Methane emission from tidal freshwater marshes

In two tidal freshwater marshes, methane emission,production and accumulation in the pore-water have beenstudied. The two sites differ in their dominantvegetation, i.e., reed and bulrush, and in theirheights above sea level. The reed site was elevated inrelation to the bulrush site and had higher rates ofmethane emission and production. It is argued thatthis difference in methane emission between sites wasprimarily due to a different effect of reed andbulrush plants on methane dynamics rather than methaneoxidation related to tidal elevation. Methane emissionshowed strong seasonality related primarily to plantphysiology and only secondarily to temperature. Twocontrol sites at which vegetation was removedsystematically had lower emission rates indicating anoverall stimulating effect of plants on methaneemission from tidal marshes. Flooding reduced methaneemission, probably by blocking the primary sites ofmethane release in the lower part of the plantstems.     

Factors affecting metal concentrations in reed plants (Phragmites australis) of intertidal marshes in the Scheldt estuary

We aimed to identify the environmental factors which significantly affect metal uptake by reed plants in the intertidal marshes along the river Scheldt. Transfer coefficients, defined as the ratio of metal concentrations in reed stems to the metal contents in specific sediment fractions (i.e. the exchangeable Cd and Zn fraction and total Cr, Cu, Ni and Pb content), were calculated for each sampling site. They were inversely related to the sediment clay and/or organic matter content. Metal mobility and thus plant availability is higher in sediments with a lower clay or organic matter content. Moreover, the plants might actively accumulate in particular essential elements when concentrations in the sediments are rather low, which is the case in sediments low in clay and organic matter contents. Finally, more sandy sediments are expected to be susceptible to occasional oxidation of sulphides, which leads to an increased metal availability. A higher salinity promoted the uptake of Cu, Cr and Zn.     

Interactions between Methane Oxidation and Nitrification in Coastal Sediments

Galveston Bay sediments exhibit substantial spatial and seasonal variability in rates of nitrification and aerobic methane oxidation. We examined the biogeochemical and microbiological controls on these processes using aerobic enrichment slurries. Potential aerobic methane and ammonia oxidation rates from unamended control slurries were compared to rates in slurries amended with methane, ammonium, or methane + ammonium. Bacterial community composition was monitored using denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) analysis of PCR amplified ribosomal and functional gene DNA. Potential methane and ammonia oxidation rates increased over time in sediments amended with methane and ammonium, respectively. The highest potential methane oxidation rates occurred in treatments receiving both ammonium and methane suggesting that methanotrophs in the enrichment cultures were nitrogen limited. The highest ammonia oxidation rates occurred in treatments amended with ammonium only. Treatments receiving both ammonium and methane exhibited ammonia oxidation rates and porewater ammonium concentrations similar to those measured in the unamended control suggesting that methanotrophs may have inhibited ammonia oxidation by sequestering available ammonia. Sequence analysis revealed a decrease in general bacterial community diversity over time and a shift in ammonia-oxidizing bacterial composition corresponding with methane availability. However, methanotroph community composition similarities between treatments with different relative methane oxidation rates suggest that changes in physiological activity, as well as shifts in community composition, contributed to the observed patterns in potential rates.     

Mechanistic Analysis of Ammonium Inhibition of Atmospheric Methane Consumption in Forest Soils

Methane consumption by forest soil was studied in situ and in vitro with respect to responses to nitrogen additions at atmospheric and elevated methane concentrations. Methane concentrations in intact soil decreased continuously from atmospheric levels at the surface to 0.5 ppm at a depth of 14 cm. The consumption rate of atmospheric methane in soils, however, was highest in the 4- to 8-cm depth interval (2.9 nmol per g of dry soil per day), with much lower activities below and above this zone. In contrast, extractable ammonium and nitrate concentrations were highest in the surface layer (0 to 2 cm; 22 and 1.6 μmol per g of dry soil, respectively), as was potential ammonium-oxidizing activity (19 nmol per g of dry soil per day). The difference in zonation between ammonium oxidation and methane consumption suggested that ammonia-oxidizing bacteria did not contribute significantly to atmospheric methane consumption. Exogenous ammonium inhibited methane consumption in situ and in vitro, but the pattern of inhibition did not conform to expectations based on simple competition between ammonia and methane for methane monooxygenase. The extent of ammonium inhibition increased with increasing methane concentration. Inhibition by a single ammonium addition remained constant over a period of 39 days. In addition, nitrite, the end product of methanotrophic ammonia oxidation, was a more effective inhibitor of methane consumption than ammonium. Factors that stimulated ammonium oxidation in soil, e.g., elevated methane concentrations and the availability of cosubstrates such as formate, methanol, or β-hydroxybutyrate, enhanced ammonium inhibition of methane oxidation, probably as a result of enhanced nitrite production.     

