Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Denitrification Potential in Geographically Isolated Wetlands of North Carolina and Florida, USA

  • Original Research
  • Published:
Wetlands Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Denitrification dynamics in “geographically isolated wetlands” (GIWs) may provide a link between GIWs and aquatic systems by converting N to other end products (e.g., N2, N2O, etc.), protecting downstream waters from excessive N. We compared GIW ambient and amended denitrification rates and soil/water covariate relationships in areas of two ecoregions. The average unamended denitrification rate was 6.89 ± 5.02 (range: 1.67–18.91) μg N kg DW−1 (dry weight) hr−1, and no ecoregional differences were found. Areal calculations were 0.010–0.356 g N m−2 day−1. Carbon amended denitrification samples decreased −18 %, while samples amended with N or N + C averaged 2730–3675 % above background levels; N + C rates were tested and did not differ between ecoregions. DW denitrification rates were correlated with soil covariates NH4, %N, and %C while ash-free DW samples were also correlated with soil TP and water TN. A tree-based classification grouped GIWs based on soil NH4 values, though the results were not conclusive. The findings suggest that GIWs embedded in areas with substantial loadings of N and P and ample C (e.g., agricultural land uses) may limit exposure of other waters to N pollution.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • APHA (1998) Standard methods for the examination of water and wastewater, 20th edn. American Public Health Association, Washington, DC, USA

    Google Scholar 

  • Arango CP, Tank JL, Schaller JL, Royer TV, Bernot MJ, David MB (2007) Benthic organic carbon influences denitrification in streams with high nitrate concentration. Freshw Biol 52(7):1210–1222

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Atkinson C, Golladay S, First M (2011) Water quality and planktonic microbial assemblages of isolated wetlands in an agricultural landscape. Wetlands 31(5):885–894

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Beaulieu JJ, Arango CP, Tank JL (2009) The effects of season and agriculture on nitrous oxide production in headwater streams. J Environ Qual 38:637–646

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Belmont MA, White JR, Reddy KR (2009) Phosphorus sorption and potential phosphorus storage in sediments of Lake Istokpoga and the Upper Chain of Lakes, Florida, USA. J Environ Qual 38:987–996

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Boon P (1991) Enzyme activities in billabong of southeastern Australia. Microbial enzymes in aquatic environments. In: Chrost RJ (ed) Microbial enzymes in aquatic environments. Springer, Ann Arbor, MI, USA, pp 286–297

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Breiman L, Friedman J, Stone CJ, Olsen RA (1984) Classification and regression trees. CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL, USA

    Google Scholar 

  • Brown MT, Vivas MB (2005) A landscape development intensity index. Ecol Monit Assess 101:289–309

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Buford JR, Bremner JM (1975) Relationships between the denitrification capacities of soils and total water-soluble and readily decomposable soil organic matter. Soil Biol Biochem 7:389–394

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Comer, P, Faber-Langendoen DR, Evans S, Gawler C, Josse G, Kittel S, Menard M, Pyne M, Reid K, Schulz K, Snow K, and Teague J (2003) Ecological Systems of the United States: A Working Classification of the U.S. Terrestrial Systems. NatureServe, Arlington, VA, USA

  • Cowardin LM, Carter V, Goulet FC, LaRoe ET (1979) Classification of wetlands and deepwater habitats of the United States. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Washington DC, USA

    Google Scholar 

  • Craft CB, Casey WP (2000) Sediment and nutrient accumulation in floodplain and depressional freshwater wetlands of Georgia, USA. Wetlands 20(2):323–332

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Creed IF, Sanford SE, Beall FD, Molot LA, Dillon PJ (2003) Cryptic wetlands: integrating hidden wetlands in regression models of the export of dissolved organic carbon from forested landscapes. Hydrol Process 17:3629–3648

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cronk JK, Fennessy MS (2001) Wetland plants: biology and ecology. Lewis Publishers, Boca Raton, FL, USA

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Curşeu D, Sîrbu D, Popa M, Ionutas A (2011) The relationship between infant methemoglobinemia and environmental exposure to nitrates survival and sustainability. In: LaMoreaux JW (ed) Survival and sustainability. Springer, Berlin Heidelberg, Germany, pp 635–640

    Google Scholar 

  • Dodla SK, Wang JJ, DeLaune RD, Cook RL (2008) Denitrification potential and its relation to organic carbon quality in three coastal wetland soils. Sci Total Environ 407(1):471–480

