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Microbially Mediated Chemical Transformations in Wetlands

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  • First Online:
The Wetland Book

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Abstract

This chapter discusses how the microbiota mediate the cycling of carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus and sulfur in wetlands. Wetlands have a number of characteristics that make them hot-spots for microbially-mediated transformation of constituents. Abundant plant life, adapted to aquatic environments represents a source of carbon (energy) to fuel microbial processes. Wetlands are sites of deposition of sediments, and often interact with ground-water, both of which are source of electron-acceptors for microbial processing. Biofilms growing on emergent and submerged plants, as well the root zone of aquatic plants, are active sites of reactions that require both oxic and anoxic zones such as coupled nitrification-denitrification. Finally, many wetlands are ephemeral, meaning the sediments undergo periodic wetting and drying, which can strongly influence nutrient cycling.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. CSIRO Land and Water and, The Murray-Darling Freshwater Research Centre, La Trobe University, Wodonga, VIC, Australia

    Darren S. Baldwin

Authors
  1. Darren S. Baldwin
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Darren S. Baldwin .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Institute for Land, Water and Society, Charles Sturt University, Albury, NSW, Australia

    C. Max Finlayson

  2. International Water Security Network, University of the West of England, Bristol, UK

    Mark Everard

  3. UNESCO-IHE, Institute for Water Education, Delft, The Netherlands

    Kenneth Irvine

  4. RM Wetlands and Environment Ltd., Littleworth, Oxfordshire, UK

    Robert J. McInnes

  5. U.S. Geological Survey, Wetland and Aquatic Research Center, Lafayette, LA, USA

    Beth A. Middleton

  6. Aquatic Ecosystems Group, Department of Water Science and Engineering, UNESCO-IHE, Institute for Water Education, Delft, The Netherlands

    Anne A. van Dam

  7. Institute for Land, Water and Society, Charles Sturt University, Albury, NSW, Australia

    Nick C. Davidson

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Baldwin, D.S. (2018). Microbially Mediated Chemical Transformations in Wetlands. In: Finlayson, C.M., et al. The Wetland Book. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-90-481-9659-3_65

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