Restoring Ecological Function to a Submerged Salt Marsh

Impacts of global climate change, such as sea level rise and severe drought, have altered the hydrology of coastal salt marshes resulting in submergence and subsequent degradation of ecosystem function. A potential method of rehabilitating these systems is the addition of sediment‐slurries to increase marsh surface elevation, thus ameliorating effects of excessive inundation. Although this technique is growing in popularity, the restoration of ecological function after sediment addition has received little attention. To determine if sediment subsidized salt marshes are functionally equivalent to natural marshes, we examined above‐ and belowground primary production in replicated restored marshes receiving four levels of sediment addition (29–42 cm North American Vertical Datum of 1988 [NAVD 88]) and in degraded and natural ambient marshes (4–22 cm NAVD 88). Moderate intensities of sediment‐slurry addition, resulting in elevations at the mid to high intertidal zone (29–36 cm NAVD 88), restored ecological function to degraded salt marshes. Sediment additions significantly decreased flood duration and frequency and increased bulk density, resulting in greater soil drainage and redox potential and significantly lower phytotoxic sulfide concentrations. However, ecological function in the restored salt marsh showed a sediment addition threshold that was characterized by a decline in primary productivity in areas of excessive sediment addition and high elevation (>36 cm NAVD 88). Hence, the addition of intermediate levels of sediment to submerging salt marshes increased marsh surface elevation, ameliorated impacts of prolonged inundation, and increased primary productivity. However, too much sediment resulted in diminished ecological function that was equivalent to the submerged or degraded system.     

Dimethyl sulfide metabolism in salt marsh sediments

Abstract Anoxic sediment slurries prepared from Spartina salt marsh soils contained dimethyl sulfide (DMS) at concentrations ranging from 1 to 10 μM. DMS was produced in slurries over the initial 1–24 h incubation. After the initial period of production, DMS decreased to undetectable levels and methane thiol (MSH) was produced. Inhibition of methanogenesis caused a 20% decrease in the rate of DMS consumption, while inhibition of sulfate reduction caused a 80% decrease in DMS consumption. When sulfate reduction and methanogenesis were simultaneously inhibited, DMS did not decrease. DMS contributed about 28% to the methane production rate, while DMS probably contributed only 1% or less to the sulfate reduction rate. Incubation of the sediment slurries under an atmosphere of air resulted in similar DMS consumption compared to anaerobic incubations, but MSH and CH₄ were not evolved.
Sediments from the marsh released significant quantities of DMS when treated with cold alkali, indicating that potentially significant sources of DMS existed in the sediments. Values of base-hydrolyzable DMS as high as 190 μmol per liter of sediment were observed near the sediment surface, and values always decreased with depth in the sediment. Simple flux experiments with small intact sediment cores, showed that DMS was emitted from the marsh surface when cores were injected with glutaraldehyde or molybdate and 2-bromoethanesulfonate (BES), but nit when cores were left uninhibited. These results showed that DMS was readily metabolized by microbes in marsh sediments and that this metabolism may be responsible for reducing the emission of DMS from the marsh surface.     

