A Study on the Characteristics of Nitrification and Denitrification of Three Small Watersheds During the Wet and Dry Seasons with Various Sources of Pollution: A Case Study of the Jinjing Basin

Nitrogen cycling in freshwater ecosystems is critical for maintaining water quality, and understanding the processes of nitrification and denitrification is essential for effective nitrogen management, particularly in areas with diverse pollution sources. This study investigated the nitrification an...

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Main Authors: Lingling Tong, Murni Karim, Fatimah M. Yusoff, Ahmad Zaharin Aris, Ahmad Fikri Abdullah, Feng Liu, Dejun Li, Puvaneswari Puvanasundram
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2024-12-01
Series:Agriculture
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Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0472/14/12/2330
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author Lingling Tong
Murni Karim
Fatimah M. Yusoff
Ahmad Zaharin Aris
Ahmad Fikri Abdullah
Feng Liu
Dejun Li
Puvaneswari Puvanasundram
author_facet Lingling Tong
Murni Karim
Fatimah M. Yusoff
Ahmad Zaharin Aris
Ahmad Fikri Abdullah
Feng Liu
Dejun Li
Puvaneswari Puvanasundram
author_sort Lingling Tong
collection DOAJ
description Nitrogen cycling in freshwater ecosystems is critical for maintaining water quality, and understanding the processes of nitrification and denitrification is essential for effective nitrogen management, particularly in areas with diverse pollution sources. This study investigated the nitrification and denitrification processes in three tributaries of the Jinjing River—Tuojia (agricultural), Jinjing (residential), and Guanjia (woodland)—during both the wet and dry seasons. The potential nitrification rates (PNRs) and potential denitrification rates (PDNRs) were measured across these sites. The highest rates were observed in Tuojia during the wet season, with the PNR reaching 39.7 μg·kg<sup>−1</sup> h<sup>−1</sup> and the PDNR reaching 3.25 mg·kg<sup>−1</sup>·h<sup>−1</sup>, while the rates were considerably lower in Jinjing and Guanjia. The ammonia-oxidizing archaea (AOA) abundance was higher than the ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB) abundance at all sites, with Tuojia exhibiting the highest AOA abundance (5.9 × 10⁷ copies·g<sup>−1</sup>) during the wet season. The nitrate-nitrogen (NO₃<sup>−</sup>-N) content was a key factor influencing denitrification, and the AOA abundance was significantly correlated with nitrification rates (r = 0.69; <i>p</i> < 0.05). These findings highlight the spatial and seasonal variability in nitrogen cycling and emphasize the importance of developing targeted nitrogen management strategies in regions with mixed land uses and pollution sources.
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spelling doaj-art-26d19a08f9bc473fa1f73ddfbdd00ea12024-12-27T14:03:24ZengMDPI AGAgriculture2077-04722024-12-011412233010.3390/agriculture14122330A Study on the Characteristics of Nitrification and Denitrification of Three Small Watersheds During the Wet and Dry Seasons with Various Sources of Pollution: A Case Study of the Jinjing BasinLingling Tong0Murni Karim1Fatimah M. Yusoff2Ahmad Zaharin Aris3Ahmad Fikri Abdullah4Feng Liu5Dejun Li6Puvaneswari Puvanasundram7International Institute of Aquaculture and Aquatic Science, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Port Dickson 71050, Negeri Sembilan, MalaysiaInternational Institute of Aquaculture and Aquatic Science, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Port Dickson 71050, Negeri Sembilan, MalaysiaInternational Institute of Aquaculture and Aquatic Science, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Port Dickson 71050, Negeri Sembilan, MalaysiaInternational Institute of Aquaculture and Aquatic Science, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Port Dickson 71050, Negeri Sembilan, MalaysiaInternational Institute of Aquaculture and Aquatic Science, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Port Dickson 71050, Negeri Sembilan, MalaysiaInstitute of Subtropical Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changsha 410005, ChinaInstitute of Subtropical Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changsha 410005, ChinaDepartment of Aquaculture, Faculty of Agriculture, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang 43400, Selangor, MalaysiaNitrogen cycling in freshwater ecosystems is critical for maintaining water quality, and understanding the processes of nitrification and denitrification is essential for effective nitrogen management, particularly in areas with diverse pollution sources. This study investigated the nitrification and denitrification processes in three tributaries of the Jinjing River—Tuojia (agricultural), Jinjing (residential), and Guanjia (woodland)—during both the wet and dry seasons. The potential nitrification rates (PNRs) and potential denitrification rates (PDNRs) were measured across these sites. The highest rates were observed in Tuojia during the wet season, with the PNR reaching 39.7 μg·kg<sup>−1</sup> h<sup>−1</sup> and the PDNR reaching 3.25 mg·kg<sup>−1</sup>·h<sup>−1</sup>, while the rates were considerably lower in Jinjing and Guanjia. The ammonia-oxidizing archaea (AOA) abundance was higher than the ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB) abundance at all sites, with Tuojia exhibiting the highest AOA abundance (5.9 × 10⁷ copies·g<sup>−1</sup>) during the wet season. The nitrate-nitrogen (NO₃<sup>−</sup>-N) content was a key factor influencing denitrification, and the AOA abundance was significantly correlated with nitrification rates (r = 0.69; <i>p</i> < 0.05). These findings highlight the spatial and seasonal variability in nitrogen cycling and emphasize the importance of developing targeted nitrogen management strategies in regions with mixed land uses and pollution sources.https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0472/14/12/2330potential nitrification ratespotential denitrification ratesseasonal variabilitymicrobial functional genes
spellingShingle Lingling Tong
Murni Karim
Fatimah M. Yusoff
Ahmad Zaharin Aris
Ahmad Fikri Abdullah
Feng Liu
Dejun Li
Puvaneswari Puvanasundram
A Study on the Characteristics of Nitrification and Denitrification of Three Small Watersheds During the Wet and Dry Seasons with Various Sources of Pollution: A Case Study of the Jinjing Basin
Agriculture
potential nitrification rates
potential denitrification rates
seasonal variability
microbial functional genes
title A Study on the Characteristics of Nitrification and Denitrification of Three Small Watersheds During the Wet and Dry Seasons with Various Sources of Pollution: A Case Study of the Jinjing Basin
title_full A Study on the Characteristics of Nitrification and Denitrification of Three Small Watersheds During the Wet and Dry Seasons with Various Sources of Pollution: A Case Study of the Jinjing Basin
title_fullStr A Study on the Characteristics of Nitrification and Denitrification of Three Small Watersheds During the Wet and Dry Seasons with Various Sources of Pollution: A Case Study of the Jinjing Basin
title_full_unstemmed A Study on the Characteristics of Nitrification and Denitrification of Three Small Watersheds During the Wet and Dry Seasons with Various Sources of Pollution: A Case Study of the Jinjing Basin
title_short A Study on the Characteristics of Nitrification and Denitrification of Three Small Watersheds During the Wet and Dry Seasons with Various Sources of Pollution: A Case Study of the Jinjing Basin
title_sort study on the characteristics of nitrification and denitrification of three small watersheds during the wet and dry seasons with various sources of pollution a case study of the jinjing basin
topic potential nitrification rates
potential denitrification rates
seasonal variability
microbial functional genes
url https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0472/14/12/2330
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