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Denitrification and N2O effluxes in the Bothnian Bay (northern Baltic Sea) river sediments as affected by temperature under different oxygen concentrations

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Abstract

Denitrification rates and nitrous oxide (N2O) effluxes were measured at different temperatures and for different oxygen concentrations in the sediments of a eutrophied river entering the Bothnian Bay. The experiments were made in a laboratory microcosm with intact sediment samples. 15N-labelling was used to measure denitrification rates (Dw). The rates were measured at four temperatures (5, 10, 15 and 20°C) and with three oxygen inputs (<0.2, 5, and 10 mg O2 l−1). The temperature response was highly affected by oxygen concentration. At higher O2 concentrations (5 and 10 mg O2 l−1) a saturation over 10°C was observed, whereas the anoxic treatment (<0.2 mg O2 l−1) showed an exponential increase in the temperature interval with a Q 10 value of 3.1. The result is described with a combined statistical model. In contrast with overall denitrification, the N2O effluxes from sediments decreased with increasing temperature. The N2O effluxes had a lower response to oxygen than denitrification rates. The N2O/N2 ratio was always below 0.02. Increased temperatures in the future could enhance denitrification rates in boreal river sediments but would not increase the amount of N2O produced.

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Acknowledgements

We thank Jaana Rintala (North Ostrobothnia Regional Environmental Centre) for the maps. Bernd Apelt is acknowledged for his assistance in the laboratory work, Antti Ollila for providing equipment for the sediment sampling, and anonymous referees for their valuable comments. This study was funded by the Academy of Finland (decision number 202429) and H.S. obtained funding from the foundation of Ella and Georg Ehrnrooth and from the Finnish Cultural Foundation.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Environmental Science, University of Kuopio, P.O. Box 1627, 70211, Kuopio, Finland

    H. Silvennoinen, A. Liikanen, J. Torssonen & P. J. Martikainen

  2. Department of Soil Physics, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research-UFZ, Theodor-Lieser-Str. 4, 06120, Halle/Saale, Germany

    C. F. Stange

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  1. H. Silvennoinen
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  2. A. Liikanen
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  3. J. Torssonen
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  4. C. F. Stange
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  5. P. J. Martikainen
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Correspondence to H. Silvennoinen.

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Silvennoinen, H., Liikanen, A., Torssonen, J. et al. Denitrification and N2O effluxes in the Bothnian Bay (northern Baltic Sea) river sediments as affected by temperature under different oxygen concentrations. Biogeochemistry 88, 63–72 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10533-008-9194-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10533-008-9194-7

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