Nitrate reduction functional genes and nitrate reduction potentials persist in deeper estuarine sediments. Why?

ABSTRACT: Denitrification and dissimilatory nitrate reduction to ammonium (DNRA) are processes occurring simultaneously under oxygen-limited or anaerobic conditions, where both compete for nitrate and organic carbon. Despite their ecological importance, there has been little investigation of how denitrification and DNRA potentials and related functional genes vary vertically with sediment depth. Nitrate reduction potentials measured in sediment depth profiles along the Colne estuary were in the upper range of nitrate reduction rates reported from other sediments and showed the existence of strong decreasing trends both with increasing depth and along the estuary. Denitrification potential decreased along the estuary, decreasing more rapidly with depth towards the estuary mouth. In contrast, DNRA pot

SUBMITTER: Papaspyrou S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3984109 | biostudies-literature | 2014

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature