Particle-size fractions-dependent extracellular enzyme activity in sediments and implications for resource allocation in a subtropical mangrove ecosystem

The distribution of extracellular enzyme activities in particle-size fractions of sediments was investigated in a subtropical mangrove ecosystem. Five enzymes involved in carbon (C), nitrogen (N), and phosphorus (P) cycling were analyzed in the sand, silt, and clay of sediments. Among these fraction...

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Main Authors: L. Luo, J.-D. Gu
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: GJESM Publisher 2015-01-01
Series:Global Journal of Environmental Science and Management
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Online Access:http://www.gjesm.net/pdf_9497_cb00f8e6a02a27a16134e3d9b0a626c0.html
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author L. Luo
J.-D. Gu
author_facet L. Luo
J.-D. Gu
author_sort L. Luo
collection DOAJ
description The distribution of extracellular enzyme activities in particle-size fractions of sediments was investigated in a subtropical mangrove ecosystem. Five enzymes involved in carbon (C), nitrogen (N), and phosphorus (P) cycling were analyzed in the sand, silt, and clay of sediments. Among these fractions, the highest activities of phenol oxidase (PHO), β-D glucosidase (GLU), and N-acetyl-glucosiminidase (NAG) were found in sand, and greater than bulk sediments of both intertidal zone (IZ) and mangrove forest (MG). This result implied that sand fractions might protect selective enzymes through the adsorption without affecting their activities. Additionally, the enzyme-based resource allocation in various particle-size fractions demonstrated that nutirents availability varied with different particle-size fractions and only sand fraction of MG with highest total C showed high N and P availability among fractions. Besides, the analysis between elemental contents and enzymes activities in particle-size fractions suggested that enzymes could monitor the changes of nutrients availability and be good indicators of ecosystem responses to environmental changes. Thus, these results provided a means to assess the availability of different nutrients (C, N, and P) during decomposition of sediment organic matter (SOM), and thus helping to better manage the subtropical mangrove ecosystems to sequester C into SOM.
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spelling doaj-art-9077c6b3b84a49d6998f189e6171efe12025-02-02T01:49:20ZengGJESM PublisherGlobal Journal of Environmental Science and Management2383-35722383-38662015-01-011115269497Particle-size fractions-dependent extracellular enzyme activity in sediments and implications for resource allocation in a subtropical mangrove ecosystemL. Luo0J.-D. Gu1Laboratory of Environmental Microbiology and Toxicology, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong SAR, People’s Republic of ChinaLaboratory of Environmental Microbiology and Toxicology, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong SAR, People’s Republic of ChinaThe distribution of extracellular enzyme activities in particle-size fractions of sediments was investigated in a subtropical mangrove ecosystem. Five enzymes involved in carbon (C), nitrogen (N), and phosphorus (P) cycling were analyzed in the sand, silt, and clay of sediments. Among these fractions, the highest activities of phenol oxidase (PHO), β-D glucosidase (GLU), and N-acetyl-glucosiminidase (NAG) were found in sand, and greater than bulk sediments of both intertidal zone (IZ) and mangrove forest (MG). This result implied that sand fractions might protect selective enzymes through the adsorption without affecting their activities. Additionally, the enzyme-based resource allocation in various particle-size fractions demonstrated that nutirents availability varied with different particle-size fractions and only sand fraction of MG with highest total C showed high N and P availability among fractions. Besides, the analysis between elemental contents and enzymes activities in particle-size fractions suggested that enzymes could monitor the changes of nutrients availability and be good indicators of ecosystem responses to environmental changes. Thus, these results provided a means to assess the availability of different nutrients (C, N, and P) during decomposition of sediment organic matter (SOM), and thus helping to better manage the subtropical mangrove ecosystems to sequester C into SOM.http://www.gjesm.net/pdf_9497_cb00f8e6a02a27a16134e3d9b0a626c0.htmlExtracellular enzymesResource allocationParticle-size fractionMangrove ecosystem
spellingShingle L. Luo
J.-D. Gu
Particle-size fractions-dependent extracellular enzyme activity in sediments and implications for resource allocation in a subtropical mangrove ecosystem
Global Journal of Environmental Science and Management
Extracellular enzymes
Resource allocation
Particle-size fraction
Mangrove ecosystem
title Particle-size fractions-dependent extracellular enzyme activity in sediments and implications for resource allocation in a subtropical mangrove ecosystem
title_full Particle-size fractions-dependent extracellular enzyme activity in sediments and implications for resource allocation in a subtropical mangrove ecosystem
title_fullStr Particle-size fractions-dependent extracellular enzyme activity in sediments and implications for resource allocation in a subtropical mangrove ecosystem
title_full_unstemmed Particle-size fractions-dependent extracellular enzyme activity in sediments and implications for resource allocation in a subtropical mangrove ecosystem
title_short Particle-size fractions-dependent extracellular enzyme activity in sediments and implications for resource allocation in a subtropical mangrove ecosystem
title_sort particle size fractions dependent extracellular enzyme activity in sediments and implications for resource allocation in a subtropical mangrove ecosystem
topic Extracellular enzymes
Resource allocation
Particle-size fraction
Mangrove ecosystem
url http://www.gjesm.net/pdf_9497_cb00f8e6a02a27a16134e3d9b0a626c0.html
work_keys_str_mv AT lluo particlesizefractionsdependentextracellularenzymeactivityinsedimentsandimplicationsforresourceallocationinasubtropicalmangroveecosystem
AT jdgu particlesizefractionsdependentextracellularenzymeactivityinsedimentsandimplicationsforresourceallocationinasubtropicalmangroveecosystem