Landward changes of soil enzyme activities in a tidal flat wetland of the Yangtze River Estuary and correlations with physico-chemical factors

The landward changes of soil enzyme activities and physico-chemical properties of the surface sediment in Chongming Dongtan of the Yangtze River Estuary, were studied. Along the elevation gradient or succession series, the contents of total phosphorus (TP), total nitrogen (TN) and organic matter (OM) in the sediment increased, but the average grain size (AGS) of the sediment and the content of the dissolved inorganic phosphorus (DIP) decreased. The activity of alkaline phosphatase increased gradually along the elevation gradient, and was positively correlated with the values of TP, TN and OM (P<0.05), but negatively to AGS and DIP (P<0.05). It was correlated with a mechanism of substrate inductivity and product inhibition. Catalase activity had the similar trend of gradual increase along the elevation gradient, enhancing the fertility of the soil and the oxidative process of OM in the sediment. Along the succession series, from the tidal flat to the bulrush (Scirpus mariqueter) zone, and then to the reed (Phragmites australis) zone, the activity of sucrase only changed insignificantly, but there was a higher activity in the bulrush zone than in other zones. The activity of proteinase decreased from the tidal flat to the reed zone, and the activity was negatively correlated with OM and TN (P<0.05), but positively with DIP (P<0.05). Through the succession zones a decrease in the number of diatoms resulted in a decline in the concentration of protein, which influenced the proteinase activity, suggesting that the proteinase in the sediment was produced by diatoms.     

Landward changes of soil enzyme activities in a tidal flat wetland of the Yangtze River Estuary and correlations with physico-chemical factors

The landward changes of soil enzyme activities and physico-chemical properties of the surface sediment in Chongming Dongtan of the Yangtze River Estuary, were studied. Along the elevation gradient or succession series, the contents of total phosphorus (TP), total nitrogen (TN) and organic matter (OM) in the sediment increased, but the average grain size (AGS) of the sediment and the content of the dissolved inorganic phosphorus (DIP) decreased. The activity of alkaline phosphatase increased gradually along the elevation gradient, and was positively correlated with the values of TP, TN and OM (P<0.05), but negatively to AGS and DIP (P<0.05). It was correlated with a mechanism of substrate inductivity and product inhibition. Catalase activity had the similar trend of gradual increase along the elevation gradient, enhancing the fertility of the soil and the oxidative process of OM in the sediment. Along the succession series, from the tidal flat to the bulrush (Scirpus mariqueter) zone, and then to the reed (Phragmites australis) zone, the activity of sucrase only changed insignificantly, but there was a higher activity in the bulrush zone than in other zones. The activity of proteinase decreased from the tidal flat to the reed zone, and the activity was negatively correlated with OM and TN (P<0.05), but positively with DIP (P<0.05). Through the succession zones a decrease in the number of diatoms resulted in a decline in the concentration of protein, which influenced the proteinase activity, suggesting that the proteinase in the sediment was produced by diatoms.     

Estuaries as Filters: The Role of Tidal Marshes in Trace Metal Removal

Flux calculations demonstrate that many estuaries are natural filters for trace metals. Yet, the underlying processes are poorly investigated. In the present study, it was hypothesized that intertidal marshes contribute significantly to the contaminant filter function of estuaries. Trace metal concentrations and sediment characteristics were measured along a transect from the subtidal, over an intertidal flat and marsh to a restored marsh with controlled reduced tide. Metal concentrations in the intertidal and restored marsh were found to be a factor two to five higher than values in the subtidal and intertidal flat sediments. High metal concentrations and high accretion rates indicate a high metal accumulation capacity of the intertidal marshes. Overbank sedimentation in the tidal marshes of the entire estuary was calculated to remove 25% to 50% of the riverine metal influx, even though marshes comprise less than 8% of the total surface of the estuary. In addition, the large-scale implementation of planned tidal marsh restoration projects was estimated to almost double the trace metal storage capacity of the present natural tidal marshes in the estuary.     

长江口潮滩湿地土壤酶活性的陆向变化以及与环境因子的相关性

研究了长江口崇明东滩潮滩湿地表层沉积物的土壤酶活性和环境因子沿高程的陆向变化及其它们之间的相关性。结果表明,在潮滩湿地表层沉积物中的全磷(TP)、全氮(TN)和有机质(OM)的含量,随着高程的增加,其含量呈上升趋势,而沉积物平均粒径(AGS)和溶解无机磷(DIP)含量逐渐降低。崇明东滩表层沉积物中碱性磷酸酶活性沿高程梯度有增加的趋势,与沉积物平均粒径和溶解无机磷含量呈极显著负相关(p<0.01),与有机质、总氮、总磷含量呈显著正相关(p<0.05),反映出碱性磷酸酶活性受底物和产物并存机制的诱导或抑制。过氧化氢酶活性随高程也有逐渐增大的趋势,其活性与有机质、总氮、总磷呈显著正相关与溶解无机磷和沉积物平均粒径呈负相关(p<0.05),充分反映了随着演替的发展,沉积物的肥力逐渐增高的特点,也反映了沿高程梯度沉积物生物氧化作用逐渐增强。转化酶活性从藻类盐渍带到芦苇(Phragmites australis)带变化并不明显,在海三棱藨草(Scirpus mariqueter)带略高。蛋白酶活性从藻类盐渍带到芦苇带有降低的趋势,蛋白酶活性的高低更决定于有机质中蛋白质的含量而与有机质总量无关,说明蛋白酶可能主要由硅藻产生。     

