Abstract
Maintaining efficient and stable nitrogen (N) removal in constructed wetlands (CWs) that experience disturbance from their influent pollutant variations is crucial. The ammonium/nitrate (NH4+/NO3−) ratio of influent in CWs often varies widely. The N removal and stability in floating CWs have been found to be enhanced by manipulating plant species diversity. However, whether the positive effects occur in sand-based CWs remains unknown. Here, we established sand-based and hydroponic microcosms to investigate the differences in the responses of N removal and stability to plant species diversity under the disturbance of increasing influent NH4+/NO3− ratio in late period of plant growth. Results indicated that, (1) increasing plant species richness enhanced N removal but did not affect N removal stability in sand-based CWs under disturbance; (2) sand-based CWs had 46% higher average N removal stability than floating CWs, but the stability in floating CWs reached that in sand-based CWs at higher species richness levels; (3) under disturbed conditions, floating CWs with Phragmites australis or Typha latifolia achieved N removal and stability equivalent to those in sand-based CWs. This study indicates that, when treating wastewater with a variable NH4+/NO3− ratio, floating CWs with high plant species richness and specific species can achieve a win-win situation for high and stable N removal and bioenergy production.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
Data availability
All data generated or analyzed during the current study are available in this article and its supplementary information files.
References
Abalos D, De Deyn GB, Kuyper TW, van Groenigen JW (2014) Plant species identity surpasses species richness as a key driver of N2O emissions from grassland. Glob Chang Biol 20(1):265–275. https://doi.org/10.1111/gcb.12350
Afzal M, Arslan M, Müller JA, Shabir G, Islam E, Tahseen R, Anwar-ul-Haq M, Hashmat AJ, Iqbal S, Khan QM (2019a) Floating treatment wetlands as a suitable option for large-scale wastewater treatment. Nat Sustain 2:863–871. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41893-019-0350-y
Afzal M, Rehman K, Shabir G, Tahseen R, Ijaz A, Hashmat AJ, Brix H (2019b) Large-scale remediation of oil-contaminated water using floating treatment wetlands. NPJ Clean Water 2:3. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41545-018-0025-7
Ashton IW, Miller AE, Bowman WD, Suding KN (2010) Niche complementarity due to plasticity in resource use: plant partitioning of chemical N forms. Ecology 91:3252–3260. https://doi.org/10.1890/09-1849.1
Brisson J, Rodriguez M, Martin CA, Proulx R (2020) Plant diversity effect on water quality in wetlands: a meta-analysis based on experimental systems. Ecol Appl 30. https://doi.org/10.1002/eap.2074
Caldeira MC, Hector A, Loreau M, Pereira JS (2005) Species richness, temporal variability and resistance of biomass production in a Mediterranean grassland. Oikos 110:115–123. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.0030-1299.2005.13873.x
Cardinale BJ (2011) Biodiversity improves water quality through niche partitioning. Nature 472(7341):86–89. https://doi.org/10.1038/nature09904
Chen BQ, Liu D, Han WJ, Fan X, Cao HQ, Jiang QS, Liu Y, Chang J, Ge Y (2014) Nitrogen-removal ability and niche of Coix lacryma-jobi and Reineckia carnea in response to NO3−/NH4+ ratio. Aquat Bot 120:193–200. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aquabot.2014.05.016
Colares GS, Dell'Osbel N, Wiesel PG, Oliveira GA, Lemos PHZ, da Silva FP, Lutterbeck CA, Kist LT, Machado ÊL (2020) Floating treatment wetlands: a review and bibliometric analysis. Sci Total Environ 714:136776. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.136776
Du YY, Pan KX, Yu CC, Luo B, Gu WL, Sun HY, Min Y, Liu D, Geng Y, Han WJ, Chang SX, Liu Y, Li D, Ge Y, Chang J (2018) Plant diversity decreases net global warming potential integrating multiple functions in microcosms of constructed wetlands. J Clean Prod 184:718–726. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2018.02.273
