the concentrated nitrate in surface soils. The DR was not associated with the SOC, STN, C/N ratio, and pH. Nitrate supply and temperature finally decided the spatiotemporal distribution patterns of urban riparian denitrification. Considering both the low DR of existing riparian soils and the significance of nonpoint source nitrogen pollution, the substantial denitrification potential of urban riparian soils should be utilized to reduce nitrogen pollution using proper engineering measures that would collect the polluted urban rainfall runoff and make it flow through the riparian zones.

Differential Carbon and Nitrogen Controls of Denitrification in Riparian Zones and Streams along an Urban to Exurban Gradient.

Denitrification is an anaerobic microbial process that transforms nitrate (NO) to nitrogen (N) gas, preventing the movement of NO into coastal waters where it can lead to eutrophication. Urbanization can reduce the potential for denitrification in riparian zones and streams by altering the environmental conditions that foster denitrification (i.e., low oxygen and available C). Here we evaluated the factors limiting denitrification potential in forested and herbaceous riparian and stream pool and organic debris dam habitats in urban, suburban, exurban, and forested reference watersheds in the Baltimore, Maryland metropolitan area. Denitrification potential (with and without C and NO additions) and microbial biomass C and N content, potential net N mineralization and nitrification, microbial respiration, and inorganic N pools were measured in summer (June) and fall (November). Denitrification potentials were highest in the herbaceous riparian soils and lowest in pool sediments. Forested riparian soil denitrification potential was highest in the exurban watershed but in other habitats did not vary with watershed type. Nearly all variables were higher in June than in November. Overall, C was a more important driver of denitrification potential than N; potentials in unamended and N-amended treatments were very similar (<200 ng N g h) and were much lower than in the C-amended and C+N-amended treatments (>800 ng N g h). Our results suggest that efforts to enhance denitrification in urban watersheds need to focus on the differential controls of denitrification across habitats, urban land use types, and seasons.

Denitrification potential of marsh soils in two natural saline-alkaline wetlands

Little information is available on denitrification potential of marsh soils in natural saline-alkaline wetlands. The denitrification potentials of an open wetland in the floodplain (Erbaifangzi wetland) and a closed wetland (Fulaowenpao wetland) in backwater areas in Jilin Province of Northeast China were monitored by an anaerobic incubation at 30°C for 25 days. Our results showed that the relative denitrification index (RDI) increased gradually with incubation time, and showed a rapid increase in the first 5 days of incubation. The RDI values declined quickly from surface soils to subsurface soils and then kept a small change in deeper soils along soil profiles over the incubation time. Denitrification proceeded much faster in the top 20 cm soils of open wetland than in the closed wetland, whereas no significant differences in RDI values were observed in deeper soils between both wetlands. The RDIs were significantly negatively correlated with bulk density and sand content, while a significantly positive correlation with clay content, soil organic matter, total nitrogen and phosphorous. The maximum net NO3 −-N loss through denitrification in 1 m depth were higher in the open wetland than the closed wetland with higher soil pH values. Future research should be focused on understanding the influencing mechanisms of soil alkalinity.

Denitrification potential of organic, forest and grassland soils in the Ribble-Wyre and Conwy River catchments, UK

Soil denitrification activity can be highly variable due to the effects of varied land use management practices within catchments on the biogeochemical regulators of denitrification. To test this assumption in the context of mixed-use rural catchments, it was hypothesised that the relative magnitude of denitrification activity may be regulated, among others, by a gradient of soil nitrate (low to high) between organic (peat bog, heathland, and acid grassland), forest (coniferous and deciduous), and grassland (improved and semi-improved) rural land use types. The denitrification potential (DP) of organic, forest and grassland soils, in two UK catchments was measured in the laboratory. Land use type significantly (p < 0.05) influenced the DP, which ranged between 0.02 and 63.3 mg N m(-2) h(-1). The averaged DP of organic and forest soils (1.08 mg N m(-2) h(-1)) was 3 and 10 times less than the DP of semi-improved (4.06 mg N m(-2) h(-1)) and improved (12.09 mg N m(-2) h(-1)) grassland soils, respectively; and among others, nitrate correlated positively (p < 0.05) with the DP. The results indicated that the difference in soil nitrate concentration between organic (naturally low in nitrate availability) and grassland soils (nitrate enriched due to land management) partially regulated the extent of DP. In the absence of N fertilisation, except for the atmospheric N deposition, the relatively low net nitrification potential (as a source of nitrate for denitrifiers) of organic and forest soils alone seem to have resulted in lower denitrifier's activity compared to grassland soils. Moreover, the interactions between soil organic carbon, pH, bulk density, water filled pore space, and texture, as these are influenced by the relative degree of land management, exerted additional controls on the DP. The results suggest that land management can have significant effects on denitrification, and thus needs to be considered when modelling and/or predicting the response of denitrification to land use change.

