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

Lingling Tong, Murni Karim (), Fatimah M. Yusoff, Ahmad Zaharin Aris, Ahmad Fikri Abdullah, Feng Liu, Dejun Li and Puvaneswari Puvanasundram
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Lingling Tong: International Institute of Aquaculture and Aquatic Science, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Port Dickson 71050, Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia
Murni Karim: International Institute of Aquaculture and Aquatic Science, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Port Dickson 71050, Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia
Fatimah M. Yusoff: International Institute of Aquaculture and Aquatic Science, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Port Dickson 71050, Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia
Ahmad Zaharin Aris: International Institute of Aquaculture and Aquatic Science, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Port Dickson 71050, Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia
Ahmad Fikri Abdullah: International Institute of Aquaculture and Aquatic Science, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Port Dickson 71050, Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia
Feng Liu: Institute of Subtropical Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changsha 410005, China
Dejun Li: Institute of Subtropical Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changsha 410005, China
Puvaneswari Puvanasundram: Department of Aquaculture, Faculty of Agriculture, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang 43400, Selangor, Malaysia

Agriculture, 2024, vol. 14, issue 12, 1-14

Abstract: 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 −1 h −1 and the PDNR reaching 3.25 mg·kg −1 ·h −1 , 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 −1 ) during the wet season. The nitrate-nitrogen (NO₃ − -N) content was a key factor influencing denitrification, and the AOA abundance was significantly correlated with nitrification rates (r = 0.69; p < 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.

Keywords: potential nitrification rates; potential denitrification rates; seasonal variability; microbial functional genes (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q1 Q10 Q11 Q12 Q13 Q14 Q15 Q16 Q17 Q18 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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