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

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Abstract

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.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 41171399 and 40871229), Shenyang Special Funds for Scientific and Technological Innovation (Grant No. F14-133-9-00), and Science and Enterprise Competitive Selection Project of Shenyang City (study on the risk management and remediation technology of urban ecological environment).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Key Laboratory of Eco-restoration of Regional Contaminated Environment, (Chinese Ministry of Education), College of Environment in Shenyang University, Shenyang, 110044, China

    Jianbing Wei, Hao Feng, Quanguo Cheng, Shiqian Gao & Haiyan Liu

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  1. Jianbing Wei
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  2. Hao Feng
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  3. Quanguo Cheng
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  4. Shiqian Gao
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  5. Haiyan Liu
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Correspondence to Jianbing Wei.

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Highlights

• Environmental regulators of riparian soil denitrification vary by spatial scale

• At profile scale, DEA is mainly in upper soil, regulated by biogeochemical factors

• At cross-section scale, DEA varies by distance to river bank and vegetation density

• At landscape scale, elevation, topography, and land use indirectly regulate DEA

• Landscape-scale DEA increases downstream, except in urbanized areas

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Wei, J., Feng, H., Cheng, Q. et al. Denitrification potential of riparian soils in relation to multiscale spatial environmental factors: a case study of a typical watershed, China. Environ Monit Assess 189, 85 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-017-5805-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-017-5805-x

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