Effect of different seasonal conditions on the potential of wetland soils for groundwater denitrification

Wetlands, as active riparian areas in denitrification processes, are largely dependent on the environment. The main objective of this paper is to evaluate changes in the denitrification potential of wetland soils at laboratory scale promoted by climatic and seasonal influences. Several batch denitrification tests were performed with fresh wetland soil (peat) from Brynemade (Denmark) under: three different temperatures (20, 10, and 5°C), drought period, and freeze-thaw event. Results show that nitrate was eliminated in all the experiments in percentages over 90%. However, not all the nitrate removed was reduced to nitrogen gas via the denitrification process; dissimilatory nitrate reduction to ammonium (DNRA) was also present. In fact, the percentage of total nitrogen eliminated at the end of the tests was: 79.7% at 20°C, 84.1% at 10°C, 82.9% at 5°C, 41.0% in the dried soil, and 57.0% in the frozen soil. Thus, it can be concluded that the drying and freezing of the soil favor the DNRA process. Furthermore, in these conditions, nitrite increased sharply and was also accumulated possibly, as a DNRA or denitrification intermediate. Nitrate removal was fitted to a zero-order model, and an increase of the denitrification rates with the temperature was observed (3.8 mg NO3- L−1 d−1 at 20°C, 3.0 mg NO3- L−1 d−1 at 10°C, and 2.9 mg NO3- L−1 d−1 at 5°C). These overall rates were modeled as a function of temperature by the Arrhenius equation and activation energy of 12.88 kJ mol−1 was determined. The fact that the activation energy is low in this work (unstirred batches) compared to previous publications (stirred batches) could be the result of a strong restriction on the nitrate mass transfer in the soil vs. reaction kinetics, which masks kinetic regulating factors of the denitrification rate. Thus, the variation of the denitrification rate with temperature is possibly the result of a combination of changes in mass transfer (diffusive transport) and kinetic constant variation, successfully modeled by the Arrhenius equation.

Soil denitrification potential and its influence on N2O reduction and N2O isotopomer ratios

N2O isotopomer ratios may provide a useful tool for studying N2O source processes in soils and may also help estimating N2O reduction to N2. However, remaining uncertainties about different processes and their characteristic isotope effects still hamper its application. We conducted two laboratory incubation experiments (i) to compare the denitrification potential and N2O/(N2O+N2) product ratio of denitrification of various soil types from Northern Germany, and (ii) to investigate the effect of N2O reduction on the intramolecular (15)N distribution of emitted N2O. Three contrasting soils (clay, loamy, and sandy soil) were amended with nitrate solution and incubated under N2 -free He atmosphere in a fully automated incubation system over 9 or 28 days in two experiments. N2O, N2, and CO2 release was quantified by online gas chromatography. In addition, the N2O isotopomer ratios were determined by isotope-ratio mass spectrometry (IRMS) and the net enrichment factors of the (15)N site preference (SP) of the N2O-to-N2 reduction step (η(SP)) were estimated using a Rayleigh model. The total denitrification rate was highest in clay soil and lowest in sandy soil. Surprisingly, the N2O/(N2O+N2) product ratio in clay and loam soil was identical; however, it was significantly lower in sandy soil. The IRMS measurements revealed highest N2O SP values in clay soil and lowest SP values in sandy soil. The η(SP) values of N2O reduction were between -8.2 and -6.1‰, and a significant relationship between δ(18)O and SP values was found. Both experiments showed that the N2O/(N2O+N2) product ratio of denitrification is not solely controlled by the available carbon content of the soil or by the denitrification rate. Differences in N2O SP values could not be explained by variations in N2O reduction between soils, but rather originate from other processes involved in denitrification. The linear δ(18)O vs SP relationship may be indicative for N2O reduction; however, it deviates significantly from the findings of previous studies.