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Synergistic Effects of Aquatic Plants and Cyanobacterial Blooms on the Nitrous Oxide Emission from Wetlands

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Abstract

Wetlands provide a habitat for the symbiosis of multiple plants and play a significant role in global N2O emissions. The metabolic traits and effects on microorganisms, which regulate the conversion of nitrogen to N2O, varies with plant species. The frequent occurrences of cyanobacterial blooms in wetlands can also have a positive or negative effect on denitrification, entangling N2O emissions. In situ observations of the Dongting Lake reveal that the fluxes in N2O emissions vary with the vegetation. Maximum emissions occurred in the mud flat, while the zone with the minimum emissions was populated with carex. In 210-day batch cultures, the addition of cyanobacteria synergistically enhanced N2O production during the degredation of phalaris and reed. The abundance of the nirS and nirK genes decreased over time except in the phalaris-algae group. To mitigate the N2O emissions from wetlands, the macrophyte communities need to be protected, and the cyanobacterial blooms need to be avoided by reducing the nitrogen pollution.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the National Key R&D Program of China (2017YFC0405300), the Natural Science Foundation of Jiangsu Province (BK20180148), and the Scientific Research and Technology Development Program of Guangxi (2018AB36010).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Ecological Sciences and Engineering, College of Environment and Ecology, Chongqing University, Chongqing, 400045, China

    Huazu Liu, Junxiao Luo, Yan He, Shenhua Qian & Wei Li

  2. State Key Laboratory of Hydrology-Water Resources and Hydraulic Engineering, Nanjing Hydraulic Research Institute, Nanjing, 210029, China

    Qiu Jin

  3. Key Laboratory of the Three Gorges Reservoir Region’s Eco-Environment, Ministry of Education, Chongqing University, Chongqing, 400045, China

    Shenhua Qian & Wei Li

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  1. Huazu Liu
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  2. Qiu Jin
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  3. Junxiao Luo
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  4. Yan He
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  6. Wei Li
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Correspondence to Shenhua Qian.

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Liu, H., Jin, Q., Luo, J. et al. Synergistic Effects of Aquatic Plants and Cyanobacterial Blooms on the Nitrous Oxide Emission from Wetlands. Bull Environ Contam Toxicol 108, 579–584 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00128-021-03332-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00128-021-03332-2

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