The influence of plants on concentration and fractionation of Zn, Pb, and Cu in salt marsh sediments (Tagus Estuary, Portugal)

Sediment cores were collected from two sites of the Tagus estuary salt marshes which differed in degree of metal contamination. At each site, six 60-cm-long cores were taken, three from a non-vegetated intertidal zone, and one from each of areas colonized by salt marsh plants, Spartina maritima, Halimione portulacoides and Arthrocnemum fruticosum, respectively. Total concentrations and concentrations in sequential extractions of Zn, Pb, and Cu were determined in several sediment layers. Sediment slices containing most of the roots (5–15-cm depth) were enriched in metals in comparison with other depths in the core and with non-vegetated cores. Additionally, metals in sediment slices with roots were preferentially linked to the residual fraction. These results are evidence that aquatic plant roots can have a strong influence on metal concentration and speciation in sediments. Since metals become immobilized in vegetated sediments, the preservation of salt marshes or the creation of artificial wetlands could be considered as an efficient natural means for maintaining ecosystem health or restoring ecosystem quality.     

Ammonium and Nitrite Inhibition of Methane Oxidation by Methylobacter albus BG8 and Methylosinus trichosporium OB3b at Low Methane Concentrations

Methane oxidation by pure cultures of the methanotrophs Methylobacter albus BG8 and Methylosinus trichosporium OB3b was inhibited by ammonium choride and sodium nitrite relative to that in cultures assayed in either nitrate-containing or nitrate-free medium. M. albus was generally more sensitive to ammonium and nitrite than M. trichosporium. Both species produced nitrite from ammonium; the concentrations of nitrite produced increased with increasing methane concentrations in the culture headspaces. Inhibition of methane oxidation by nitrite was inversely proportional to headspace methane concentrations, with only minimal effects observed at concentrations of>500 ppm in the presence of 250 μM nitrite. Inhibition increased with increasing ammonium at methane concentrations of 100 ppm. In the presence of 500 μM ammonium, inhibition increased initially with increasing methane concentrations from 1.7 to 100 ppm; the extent of inhibition decreased with methane concentrations of > 100 ppm. The results of this study provide new insights that explain some of the previously observed interactions among ammonium, nitrite, methane, and methane oxidation in soils and aquatic systems.     

Differential Inhibition by Allylsulfide of Nitrification and Methane Oxidation in Freshwater Sediment

Addition of nitrapyrin, allylthiourea, C(inf2)H(inf2), and CH(inf3)F to freshwater sediment slurries inhibited CH(inf4) oxidation and nitrification to similar extents. Dicyandiamide and allylsulfide were less inhibitory for CH(inf4) oxidation than for nitrification. Allylsulfide was the most potent inhibitor of nitrification, and the estimated 50% inhibitory concentrations for this process and CH(inf4) oxidation were 0.2 and 121 (mu)M, respectively. At a concentration of 2 (mu)M allylsulfide, growth and CH(inf4) oxidation activity of Methylosinus trichosporium OB3b were not inhibited. Allylsulfide at 200 (mu)M inhibited the growth of M. trichosporium by approximately 50% but did not inhibit CH(inf4) oxidation activity. Nitrite production by cells of M. trichosporium was not significantly affected by allylsulfide, except at a concentration of 2 mM, when growth and CH(inf4) oxidation were also inhibited by about 50%. Methane monooxygenase activity present in soluble fractions of M. trichosporium was not inhibited significantly by allylsulfide at either 200 (mu)M or 2 mM. These results suggest that the partial inhibition of CH(inf4) oxidation in sediment slurries by high allylsulfide concentrations may be caused by an inhibition of the growth of methanotrophs rather than an inhibition of methane monooxygenase activity specifically. We conclude that allylsulfide is a promising tool for the study of interactions of methanotrophs and nitrifiers in N cycling and CH(inf4) turnover in natural systems.     

