scholarly journals Stimulation of microbial nitrogen cycling in aquatic ecosystems by benthic macrofauna: mechanisms and environmental implications

2013 ◽  
Vol 10 (7) ◽  
pp. 11785-11824 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. Stief
Keyword(s):  
Nitrous Oxide ◽  
Nitrogen Cycling ◽  
Nitrogen Removal ◽  
Aquatic Ecosystems ◽  
Ecosystem Engineering ◽  
Benthic Macrofauna ◽  
Published Data ◽  
Fixed Nitrogen ◽  
Environmental Implications ◽  
Microbe Interactions

Abstract. Invertebrate animals that live at the bottom of aquatic ecosystems (i.e., benthic macrofauna) are important mediators between nutrients in the water column and microbes in the benthos. The presence of benthic macrofauna stimulates microbial nutrient dynamics through different types of animal–microbe interactions, which potentially affect the trophic status of aquatic ecosystems. This review contrasts three types of animal–microbe interactions in the benthos of aquatic ecosystems: (i) ecosystem engineering, (ii) grazing, and (iii) symbiosis. Their specific contributions to the turnover of fixed nitrogen (mainly nitrate and ammonium) and the emission of the greenhouse gas nitrous oxide are evaluated. Published data indicate that ecosystem engineering by sediment-burrowing macrofauna stimulates benthic nitrification and denitrification, which together allows fixed nitrogen removal. However, the release of ammonium from sediments often is enhanced even more than the sedimentary uptake of nitrate. Ecosystem engineering by reef-building macrofauna increases nitrogen retention and ammonium concentrations in shallow aquatic ecosystems, but allows organic nitrogen removal through harvesting. Grazing by macrofauna on benthic microbes apparently has small or neutral effects on nitrogen cycling. Animal-microbe symbioses provide abundant and distinct benthic compartments for a multitude of nitrogen-cycle pathways. Recent studies revealed that ecosystem engineering, grazing, and symbioses of benthic macrofauna significantly enhance nitrous oxide emission from shallow aquatic ecosystems. The beneficial effect of benthic macrofauna on fixed nitrogen removal through coupled nitrification–denitrification can thus be offset by the concurrent release of (i) ammonium that stimulates aquatic primary production and (ii) nitrous oxide that contributes to global warming. Overall, benthic macrofauna intensifies the coupling between benthos, pelagial, and atmosphere through enhanced turnover and transport of nitrogen.

scholarly journals Stimulation of microbial nitrogen cycling in aquatic ecosystems by benthic macrofauna: mechanisms and environmental implications

2013 ◽  
Vol 10 (12) ◽  
pp. 7829-7846 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. Stief
Keyword(s):  
Nitrous Oxide ◽  
Nitrogen Cycling ◽  
Nitrogen Removal ◽  
Aquatic Ecosystems ◽  
Ecosystem Engineering ◽  
Benthic Macrofauna ◽  
Published Data ◽  
Fixed Nitrogen ◽  
Environmental Implications ◽  
Microbe Interactions

Abstract. Invertebrate animals that live at the bottom of aquatic ecosystems (i.e., benthic macrofauna) are important mediators between nutrients in the water column and microbes in the benthos. The presence of benthic macrofauna stimulates microbial nutrient dynamics through different types of animal–microbe interactions, which potentially affect the trophic status of aquatic ecosystems. This review contrasts three types of animal–microbe interactions in the benthos of aquatic ecosystems: (i) ecosystem engineering, (ii) grazing, and (iii) symbiosis. Their specific contributions to the turnover of fixed nitrogen (mainly nitrate and ammonium) and the emission of the greenhouse gas nitrous oxide are evaluated. Published data indicate that ecosystem engineering by sediment-burrowing macrofauna stimulates benthic nitrification and denitrification, which together allows fixed nitrogen removal. However, the release of ammonium from sediments is enhanced more strongly than the sedimentary uptake of nitrate. Ecosystem engineering by reef-building macrofauna increases nitrogen retention and ammonium concentrations in shallow aquatic ecosystems, but allows organic nitrogen removal through harvesting. Grazing by macrofauna on benthic microbes apparently has small or neutral effects on nitrogen cycling. Animal–microbe symbioses provide abundant and distinct benthic compartments for a multitude of nitrogen-cycle pathways. Recent studies reveal that ecosystem engineering, grazing, and symbioses of benthic macrofauna significantly enhance nitrous oxide emission from shallow aquatic ecosystems. The beneficial effect of benthic macrofauna on fixed nitrogen removal through coupled nitrification–denitrification can thus be offset by the concurrent release of (i) ammonium that stimulates aquatic primary production and (ii) nitrous oxide that contributes to global warming. Overall, benthic macrofauna intensifies the coupling between benthos, pelagial, and atmosphere through enhanced turnover and transport of nitrogen.

scholarly journals Abrupt Emission of Nitrous Oxide in Denitrification Step in Nitrogen Removal from Municipal Wastewater.

2001 ◽  
Vol 24 (7) ◽  
pp. 473-476
Author(s):  
Keisuke HANAKI ◽  
Takeo NAKAMURA ◽  
Tomonori MATSUO ◽  
Hiroki ITOKAWA
Keyword(s):  
Nitrous Oxide ◽  
Nitrogen Removal ◽  
Municipal Wastewater

Does intermittent aeration and/or an influent distributary affect nitrogen removal and nitrous oxide emission of an ecological soil wastewater infiltration system?