Du YY, Luo B, Han WJ, Duan YY, Yu CC, Wang M, Ge Y, Chang J (2020) Increasing plant diversity offsets the influence of coarse sand on ecosystem services in microcosms of constructed wetlands. Environ Sci Pollut R 27:34398–34411. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-020-09592-5
Gaballah MS, Ismail K, Aboagye D, Ismail MM, Sobhi M, Stefanakis AI (2021) Effect of design and operational parameters on nutrients and heavy metal removal in pilot floating treatment wetlands with Eichhornia Crassipes treating polluted lake water. Environ Sci Pollut Res 1-15 28:25664–25678. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-021-12442-7
Garcia Chance LM, Majsztrik JC, Bridges WC, Willis SA, Albano JP, White SA (2020) Comparative nutrient remediation by monoculture and mixed species plantings within floating treatment wetlands. Environ Sci Technol 54:8710–8718. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.0c00198
Ge Y, Han WJ, Huang CC, Wang H, Liu D, Chang SX, Gu BH, Zhang CB, Gu BJ, Fan X, Du YY, Chang J (2015) Positive effects of plant diversity on nitrogen removal in microcosms of constructed wetlands with high ammonium loading. Ecol Eng 82:614–623. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecoleng.2015.05.030
Geng Y, Ge Y, Luo B, Chen ZX, Min Y, Schmid B, Gu BH, Chang J (2019) Plant diversity increases N removal in constructed wetlands when multiple rather than single N processes are considered. Ecol Appl:29. https://doi.org/10.1002/eap.1965
Grace MA, Healy MG, Clifford E (2016) Performance and surface clogging in intermittently loaded and slow sand filters containing novel media. J Environ Manag 180:102–110. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2016.05.018
Headley TR, Tanner CC (2008) Floating treatment wetlands: an innovative option for stormwater quality applications. 11th International Conference on Wetland Systems for Water Pollution Control November 1-7, Idore, India.
Hooper DU, Vitousek PM (1997) The effects of plant composition and diversity on ecosystem processes. Science 277:1302–1305. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.277.5330.1302
Isbell F, Craven D, Connolly J, Loreau M, Schmid B, Beierkuhnlein C, Bezemer TM, Bonin C, Bruelheide H, de Luca E, Ebeling A, Griffin JN, Guo Q, Hautier Y, Hector A, Jentsch A, Kreyling J, Lanta V, Manning P, Meyer ST, Mori AS, Naeem S, Niklaus PA, Polley HW, Reich PB, Roscher C, Seabloom EW, Smith MD, Thakur MP, Tilman D, Tracy BF, van der Putten WH, van Ruijven J, Weigelt A, Weisser WW, Wilsey B, Eisenhauer N (2015) Biodiversity increases the resistance of ecosystem productivity to climate extremes. Nature 526:574–577. https://doi.org/10.1038/nature15374
Jesus JM, Danko AS, Fiuza A, Borges MT (2018) Effect of plants in constructed wetlands for organic carbon and nutrient removal: a review of experimental factors contributing to higher impact and suggestions for future guidelines. Environ Sci Pollut R 25:4149–4164. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-017-0982-2
Jourdan M, Piedallu C, Baudry J, Defossez E, Morin X (2020) Tree diversity and the temporal stability of mountain forest productivity: testing the effect of species composition, through asynchrony and overyielding. Eur J Forest Res 140:273–286. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10342-020-01329-w
Li K-Y, Zhao Y-Y, Yuan X-L, Zhao H-B, Wang Z-H, Li S-X, Malhi SS (2012) Comparison of factors affecting soil nitrate nitrogen and ammonium nitrogen extraction. Commun Soil Sci Plan 43:571–588. https://doi.org/10.1080/00103624.2012.639108
Liu D, Wu X, Chang J, Gu BJ, Min Y, Ge Y, Shi Y, Xue H, Peng CH, Wu JG (2012) Constructed wetlands as biofuel production systems. Nat Clim Chang 2:190–194. https://doi.org/10.1038/nclimate1370