Spatial distribution of methane-oxidizing activity in a flooded rice soil

In a study on spatial distribution of methane oxidation in an unplanted flooded field, methane-oxidizing activity, analysed in soil samples under laboratory conditions, decreased with increasing depth (25 cm and beyond). In a flooded field planted to rice, rates of methane oxidation followed the order : rhizosphere (collected from roots at 10-20 cm depth) > surface soil at (0-1 cm) > subsurface soil at 10-20 cm depth, diagonally 10-15 cm away from the centre of hill. Application of ammonium sulfate and, to a lesser extent, urea to surface, rhizosphere and subsurface soil samples from flooded field planted to rice effected a distinct inhibition of methane oxidation. Nitrification inhibitors (thiourea, sodium thiosulfate and dicyandiamide) were also effective in inhibiting methane oxidation. Both surface and rhizosphere soil samples harbored higher populations of methane-oxidizing bacteria than the subsurface soil. Inhibition of methane oxidation in surface and rhizosphere soil samples concomitant with the suppression of autotrophic ammonium oxidizers by nitrification inhibitors implicates an active involvement of autotrophic ammonium oxidizers in methane oxidation.     

Carbon and Electron Flow in Mud and Sandflat Intertidal Sediments at Delaware Inlet, Nelson, New Zealand

An investigation of carbon and electron flow in mud and sandflat intertidal sediments showed that the terminal electron acceptor was principally sulfate and that the carbon flow was mainly to CO₂. Studies with thin layers of sediment exposed to H₂ showed that methane production accounted for virtually none of the H₂ utilized, whereas sulfate reduction accounted for a major proportion of the gas uptake. At all sampling sites except one (site B7), rates of methanogenesis were low but sulfate concentrations in the interstitial water were high (>18 mM). At site B7, the sulfate concentrations declined with depth from 32 mM at 2 cm to <1 mM at 10 cm or below, and active methanogenesis occurred in the low-sulfate zone. Sulfate-reducing activity at this site initially decreased and then increased with depth so that elevated rates occurred in both the active and nonactive methanogenic zones. The respiratory index (RI) [RI = ¹⁴CO₂/(¹⁴CO₂ + ¹⁴CH₄)] for [2-¹⁴C]acetate catabolism at site B7 ranged from 0.98 to 0.2 in the depth range of 2 to 14 cm. Addition of sulfate to sediment from the low-sulfate zone resulted in an increase in RI and a decrease in methanogenesis. At all other sites examined, RI ranged from 0.97 to 0.99 and was constant with depth. The results suggested that although methanogenesis was inhibited by sulfate (presumably through the activity of sulfate-reducing bacteria), it was not always limited by sulfate reduction.     

乌梁素海野生芦苇群落生物量及影响因子分析

 对内蒙古乌梁素海湿地野生芦苇(Phragmites australis)生物量的调查基础上,探讨了富营养化湖泊湿地水体的物理化学性质对芦苇生物量的影响。结果表明：1）由于环境因子的影响,芦苇群落生物量变化较大,介于1.73～3.00 kg·m-2之间;地下和地上生物量之比介于1.14～2.19之间;2）芦苇群落生物量受多种因素的影响,其中水深是最主要的限制因子,水上生物量和地上生物量随着水深的增加而增加,而地下与地上生物量的比值则随水深的增加而减少,这主要是由于水深改变了芦苇群落的结构（群落密度）和个体形态(株高和株茎);3）芦苇群落生物量随着水体N浓度增加而增加。芦苇各器官（叶、茎、根状茎和根）的N∶P为7.59～12.21,小于14,这也说明该水体中的N负荷是影响芦苇生长的主要限制因子;4）土壤有机质分解对芦苇生长没有产生毒害作用。     

Specific Inhibition of Nitrite Oxidation by Chlorate and Its Use in Assessing Nitrification in Soils and Sediments

A method was developed to determine the ammonium oxidation rate (potential) of unenriched natural samples by measuring the nitrite produced in shaken slurries. Addition of chlorate to the samples prevented nitrite from being oxidized to nitrate. The effectiveness and specificity of chlorate were tested with pure cultures of nitrite and ammonium oxidizers, as well as in soil and sediment slurries. It was concluded that chlorate had relatively little inhibitory effect on ammonium oxidation. However, under some conditions chlorate was not completely effective in blocking nitrite oxidation, and the causes of this were investigated. The technique was designed to check for incomplete blockage.     

Seasonal Rates of Methane Oxidation in Anoxic Marine Sediments

Methane concentrations and rates of methane oxidation were measured in intact sediment cores from an inshore marine sediment at Jutland, Denmark. The rates of methane oxidation, determined by the appearance of ¹⁴CO₂ from injected ¹⁴CH₄, varied with sediment depth and season. Most methane oxidation was anoxic, but oxygen may have contributed to methane oxidation at the sediment surface. Cumulative rates (0- to 12-cm depth) for methane oxidation at Kysing Fjord were 3.34, 3.48, 8.60, and 17.04 μmol m⁻² day⁻¹ for April (4°C), May (13°C), July (17°C), and August (21°C), respectively. If all of the methane was oxidized by sulfate, it would account for only 0.01 to 0.06% of the sulfate reduction. The data indicate that methane was produced, in addition to being oxidized, in the 0- to 18-cm sediment stratum.     

Nitrification and nitrous oxide production potentials in aerobic soil samples from the soil profile of a Finnish coniferous site receiving high ammonium deposition

Abstract Using aerobic soil slurry technique nitrification and nitrous oxide production were studied in samples from a pine site in Western Finland. The site received atmospheric ammonium deposition of 7–33 kg N ha⁻¹ a⁻¹ from a mink farm. The experiments with soil slurries showed that the nitrification potential in the litter layer was higher at pH 6 than at pH 4. However, the nitrification potentials in the samples from the organic and mineral horizons at pH 6 and 4 were almost equal. Also N₂O was produced at a higher rate at pH 6 than at pH 4 in slurries of the litter layer samples. The reverse was true for samples from the organic and mineral horizons. The highest N₂O production and nitrification rates were measured in the suspensions of litter layer samples. Nitrification activity in field-moist soil samples was lower than the activity in the slurries indicating that the availability of ammonium limited nitrification in these soils. Acetylene (2.5 kPa) retarded nitrification activity (70-–100%) and N₂O production (40 – 90%) in soil slurries. Acetylene inhibited the N₂O production by 40–60% during the first 3 days after its addition to field-moist samples incubated in aerobic atmosphere. After 3 days the inhibition became much lower (4–5%). The results indicate that, in soil profiles of boreal coniferous forests receiving ammonium deposition, chemolithotrophic nitrification may have importance in the N₂O production, and that changes in soil pH affect differently nitrification as well as N₂O production in litter and deeper soil layers.     

Widespread methanotrophic primary production in lowland chalk rivers

Methane is oversaturated relative to the atmosphere in many rivers, yet its cycling and fate is poorly understood. While photosynthesis is the dominant source of autotrophic carbon to rivers, chemosynthesis and particularly methane oxidation could provide alternative sources of primary production where the riverbed is heavily shaded or at depth beneath the sediment surface. Here, we highlight geographically widespread methanotrophic carbon fixation within the gravel riverbeds of over 30 chalk rivers. In 15 of these, the potential for methane oxidation (methanotrophy) was also compared with photosynthesis. In addition, we performed detailed concurrent measurements of photosynthesis and methanotrophy in one large chalk river over a complete annual cycle, where we found methanotrophy to be active to at least 15 cm into the riverbed and to be strongly substrate limited. The seasonal trend in methanotrophic activity reflected that of the riverine methane concentrations, and thus the highest rates were measured in mid-summer. At the sediment surface, photosynthesis was limited by light for most of the year with heavy shading induced by dense beds of aquatic macrophytes. Across 15 rivers, in late summer, we conservatively calculated that net methanotrophy was equivalent to between 1% and 46% of benthic net photosynthetic production within the gravel riverbed, with a median value of 4%. Hence, riverbed chemosynthesis, coupled to the oxidation of methane, is widespread and significant in English chalk rivers.