Tasas de desnitrificación en una laguna costera tropical, la Ciénaga Grande de Santa Marta, Mar Caribe, Colombia

The rates of denitrification were measured as flows of N₂O in two sites in the Ciénaga Grande de Santa Marta as a first step toward the identification of the patterns of this process in tropical coastal lagoons of Colombia. To find out its magnitud, samples of sediment were taken to the l...

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Main Authors: Herrera Martínez Yimy, Campos Néstor H., Ramírez Triana Gustavo
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Universidad Nacional de Colombia 2000-12-01
Series:Caldasia
Subjects:
Online Access:http://www.revistas.unal.edu.co/index.php/cal/article/view/17587
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Summary:The rates of denitrification were measured as flows of N₂O in two sites in the Ci&eacute;naga Grande de Santa Marta as a first step toward the identification of the patterns of this process in tropical coastal lagoons of Colombia. To find out its magnitud, samples of sediment were taken to the lab trials. The rates were related with physical and chemical variables of the sediments and the water column. The rates fluctuated between undetectable and 4305 nrnoles. mˉ&sup2; hˉ&sup1;. The maximum flow attributed to bacterial denitrification was 38.8 nmoles.mˉ&sup2; hˉ&sup1;. The results showthat denitrification is linked to nitrification of the sedimento It was determined that acetylene blockage assays in anoxic conditions underestimate the rates of denitrification. Apparently nitrification of sediments was blocked by the lack of oxygenand possibly because of the acetylene, which inabilited the production of NO₃ˉ for denitrification. The variations in space and time of denitrification are probably due to factors such as: salinity, porosity of the sediments, content of organic matter and O₂ concentration.<br><p>Se midieron las tasas de desnitrificaci&oacute;n como flujos de N₂O en dos sitios de la Ci&eacute;naga Grande de Santa Marta como un primer esfuerzo para identificar los patrones generales que determinan este proceso en ecosistemas lagunares costeros tropicales colombianos. Para determinar su magnitud, se realizaron ensayos de laboratorio con muestras de sedimento de la ci&eacute;naga. Estas tasas fueron relacionadas con variables f&iacute;sicas y qu&iacute;micas del sedimento y de la columna de agua. Las tasas de flujo de N₂O estuvieron entre no detectadas hasta 4305 nmoles.m⁻&sup2;.h⁻&sup1; . El flujo m&aacute;ximo de N₂O, atribuido a la desnitrificaci&oacute;n bacteriana, fue 38.8 nmoles.m⁻&sup2;.h⁻&sup1;. Los resultados indican que la desnitrificaci&oacute;n est&aacute; acoplada a la nitrificaci&oacute;n en los sedimentos. Se estableci&oacute; que la utilizaci&oacute;n de la t&eacute;cnica de inhibici&oacute;n con acetileno y la incubaci&oacute;n de n&uacute;cleos de sedimentos en condiciones an&oacute;xicas, subestiman las tasas de desnitrificaci&oacute;n. Al parecer, la nitrificaci&oacute;n en los sedimentos fue bloqueada por la ausencia de ox&iacute;geno y posiblemente por el acetileno, impidiendo la producci&oacute;n de NO₃ - para la desnitrificaci&oacute;n. Las variaciones espacio- temporales en la desnitrificaci&oacute;n se deben, probablemente, a variables como: salinidad, porosidad del sedimento, contenido de materia org&aacute;nica y concentraci&oacute;n de ox&iacute;geno.</p>
ISSN:0366-5232