Effect of Water Chemistry and Hydrodynamics on Nitrogen Transformation Activity and Microbial Community Functional Potential in Hyporheic Zone Sediment Columns
Citations Over TimeTop 10% of 2017 papers
Abstract
Hyporheic zones (HZ) are active biogeochemical regions where groundwater and surface water mix. N transformations in HZ sediments were investigated in columns with a focus on understanding how the dynamic changes in groundwater and surface water mixing affect microbial community and its biogeochemical function with respect to N transformations. The results indicated that denitrification, DNRA, and nitrification rates and products changed quickly in response to changes in water and sediment chemistry, fluid residence time, and groundwater-surface water exchange. These changes were accompanied by the zonation of denitrification functional genes along a 30 cm advective flow path after a total of 6 days' elution of synthetic groundwater with fluid residence time >9.8 h. The shift of microbial functional potential toward denitrification was correlated with rapid NO3- reduction collectively affected by NO3- concentration and fluid residence time, and was resistant to short-term groundwater-surface water exchange on a daily basis. The results implied that variations in microbial functional potential and associated biogeochemical reactions in the HZ may occur at space scales where steep concentration gradients present along the flow path and the variations would respond to dynamic HZ water exchange over different time periods common to natural and managed riverine systems.
Related Papers
- → Relating hydraulic conductivity and hyporheic zone biogeochemical processing to conserve and restore river ecosystem services(2016)71 cited
- → Organizational Principles of Hyporheic Exchange Flow and Biogeochemical Cycling in River Networks Across Scales(2022)66 cited
- → Heterogeneity in Permeability and Particulate Organic Carbon Content Controls the Redox Condition of Riverbed Sediments at Different Timescales(2024)16 cited
- → Biogeochemical cycling at the aquatic–terrestrial interface is linked to parafluvial hyporheic zone inundation history(2017)45 cited
- Modeling dune-induced hyporheic exchange and nutrient reactions in stream sediments(2012)