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Downing DM, Winer C, Wood LD (2003) Navigating through the clear water act: a legal review. Wetlands 23(3):475–493

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dunne EJ, Smith J, Perkins DB, Clark MW, Jawitz JW, Reddy KR (2007) Phosphorus storages in historically isolated wetland ecosystems and surrounding pasture uplands. Ecol Eng 31(1):16–28

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • U.S. EPA (2010) Methane and Nitrous Oxide Emissions from Natural Sources. Office of Atmospheric Programs, Washington, D.C. EPA 430-R-10-001

  • Forbes MG, Back J, Doyle RD (2012) Nutrient transformation and retention by coastal prairie wetlands. Wetlands 32(4):705–715

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Forman RTT (1995) Some general principles of landscape and regional ecology. Landsc Ecol 10:133–142

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Galloway JN, Cowling EB (2002) Reactive nitrogen and the world: 200 years of change. AMBIO: J Hum Environ 31(2):64–71

    Google Scholar 

  • Galloway JN, Aber JD, Erisman JW, Seitzinger SP, Howarth RW, Cowling EB, Cosby JB (2003) The nitrogen cascade. Bioscience 53(4):341–356

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gibbons JW, Winne CT, Scott DE, Willson JD, Glaudas X, Andrews KM, Todd BD, Fedewa LA, Wilkinson L, Tsaliagos RN, Harper SJ, Greene JL, Tuberville TD, Metts BS, Dorcast ME, Nestor JP, Young CA, Akre T, Reed RN, Buhlmann KA, Norman J, Croshaw DA, Hagen C, Rothermel BB (2006) Remarkable amphibian biomass and abundance in an isolated wetland: Implications for wetland conservation. Conserv Biol 20:1457–1465

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Groffman PM, Altabet MA, Bohlke JK, Butterbach-Bahl K, David MB, Firestone MK, Giblin AE, Kana TM, Nielson LP, Voytek MA (2006) Methods for measuring denitrification: diverse approaches to a difficult problem. Ecol Appl 16(6):2091–2122

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Hothorn T, Hornik K, Zeileis A (2006) Unbiased recursive partitioning: a conditional inference framework. J Comput Graph Stat 15(3):651–674

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Inwood SE, Tank JL, Bernot MJ (2005) Patterns of denitrification associated with land use in 9 midwestern headwater streams. J N Am Benthol Soc 24(2):227–245

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Johansson M, Primmer CR, Sahlsten J, Merila J (2005) The influence of landscape structure on occurrence, abundance and genetic diversity of the common frog, Rana temporaria. Glob Chang Biol 11(10):1664–1679

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Johnson CA (1991) Sediment and nutrient retention by freshwater wetlands: effects on surface water quality. Crit Rev Environ Control 21(5,6):491–565

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jordan T, Andrews M, Szuch R, Whigham D, Weller D, Jacobs A (2007) Comparing functional assessments of wetlands to measurements of soil characteristics and nitrogen processing. Wetlands 27(3):479–497

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jordan S, Stoffer J, Nestlerode J (2011) Wetlands as sinks for reactive nitrogen at continental and global scales: a meta-analysis. Ecosystems 14(1):144–155

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Keeney DR, Nelson DW (1986) Nitrogen: inorganic forms. In: Page AL, Miller RH, Keeney DR (eds) Methods of soil analysis, 9th edn. American Society of Agronomy, Madison, WI, pp 1179–1237, Monograph Part II

    Google Scholar 

  • Kerrn-Jespersen JP, Henze M (1993) Biological phosphorus uptake under anoxic and aerobic conditions. Water Res 27(4):617–2624

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kuba T, Smolders G, Vanloosdrecht MCM, Heijnen JJ (1993) Biological phosphorus removal from waste-water by anaerobic–anoxic sequencing batch reactor. Water Sci Technol 27(5–6):241–252

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Lane CR, Brown MT (2006) Energy-based land Use predictors of proximal factors and benthic diatom composition in Florida freshwater marshes. Environ Monit Assess 117:433–450

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Lane CR, D’Amico E, Autrey BC (2012) Isolated wetlands of the southeastern united states: abundance and expected condition. Wetlands 32(4):753–767

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lang M, McDonough O, McCarty G, Oesterling R, Wilen B (2012) Enhanced detection of wetland-stream connectivity using LiDAR. Wetlands 32:461–479

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Leibowitz SG, Vining KC (2003) Temporal connectivity in a prairie pothole complex. Wetlands 23(1):13–25

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Leibowitz SG, Wiggington PJ, Rains MC, Downing DM (2008) Non-navigable streams and adjacent wetlands: addressing science needs following the Supreme Court’s rapanos decision. Front Ecol Environ 6(7):366–373

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Likens GE, Zedler J, Mitsch B, Sharitz R, Larson J, Fredrickson L, Pimm S, Semlitsch R, Bohlen C, Woltemade C, Hirschfeld M, Callaway J, Huffman T, Bancroft T, Richter K, Teal J, and The Association of State Wetland Managers (2000) Brief for Dr. Gene Likens et al., as Amici Curiae of Writ of Certiorari to the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit., Solid Waste Agency of Northern Cook County v. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, No. 99–1178: Submitted by T. D. Searchinger and M. J. Bean, attorneys for Amici Curiae

  • Marton JM, Fennessy MS, Craft CB (2014) Functional differences between natural and restored wetlands in the glaciated interior plains. J Environ Qual 43(1):409–417

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • McClain ME, Boyer EW, Dent LC, Gergel SE, Grimm NB, Groffman PM, Hart SC, Harvey JW, Johnston CA, Mayorga E, McDowell WH, Pinay G (2003) Biogeochemical Hot spots and hot moments at the interface of terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. Ecosystems 6(4):301–312

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • McComb A, Qiu S (1998) The effects of drying and reflooding on nutrient release from wetland sediments. In: Williams WD (ed) Environment Australia. Biodiversity Group, Canberra, Australia, pp 147–162

    Google Scholar 

  • McLaughlin DL, Cohen MJ (2013) Realizing ecosystem services: wetland hydrologic function along a gradient of ecosystem condition. Ecol Appl 23(7):1619–1631

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • McLaughlin DL, Kaplan DA, Cohen MJ (2014) A significant nexus: isolated wetlands influence landscape water table dynamics. Water Resour Res 50:7153–7166

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Morse JL, M Ardón, Bernhardt ES (2012) Using environmental variables and soil processes to forecast denitrification potential and nitrous oxide fluxes in coastal plain wetlands across different land uses. J Geophys Res Biogeosci 117(G2):G02023

  • Muñoz-Leoz B, Antigüedad I, Garbisu C, Ruiz-Romera E (2011) Nitrogen transformations and greenhouse gas emissions from a riparian wetland soil: An undisturbed soil column study. Sci Total Environ 409(4):763–770

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Neely RK, Baker JL (1989) Nitrogen and phosphorus dynamics and the fate of agricultural runoff. In: van der Valk A (ed) Northern prairie wetlands. Iowa State University, Ames, IA, pp 92–131

    Google Scholar 

  • Nixon SW (1995) Coastal marine eutrophication: a definition, social causes, and future concerns. Ophelia 41:199–219

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Olde Venterink H, Vermaat JE, Pronk M, Wiegman F, van der Lee GEM, van der Hoorn MW, Higler LWG, Verhoeven JTA (2006) Importance of sediment deposition and denitrification for nutrient retention in floodplain wetlands. Appl Veg Sci 9:163–174

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Omernik JM (1987) Ecoregions of the conterminous united states. Ann Assoc Am Geogr 77(1):118–125

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pomeroy JW, Shook K, Fang X, Dumanski S, Westbrook C, and Brown T (2014) Improving and Testing the Prairie Hydrological Model at Smith Creek Research Basin. University of Saskatchewan, Centre for Hydrology, Report No. 14. Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada.

  • Rabalais NN, Turner RE, Wiseman WJ (2002) Gulf of Mexico hypoxia, A.K.A. “the dead zone”. Annu Rev Ecol Syst 33:235–263

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Racchetti E, Bartoli M, Soana E, Longhi D, Christian RR, Pinardi M, Viaroli P (2011) Influence of hydrological connectivity of riverine wetlands on nitrogen removal via denitrification. Biogeochemistry 103(1–3):335–354

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Rains MC, Fogg GE, Harter T, Dahlgren RA, Williamson RJ (2006) The role of perched aquifers in hydrological connectivity and biogeochemical processes in vernal pool landscapes, Central Valley, California. Hydrol Process 20:1157–1175

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Reddy KR, DeLaune RD (2008) Biogeochemistry of wetlands: science and applications. CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL, USA

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Reiss KC, Brown MT, Lane CR (2010) Characteristic community structure of Florida’s subtropical wetlands: the Florida wetland condition index for depressional marshes, depressional forested, and flowing water forested wetlands. Wetl Ecol Manag 18(5):543–556

