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Phosphatase Activity Along Soil C and P Gradients in a Reed-Dominated Wetland of North China

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Abstract

Previous studies in oligotrophic wetlands showed that phosphatase activity (PHA) was positively related to soil total phosphorus (TP) content, and that PHA can serve as a predictor of wetland degradation. However, phosphatase dynamics are poorly known for eutrophic wetlands, where anthropogenic nutrient inputs elevate soil P content. We reported variations in PHA along a nutrient content gradient in soils of the eutrophic Baiyangdian wetland in North China. Soil PHA mainly responded to the soil organic carbon (C) content, and microbial biomass carbon. A positive correlation existed between PHA and C but not between PHA and TP in the wetland soils. The Baiyangdian wetland has high soil P content, averaging 598 mg kg−1. The high TP content caused the lower mass ratios between sediment C and TP (C:TP) that are lower than those reported in many wetlands. Results suggest that there may be a TP threshold above which PHA has no relationship with TP. A laboratory incubation study showed that PHA increased with added C, suggesting that the soil C content was a limiting factor for P mineralization in the Baiyangdian wetland. PHA, together with its limiting factors, could reflect the state of eutrophication of the wetland.

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Acknowledgments

This research was funded by the National Basic Research Program of China (No. 2006CB403306), the National Natural Sciences Foundation of China (40701086), and the National Water project (2008ZX07209-006).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. State Key Laboratory of Environmental Aquatic Chemistry, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, CAS, Beijing, 100085, China

    Liang Wang, Chengqing Yin, Weidong Wang & Baoqing Shan

  2. Graduate University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100039, China

    Liang Wang

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  1. Liang Wang
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  2. Chengqing Yin
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  3. Weidong Wang
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  4. Baoqing Shan
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Correspondence to Chengqing Yin.

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Wang, L., Yin, C., Wang, W. et al. Phosphatase Activity Along Soil C and P Gradients in a Reed-Dominated Wetland of North China. Wetlands 30, 649–655 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13157-010-0055-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13157-010-0055-5

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