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Redox potential and microbial functional gene diversity in wetland sediments under simulated warming conditions: implications for phosphorus mobilization

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Abstract

Microbial-driven biogeochemical cycles in wetlands impacted by global warming pose a potential downstream eutrophication risk. However, the consequences of ongoing warming on the functional and metabolic potential of sediment microbial communities are largely unknown. We incubated sediment samples under both ambient temperature conditions (control) and simulated warming conditions of 5°C above ambient temperature (warmed) using a novel field microcosm system. In warmed samples, we observed in situ a decreased thickness of the oxidized sediment layer and associated lower sediment redox potential. GeoChip 4.0, a comprehensive functional gene microarray, demonstrated that many functional genes that are involved in oxidation–reduction reactions and in phosphorus (P) degradation were preferentially enriched under warming conditions. The enriched genes included those genes encoding carbon monoxide dehydrogenase, acetyl-CoA carboxylase biotin carboxylase (ppc), and ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase (Rubisco) for carbon fixation; nitrate reductases (narG) and nitrous oxide reductases (nosZ) for denitrification; cytochrome c for metal reduction; and exopolyphosphatase (ppx) for polyphosphate degradation. The redox potential was one of the most significant parameters linked to microbial functional gene structure. These results demonstrate that the enhanced hypoxia and anaerobic metabolic pathways accelerated sediment P mobilization in freshwater wetland subject to warming, raising the potential of water eutrophication.

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Acknowledgment

This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (41373074), National Ministry of Science and Technology (2013GB23600658), and National Ministry of Water Resources (201301092). This work was also partially supported by the United States Department of Energy, Biological Systems Research on the Role of Microbial Communities in Carbon Cycling Program (DE-SC0004601), and the Oklahoma Bioenergy Center (OBC).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. College of Environmental and Resource Science, Zhejiang University, 886th Yuhangtang Ave, Hangzhou, 310058, China

    Zhijian Zhang, Hang Wang, Hongyi Li & Xinhua Xu

  2. China Academy of West Region Development, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, China

    Zhijian Zhang

  3. Department of Microbiology and Plant Science, Institute for Environmental Genomics, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK, 73019, USA

    Jizhong Zhou, Zhili He & Joy D. Van Nostrand

  4. State Key Laboratory of Lake Science and Environment, Nanjing Institute of Geography and Limnology, Chinese Academy of Science, Nanjing, 210008, China

    Zhaode Wang

  5. State Key Joint Laboratory of Environment Simulation and Pollution Control, School of Environment, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China

    Jizhong Zhou, Zhili He & Joy D. Van Nostrand

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  1. Zhijian Zhang
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  2. Hang Wang
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  3. Jizhong Zhou
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Zhang, Z., Wang, H., Zhou, J. et al. Redox potential and microbial functional gene diversity in wetland sediments under simulated warming conditions: implications for phosphorus mobilization. Hydrobiologia 743, 221–235 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10750-014-2039-6

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