Luo P, Liu F, Zhang SN, Li HF, Yao R, Jiang QW, Xiao RL, Wu JS (2018) Nitrogen removal and recovery from lagoon-pretreated swine wastewater by constructed wetlands under sustainable plant harvesting management. Bioresour Technol 258:247–254. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biortech.2018.03.017
Luo B, Du YY, Han WJ, Geng Y, Wang Q, Duan YY, Ren Y, Liu D, Chang J, Ge Y (2020) Reduce health damage cost of greenhouse gas and ammonia emissions by assembling plant diversity in floating constructed wetlands treating wastewater. J Clean Prod 244:118927. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2019.118927
Mburu N, Tebitendwa SM, van Bruggen JJ, Rousseau DP, Lens PN (2013) Performance comparison and economics analysis of waste stabilization ponds and horizontal subsurface flow constructed wetlands treating domestic wastewater: a case study of the Juja sewage treatment works. J Environ Manag 128:220–225. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2013.05.031
Packer JG, Meyerson LA, Skalova H, Pyšek P, Kueffer C (2017) Biological flora of the British isles: Phragmites australis. J Ecol 105(4):1123–1162. https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2745.12797
Pfisterer AB, Schmid B (2002) Diversity-dependent production can decrease the stability of ecosystem functioning. Nature 416:84–86. https://doi.org/10.1038/416084a
Saeed T, Hossain N (2019) Organics and nutrients removal in vertical flow wetlands: loading fluctuation and alternative media. Environ Technol 42:1–15. https://doi.org/10.1080/09593330.2019.1655592
Saeed T, Sun G (2012) A review on nitrogen and organics removal mechanisms in subsurface flow constructed wetlands: dependency on environmental parameters, operating conditions and supporting media. J Environ Manag 112:429–448. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2012.08.011
Saeed T, Paul B, Afrin R, Al-Muyeed A, Sun GZ (2016) Floating constructed wetland for the treatment of polluted river water: a pilot scale study on seasonal variation and shock load. Chem Eng J 287:62–73. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cej.2015.10.118
Saha UK, Sonon L, Biswas BK (2018) A comparison of diffusion-conductimetric and distillation-titration methods in analyzing ammonium- and nitrate-nitrogen in the KCL-extracts of Georgia soils. Commun Soil Sci Plan 49:63–75. https://doi.org/10.1080/00103624.2017.1421647
Spangler JT, Sample DJ, Fox LJ, Albano JP, White SA (2019) Assessing nitrogen and phosphorus removal potential of five plant species in floating treatment wetlands receiving simulated nursery runoff. Environ Sci Pollut Res 26:5751–5768. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-018-3964-0
Sukias JPS, Park JBK, Stott R, Tanner CC (2018) Quantifying treatment system resilience to shock loadings in constructed wetlands and denitrification bioreactors. Water Res 139:450–461. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.watres.2018.04.010
Sun Y, Chen Z, Wu GX, Wu QY, Zhang F, Niu ZB, Hu H-Y (2016) Characteristics of water quality of municipal wastewater treatment plants in China: implications for resources utilization and management. J Clean Prod 131:1–9. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2016.05.068
Tara N, Arslan M, Hussain Z, Iqbal M, Khan QM, Afzal M (2019) On-site performance of floating treatment wetland macrocosms augmented with dye-degrading bacteria for the remediation of textile industry wastewater. J Clean Prod 217:541–548. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2019.01.258
Tilman D, Hill J, Lehman C (2006) Carbon-negative biofuels from low-input high-diversity grassland biomass. Science 314(5805):1598–1600. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1133306
Vymazal J (2007) Removal of nutrients in various types of constructed wetlands. Sci Total Environ 380:48–65. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2006.09.014
Vymazal J (2011) Plants used in constructed wetlands with horizontal subsurface flow: a review. Hydrobiologia 674:133–156. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10750-011-0738-9