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rheinhardt RD, Rheinhardt MC, Brinson MM (2002) A regional guidebook for applying the hydrogeomorphic approach to assessing wetland functions of wet pine flats on mineral soils in the Atlantic gulf coastal plains. U.S. Army Corps of Engineer Research and Development Center, Vicksburg, MS, USA

    Google Scholar 

  • Smith MS, Tiedje JM (1979) Phases of denitrification following oxygen depletion in soil. Soil Biol Biochem 11:261–267

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Sobota DJ, Compton JE, Harrison JA (2013) Reactive nitrogen inputs to US lands and waterways: how certain are we about sources and fluxes? Front Ecol Environ 11(2):82–90

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Subalusky AL, Fitzgerald LA, Smith LL (2009) Ontogenetic niche shifts in the American alligator establish functional connectivity between aquatic systems. Biol Conserv 142:1507–1514

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sun G, Riekerk H, Kornhak L (2000) Ground-water-table rise after forest harvesting on cypress-pine flatwoods in Florida. Wetlands 20(1):101–112

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sutton-Grier AE, Kenney MA, Richardson CJ (2010) Examining the relationship between ecosystem structure and function using structural equation modelling: a case study examining denitrification potential in restored wetland soils. Ecol Model 221(5):761–768

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Tiner RW (2003a) Geographically isolated wetlands of the United States. Wetlands 23(3):494–516

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tiner RW (2003b) Estimated extent of geographically isolated wetlands in selected areas of the United States. Wetlands 23(3):636–652

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) (1978) EPA Method 130.2 Hardness, Total (mg/L as CaCO3)(Titrimetric, EDTA). Methods for the Chemical Analysis of Water and Wastes. EPA/600/4-79/020

  • Ullah S, Faulkner SP (2006) Denitrification potential of different land-use types in an agricultural watershed, lower Mississippi valley. Ecol Eng 28(2):131–140

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • van Grinsven H, Ward M, Benjamin N, de Kok T (2006) Does the evidence about health risks associated with nitrate ingestion warrant an increase of the nitrate standard for drinking water? Environ Heal 5(1):1–6

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • White JR, Reddy KR (1999) Influence of nitrate and phosphorus loading on denitrifying enzyme activity in Everglades wetland soils. Soil Sci Soc Am J 63:1945–1954

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • White JR, Reddy KR (2003) Nitrification and denitrification rates of everglades wetland soils along a phosphorus-impacted gradient. J Environ Qual 32(6):2436–2443

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Whitmire S, Hamilton S (2008) Rates of anaerobic microbial metabolism in wetlands of divergent hydrology on a glacial landscape. Wetlands 28(3):703–714

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wilcox B, Dean D, Jacob J, Sipocz A (2011) Evidence of surface connectivity for Texas gulf coast depressional wetlands. Wetlands 31:451–458

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Winter TC, LaBaugh JW (2003) Hydrologic considerations in defining isolated wetlands. Wetlands 23:532–540

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

We acknowledge Brian Hill for providing laboratory assistance, John Marton for sharing his recent papers, and Peter Myers of Osceola National Forest, Pat Tooley of Ocala National Forest, and Lee Thornhill of Croatan National Forest for providing site access. We thank Amy Prues for making Fig. 1. Jake Beaulieu, Rose Kwok, and two anonymous reviewers provided valuable feedback to improve this manuscript. This paper has been reviewed in accordance with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s peer and administrative review policies and approved for publication. Mention of trade names or commercial products does not constitute endorsement or recommendation for use. Statements in this publication reflect the authors’ professional views and opinions and should not be construed to represent any determination or policy of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. US Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research and Development, National Exposure Research Laboratory, Cincinnati, OH, USA

    Charles R. Lane & B. C. Autrey

  2. US Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research and Development, National Health and Ecological Effects Research Laboratory, Duluth, MN, USA

    T. Jicha, L. Lehto & C. Elonen

  3. Integrated Biosciences Graduate Program, University of Minnesota, Duluth, MN, USA

    L. Seifert-Monson

Authors
  1. Charles R. Lane
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. B. C. Autrey
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. T. Jicha
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. L. Lehto
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. C. Elonen
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. L. Seifert-Monson
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Charles R. Lane.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Lane, C.R., Autrey, B.C., Jicha, T. et al. Denitrification Potential in Geographically Isolated Wetlands of North Carolina and Florida, USA. Wetlands 35, 459–471 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13157-015-0633-7

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13157-015-0633-7

Keywords

Search

Navigation