2019 ◽  
Vol 79 (7) ◽  
pp. 1417-1425 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yue Zhao ◽  
Zhiyu Zhang ◽  
Ziqi Li ◽  
Shiyao Wang ◽  
Chaoquan Tan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Nitrous Oxide ◽  
Nitrogen Removal ◽  
Emission Rate ◽  
N2o Emission ◽  
Functional Genes ◽  
Intermittent Aeration ◽  
Anaerobic Conditions ◽  
N Removal ◽  
The Matrix ◽  
Removal Efficiencies

Abstract The effect of intermittent aeration and an influent distributary on NH4+-N removal, total nitrogen (TN) removal, nitrous oxide (N2O) emission and the abundances of nitrogen removal and N2O emission functional genes in four types of ecological soil wastewater infiltration systems (ESWISs) (which were conventional ESWIS 1 (operated without aeration and influent distributary), ESWIS 2 (operated with intermittent aeration), ESWIS 3 (operated with influent distributary) and ESWIS 4 (operated with intermittent aeration and influent distributary)) were studied. Intermittent aeration in ESWIS 2 and 4 created aerobic conditions above 50 cm depth of the matrix and anoxic or anaerobic conditions in the lower matrix (below 80 cm depth). ESWIS 4 improved NH4+-N (to 90.1%) and TN (to 87.8%) removal efficiencies and increased the abundances of eight nitrogen removal and N2O emission functional genes (amoA, nxrA, narG, napA, nirS, nirK, qnorB and nosZ) in contrast with other ESWISs. The combination of intermittent aeration and influent distributary achieved the lowest N2O emission rate of 34.7 mg/(m2 d) in ESWIS 4. Intermittent aeration combined with influent distributary was recommended for ESWISs to enhance nitrogen removal and reduce N2O emission.

scholarly journals The Diversity of Nitrogen-Cycling Microbial Genes in a Waste Stabilization Pond Reveals Changes over Space and Time that Is Uncoupled to Changing Nitrogen Chemistry

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Rose ◽  
A. Padovan ◽  
K. Christian ◽  
J. van de Kamp ◽  
M. Kaestli ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Nitrogen Cycling ◽  
Functional Groups ◽  
Nitrogen Removal ◽  
Ammonia Oxidation ◽  
Gene Array ◽  
N Cycling ◽  
Nitrogen Levels ◽  
Space And Time ◽  
Waste Stabilization ◽  
Wastewater Samples

Abstract Nitrogen removal is an important process for wastewater ponds prior to effluent release. Bacteria and archaea can drive nitrogen removal if they possess the genes required to metabolize nitrogen. In the tropical savanna of northern Australia, we identified the previously unresolved microbial communities responsible for nitrogen cycling in a multi-pond wastewater stabilization system by measuring genomic DNA and cDNA for the following: nifH (nitrogen fixation); nosZ (denitrification); hzsA (anammox); archaeal AamoA and bacterial BamoA (ammonia oxidation); nxrB (nitrite oxidation); and nrfA (dissimilatory NO3 reduction to NH3). By collecting 160 DNA and 40 cDNA wastewater samples and measuring nitrogen (N)-cycling genes using a functional gene array, we found that genes from all steps of the N cycle were present and, except for nxrB, were also expressed. As expected, N-cycling communities showed daily, seasonal, and yearly shifts. However, contrary to our prediction, probes from most functional groups, excluding nosZ and AamoA, were different between ponds. Further, different genes that perform the same N-cycling role sometimes had different trends over space and time, resulting in only weak correlations between the different functional communities. Although N-cycling communities were correlated with wastewater nitrogen levels and physico-chemistry, the relationship was not strong enough to reliably predict the presence or diversity of N-cycling microbes. The complex and dynamic response of these genes to other functional groups and the changing physico-chemical environment provides insight into why altering wastewater pond conditions can result an abundance of some gene variants while others are lost.

Nitrogen cycling on the livestock farm

1986 ◽  
Vol 1986 ◽  
pp. 45-45 ◽  
Author(s):  
R J Unwin
Keyword(s):  
Nitrous Oxide ◽  
Nitrogen Cycling ◽  
Acid Rain ◽  
Surface Waters ◽  
Nitrate Leaching ◽  
Algal Blooms ◽  
Livestock Farm ◽  
Livestock Farmers ◽  
Porous Strata ◽  
Pollute Groundwater

The environmental or polluting aspects of nitrogen in relation to livestock farms are gaseous losses to the atmosphere, nitrate leaching into water supplies and the eutrophication of surface waters. Gaseous losses of ammonia by volatilisation from organic materials and denitrification losses from soil as nitrogen and nitrous oxide have been at various times implicated in acid rain, photochemical smogs and effects on the ozone layer although the latter is now largely discounted. Nitrate leached from soil may pass rapidly into surface waters where it can affect quality for drinking or encourage algal blooms. Over porous strata nitrate may take many years to percolate downwards so as to pollute groundwater supplies. Restrictions may face livestock farmers in the arable areas of eastern England to restrict nitrate leaching from their land.

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