Biogeography and impact of nitrous oxide reducers in rivers across a broad environmental gradient on emission rates

Abstract

Microbial communities that reduce nitrous oxide (N2O) are divided into two clades, nosZI and nosZII. These clades significantly differ in their ecological niches and their implications for N2O emissions in terrestrial environments. However, our understanding of N2O reducers in aquatic systems is currently limited. This study investigated the relative abundance and diversity of nosZI‐ and nosZII‐type N2O reducers in rivers and their impact on N2O emissions. Our findings revealed that stream sediments possess a high capacity for N2O reduction, surpassing N2O production under high N2O/NO3‐ ratio conditions. This study, along with others in freshwater systems, demonstrated that nosZI marginally dominates more often in rivers. While microbes containing either nosZI and nosZII were crucial in reducing N2O emissions, the net contribution of nosZII‐containing microbes was more significant. This can be attributed to the nir gene co‐occurring more frequently with the nosZI gene than with the nosZII gene. The diversity within each clade also played a role, with nosZII species being more likely to function as N2O sinks in streams with higher N2O concentrations. Overall, our findings provide a foundation for a better understanding of the biogeography of stream N2O reducers and their effects on N2O emissions.