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Nitrogen dynamics in the mangrove sediments affected by crabs in the intertidal regions

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Abstract

Crab is an important benthonic animal in mangrove ecosystem, however, the potential function of crabs on nitrogen (N) transformation in mangrove ecosystems is still poorly understood. The present study aimed to explore the potential effect of crab burrows on nitrification/denitrification within the sediments. The results showed that the presence of crab burrows could directly promote soil nitrification, the regions within more crab burrows appeared to possess higher nitrification. Higher AOA and AOB gene copies were also observed in the sediments surrounding crab burrows than those in the sediments without crab burrow. On the contrary, lower nirS copies, a denitrification related gene, were detected in the sediments surrounding crab burrows. In summary, the present study proposed new evidences of nitrification enhancement deriving by crabs, the presence of crabs might be significant in alleviating nitrification inhibition and benefits the growth of mangroves under tidal flooding.

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Acknowledgements

This research was supported by the Strategic Priority Research Program of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (No.XDA23050200, No.XDA13010500 and No.XDA13020503), the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No.41676086, No.U1901211, No.41430966, No.41706118 and No.41876126), the International Partnership Program of Chinese Academy of Sciences (No.133244KYSB20180012), the National Key Research and Development Plan (No.2017FY100700), Innovation Academy of South China Sea Ecology and Environmental Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences (No.ISEE2019ZR02), Natural Science Foundation of Guangdong province (No.2014A030313783), Science and Technology Project of Guangdong province (No.2016A020222011), Guangdong special branch plans young talent with scientific and technological innovation (No.2016TQ03Z985), Guangzhou Science and Technology Project (No.20171001013).

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Author notes

  1. These authors contributed equally: Hao Cheng, Zhao-Yu Jiang

Authors and Affiliations

  1. State Key Laboratory of Tropical Oceanography, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, 510301, China

    Hao Cheng, Zhao-Yu Jiang, Xiao-Xia Ma & You-Shao Wang

  2. Daya Bay Marine Biology Research Station, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, 518121, China

    Hao Cheng & You-Shao Wang

  3. Innovation Academy of South China Sea Ecology and Environmental Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, 510301, China

    Hao Cheng, Zhao-Yu Jiang & You-Shao Wang

  4. School of Life Sciences, Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510632, China

    Xiao-Xia Ma

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  1. Hao Cheng
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  2. Zhao-Yu Jiang
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Correspondence to You-Shao Wang.

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Cheng, H., Jiang, ZY., Ma, XX. et al. Nitrogen dynamics in the mangrove sediments affected by crabs in the intertidal regions. Ecotoxicology 29, 669–675 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10646-020-02212-5

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