Use of N Natural Abundance and N Species Concentrations to Assess N-Cycling in Constructed and Natural Coastal Wetlands

Natural abundance of N stable isotopes used in combination with concentrations may be useful indicators of N-cycling in wetlands. Concentrations and N signatures of NO3−, NH4+, and sediment organic nitrogen (SON) were measured in two impacted coastal golf course retention ponds and two natural mars...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: C. Marjorie Aelion, Melissa R. Engle, Hongbo Ma
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2010-01-01
Series:Applied and Environmental Soil Science
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2010/371259
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Summary:Natural abundance of N stable isotopes used in combination with concentrations may be useful indicators of N-cycling in wetlands. Concentrations and N signatures of NO3−, NH4+, and sediment organic nitrogen (SON) were measured in two impacted coastal golf course retention ponds and two natural marshes. Limited NO3− was detected in natural site surface water or pore water, but both isotopic signature and concentrations of NO3− in surface water of impacted sites indicated anthropogenic inputs. In natural sites, NH4+ concentrations were greatest in deeper pore water and least in surface water, suggesting diffusion predominates. The natural sites had greater %SON, and N indicated that the natural sites also had greater NH4+ released from SON mineralization than impacted sites. In NO3−-limited systems, neither concentrations nor N natural abundance was able to provide information on N-cycling, while processes associated with NH4+ were better elucidated by using both concentrations and N natural abundance.
ISSN:1687-7667
1687-7675