Wetland Conditions Differentially Influence Nitrogen Processing within Waterfowl Impoundments

Hinckley, Brian; Etheridge, J. R.; Peralta, Ariane L.

doi:10.1007/s13157-019-01246-8

Cited by 10 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 71 publications

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“…Similar to our impoundments, Hinckley et al. (2020) found high extractable soil ammonium, low soil nitrate, and low nitrification rates at a moist‐soil managed impoundment, which they attributed to flooded conditions (low oxygen availability) and low soil pH. While low pH is known to inhibit nitrification, the soils in our studied waterfowl impoundments are alkaline (pH 7.5 and 8.3), so the inhibition is likely not due to pH (Grady Jr et al., 2011; Zhang et al., 2018).…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 92%

Evaluation of nutrient assimilative capacity in waterfowl impoundments: The role of environmental stressors

et al. 2023

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The effectiveness of wetlands in sequestering nutrients and improving water quality relies on a suite of abiotic and biotic conditions. To more fully understand the restraints on nutrient removal, especially salinity and plant cover, we created field‐scale mesocosms and monitored nutrient sequestration with nutrient additions and isotopic pool dilutions over two years in two wetlands near the Great Salt Lake in Utah. Surprisingly, we found no differences in nutrient removal with plant removal, increased salinity, and altered ambient nutrient concentrations, suggesting functional redundancy in associated primary producers. When submerged aquatic vegetation was removed, chlorophyll α concentration (0.1 – 9.0 μg/L) increased while N and P assimilation remained the same as phytoplankton occupied the open niche space. We did find ammonium concentrations to be inversely related to nitrate assimilation—as the ammonium concentration increased, nitrate assimilation decreased, suggesting preferential uptake of ammonium. Last, in our high N and P treatment mesocosms, the nitrate dramatically declined from 43.9 mg/L to background levels (<0.1 mg/L) within one week, showing a high potential for N remediation in these wetlands.This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 92%

Evaluation of nutrient assimilative capacity in waterfowl impoundments: The role of environmental stressors

et al. 2023

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“…While soil ammonium levels are similar in this case, it is possible that N mineralization is occurring without limitation. However, microbial transformation of ammonium to nitrate via nitrification processes could be slowed due to low soil pH, resulting in differences in extractable soil nitrate but not ammonium concentrations (Hinckley et al 2019).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Distinct microbial communities alter litter decomposition rates in a fertilized coastal plain wetland

Koceja¹,

Bledsoe²,

Goodwillie³

et al. 2021

Ecosphere

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Human activities have led to increased deposition of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) into soils. Nutrient enrichment of soils is known to increase plant biomass and rates of microbial litter decomposition. However, interacting effects of hydrologic position and associated changes to soil moisture can constrain microbial activity and lead to unexpected nutrient feedbacks on microbial community structurefunction relationships. Examining feedbacks of nutrient enrichment on decomposition rates is essential for predicting microbial contributions to carbon (C) cycling as atmospheric deposition of nutrients persists. This study explored how long-term nutrient addition and contrasting litter chemical composition influenced soil bacterial community structure and function. We hypothesized that long-term nutrient enrichment of low fertility soils alters bacterial community structure and leads to higher rates of litter decomposition especially for low C:N litter, but low-nutrient and dry conditions limit microbial decomposition of high C:N ratio litter. We leveraged a long-term fertilization experiment to test how nutrient enrichment and hydrologic manipulation (due to ditches) affected decomposition and soil bacterial community structure in a nutrient-poor coastal plain wetland. We conducted a litter bag experiment and characterized litter-associated and bulk soil microbiomes using 16S rRNA bacterial sequencing and quantified litter mass losses and soil physicochemical properties. Results revealed that distinct bacterial communities were involved in decomposing higher C:N ratio litter more quickly in fertilized compared to unfertilized soils especially under drier soil conditions, while decomposition rates of lower C:N ratio litter were similar between fertilized and unfertilized plots. Bacterial community structure in part explained litter decomposition rates, and long-term fertilization and drier hydrologic status affected bacterial diversity and increased decomposition rates. However, community composition associated with high C:N litter was similar in wetter plots with available nitrate detected, regardless of fertilization treatment. This study provides insight into long-term fertilization effects on soil bacterial diversity and composition, decomposition, and the increased potential for soil C loss as nutrient enrichment and hydrology interact to affect historically lownutrient ecosystems.

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“…In addition to altered abiotic conditions of flooding and potentially salinity, this biotic shift likely altered ecosystem function as rhizomatous perennial graminoids are functionally distinct from annual graminoids and perennial forbs. Soil biogeochemistry and nutrient cycling are influenced by changing environmental conditions, and the management of impounded brackish wetlands in a Mediterranean climate is shifting nutrient cycling in unknown ways (see Hinckley et al 2019 for responses in a humid climate setting). Changes in plant functional groups may also cascade to influence animal community structure and function (Johnson and Montalbano 1984, Eberling et al 2020).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Seasonal impoundment alters patterns of tidal wetland plant diversity across spatial scales

et al. 2021

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Understanding patterns of biodiversity is a key goal of ecology and is especially pressing in the current human-caused biodiversity crisis. In wetland ecosystems, human impacts are centered around hydrologic manipulation including the common practice of wetland diking and impoundment. Constraining how wetland management influences plant biodiversity patterns across spatial scales will provide information on how best to modify actions to preserve biodiversity and ecosystem function in managed wetlands. Here, we compare patterns of plant diversity and species presence, abundance, and community composition at several spatial scales among tidal wetlands along an estuarine salinity gradient and managed wetlands that were formerly tidal. Managed impounded wetlands had decreased alpha and gamma diversity of rare species, with less than 60% of the species richness found in tidal brackish wetlands at several spatial scales. There was little change in the overall pattern of alpha, beta, and gamma diversity for common species in impounded wetlands; however, dominant tidal brackish species, primarily perennial rhizomatous graminoids, were replaced with management target plants and non-native annual grasses in impounded wetlands. This species replacement led to over 60% of impounded sites being classified as containing novel plant assemblages. An additional 25% of impounded sites were classified as containing tidal saline plant assemblages, suggesting potential soil salinization. Along the estuarine gradient, patchiness and codominance of common plant species drove high diversity and turnover in tidal brackish wetlands, while it remains unclear whether tidal fresh or brackish wetlands maximize rare plant diversity. With reduced species richness, altered functional dominants, and novel or saline assemblages, impounded brackish wetlands may require careful water management to balance native plant biodiversity, associated ecosystem processes, and waterfowl requirements.

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Wetland Conditions Differentially Influence Nitrogen Processing within Waterfowl Impoundments

Cited by 10 publications

References 71 publications

Evaluation of nutrient assimilative capacity in waterfowl impoundments: The role of environmental stressors

Evaluation of nutrient assimilative capacity in waterfowl impoundments: The role of environmental stressors

Distinct microbial communities alter litter decomposition rates in a fertilized coastal plain wetland

Seasonal impoundment alters patterns of tidal wetland plant diversity across spatial scales

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