Vymazal J (2014) Constructed wetlands for treatment of industrial wastewaters: a review. Ecol Eng 73:724–751. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecoleng.2014.09.034
Wagg C, O’Brien MJ, Vogel A, Scherer-Lorenzen M, Eisenhauer N, Schmid B, Weigelt A (2017) Plant diversity maintains long-term ecosystem productivity under frequent drought by increasing short-term variation. Ecology 98:2952–2961. https://doi.org/10.1002/ecy.2003
Wang YF, Yu SX, Wang J (2007) Biomass-dependent susceptibility to drought in experimental grassland communities. Ecol Lett 10:401–410. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1461-0248.2007.01031.x
Wang T, Camps-Arbestain M, Hedley M (2014) The fate of phosphorus of ash-rich biochars in a soil-plant system. Plant Soil 375(1):61–74. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-013-1938-z
Wang X, Luo B, Wang LCX, Zhao Y, Wang Q, Li D, Gu BJ, Min Y, Chang SX, Ge Y, Chang J (2020) Plant diversity improves the effluent quality and stability of floating constructed wetlands under increased ammonium/nitrate ratio in influent. J Environ Manag 266:110607. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2020.110607
Wright AJ, Ebeling A, de Kroon H, Roscher C, Weigelt A, Buchmann N, Buchmann T, Fischer C, Hacker N, Hildebrandt A, Leimer S, Mommer L, Oelmann Y, Scheu S, Steinauer K, Strecker T, Weisser W, Wilcke W, Eisenhauer N (2015) Flooding disturbances increase resource availability and productivity but reduce stability in diverse plant communities. Nat Commun 6:6092. https://doi.org/10.1038/ncomms7092
Yeh N, Yeh P, Chang Y-H (2015) Artificial floating islands for environmental improvement. Renew Sust Energ Rev 47:616–622. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rser.2015.03.090
Zhang Q, Yang YQ, Chen FR, Zhang LL, Ruan JJ, Wu SJ, Zhu RL (2020) Effects of hydraulic loading rate and substrate on ammonium removal in tidal flow constructed wetlands treating black and odorous water bodies. Bioresour Technol 321:124468. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biortech.2020.124468
Zhu JY, Zhu H, Cao YJ, Li JH, Zhu QY, Yao JM, Xu CY (2020) Effect of simulated warming on leaf functional traits of urban greening plants. BMC Plant Biol 20:1–13. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12870-020-02359-7
Zhuang LL, Yang T, Zhang J, Li XZ (2019) The configuration, purification effect and mechanism of intensified constructed wetland for wastewater treatment from the aspect of nitrogen removal: a review. Bioresour Technol 293:122086. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biortech.2019.122086
Funding
This work was funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 31770434, 31670329, 41901242).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Contributions
Writing (original draft preparation) and funding acquisition (Yuanyuan Du); experiment, writing, and editing (Shaodan Niu, Hang Jiang, Bin Luo); experiment and writing (review and editing) (Qian Wang, Wenjuan Han); experiment and editing (Yu Liu); conceptualization, methodology, supervision, and funding acquisition (Jie Chang); conceptualization, methodology, supervision, and funding acquisition (Ying Ge).
Corresponding author
Ethics declarations
Ethics approval and consent to participate
Not applicable.
Consent for publication
Not applicable.
Competing interests
The authors declare no competing interests.
Additional information
Responsible Editor: Alexandros Stefanakis
Publisher’s note
Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.
Supplementary Information
ESM 1
(DOCX 162 kb)
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Du, Y., Niu, S., Jiang, H. et al. Comparing the effects of plant diversity on the nitrogen removal and stability in floating and sand-based constructed wetlands under ammonium/nitrate ratio disturbance. Environ Sci Pollut Res 28, 69354–69366 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-021-14829-y
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-021-14829-y