Vegetation composition shapes denitrifier community structure and enhances nitrogen removal in estuarine wetlands: evidence from Reed-Willow Mix promoting <i>nirK</i>-dominated guilds.

ABSTRACT: Estuarine wetlands are critical biogeochemical hotspots where vegetation and soil properties jointly regulate microbial processes such as denitrification. This study investigated soil physicochemical properties and denitrifying bacterial communities (harboring nirS and nirK genes) across different vegetation types (Reed, Zhongshanshan, and Reed-Willow Mix) and soil depths (0-20 cm, 20-40 cm, and 40-60 cm) in the mudflat of the Paihe River estuary, Chaohu Lake. Soil nutrient availability and pH varied significantly with vegetation, with mixed vegetation supporting higher organic matter, nitrate, and total phosphorus levels. Proteobacteria dominated both nirS and nirK-type communities, but nirS assemblages exhibited greater compositional richness and strong

SUBMITTER: Tian S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12861273 | biostudies-literature | 2026

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature