Search for Articles:
Title / Keyword
Author / Affiliation / Email
Journal
Article Type
 
 
Advanced Search
 
Section
Special Issue
Volume
Issue
Number
Page
 
4.7
3.5
Journals
Processes
Special Issues
Nitrogen Cycling Processes in Coastal Ecosystems
share announcement

Nitrogen Cycling Processes in Coastal Ecosystems

A special issue of Processes (ISSN 2227-9717). This special issue belongs to the section "Environmental and Green Processes".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (5 December 2022) | Viewed by 7071

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Yiguo Hong

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
230 Outer Ring West Road, Guangzhou University Town, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou 510006, China
Interests: nitrogen biogeochemical cycle; nitrous oxide; microbial metabolisms; bay and estuary
Dr. Jiapeng Wu

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
230 Wai Huan Xi Road, Guangzhou Higher Education Mega Center, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou 510006, China
Interests: Anammox; fungal denitrification; N2O reduction; metagenomic; N isotope technique; subterranean estuary
Dr. Xiaoli Zhang

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Yantai Institute of Coastal Zone Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Yantai, China
Interests: seagrass meadows; salt marsh wetland; C-cycling; N-cycling; microbial diversity and function
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Coastal areas are critical zones connecting terrestrial and marine ecosystems, which provide resources and homes to a wide variety of plants and animals (including humans) as well as serve as “reaction pools” for large amounts of nutrients and pollutants. Since the industrial revolution, human activities have greatly increased the level of terrestrial reactive nitrogen (Nr), and it has been imported into coastal ecosystems. The overload of Nr drives eutrophication, hypoxia and the release of nitrous oxide, which are the greatest threats to coastal ecosystems worldwide. However, our knowledge about the microbial N transformation processes and their response to increased environmental pressures and anthropogenic interference in coastal ecosystems is still limited.

This special issue on “Nitrogen cycling processes in coastal ecosystems” provides a platform to highlight new research and significant advances related to the N cycling processes of these anthropogenically highly influenced coastal ecosystems (estuaries, bays, mangroves, salt marshes, beach, intertidal wetlands, and coral reefs). Specifically, themes of the research and review papers of the current issue could include (but not be limited to):

  • Coastal N cycling biodiversity
  • N transformation rates and flux
  • Metagenomic and metatranscriptomic properties of microbial community
  • Novel N cycling microorganism, process, and methodology
  • Microbial response to anthropogenic interference

Prof. Dr. Yiguo Hong
Dr. Jiapeng Wu
Dr. Xiaoli Zhang
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Processes is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • N forms and fluxes
  • nitrous oxide
  • microbial community
  • N transformation rates
  • metagenomic/metatranscriptome
  • novel N cycling microorganism/process/methodology
  • sediment and water
  • estuaries and coasts

Published Papers (5 papers)

Download All Papers
Order results
Result details
Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

17 pages, 3355 KiB  
Article
Sediment Carbon Sequestration and Driving Factors in Seagrass Beds from Hainan Island and the Xisha Islands
by Qiuying Han, Chongyu Qiu, Wenxuan Zeng, Shiquan Chen, Muqiu Zhao, Yunfeng Shi and Xiaoli Zhang
Processes 2023, 11(2), 456; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/pr11020456 - 02 Feb 2023
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2355
Abstract
Seagrass beds are considered to be substantial sinks of “blue carbon”. However, differentiation in the carbon sink capacities of seagrass beds in different regions with distinct nutrient conditions remains unclear. In this study, sediment carbon stocks, seagrass biomass, and microbial community structures and [...] Read more.
Seagrass beds are considered to be substantial sinks of “blue carbon”. However, differentiation in the carbon sink capacities of seagrass beds in different regions with distinct nutrient conditions remains unclear. In this study, sediment carbon stocks, seagrass biomass, and microbial community structures and potential functions of seagrass beds in eutrophic seawater adjacent to Hainan Island and oligotrophic seawater around the Xisha Islands were compared. Our results showed that sediment mineralizable organic carbon and dry bulk density were substantially higher on Hainan Island than on the Xisha Islands (t-test, p < 0.05), while sediment carbon stocks and the total organic carbon were comparable between the two regions (p > 0.05). Similarly, seagrass biomass was much higher on Hainan Island (p < 0.05). Sediment carbon stocks positively correlated with sediment nitrogen and negatively correlated to sediment pH and grain size (p < 0.05). Bacterial diversities were similar in the two regions, while fungi were more diverse on Hainan Island (p < 0.05). Proteobacteria, Desulfobacterota, Ascomycota and Basidiomycota could account for degrading organic carbon on Hainan Island. Proteobacteria and Bacteroidota may contribute primarily to carbon loss in the seagrass beds of the Xisha Islands. This study strengthens our understanding of the effects of human activities on carbon sequestration in seagrass bed ecosystems. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nitrogen Cycling Processes in Coastal Ecosystems)
►▼ Show Figures

Graphical abstract

16 pages, 3166 KiB  
Article
Seasonal Hypoxia Enhances Benthic Nitrogen Fixation and Shapes Specific Diazotrophic Community in the Eutrophic Marine Ranch
by Cheng Yao, Qianqian Zhang, Xianbiao Lin, Jianmin Zhao and Xiaoli Zhang
Processes 2023, 11(1), 138; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/pr11010138 - 03 Jan 2023
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1719
Abstract
Recently, a growing number of studies have confirmed that biological nitrogen fixation is also an important reactive nitrogen source in coastal regions. However, how benthic nitrogen fixation and diazotrophic community in coastal regions respond to seasonal hypoxia remains largely unknown. In this study, [...] Read more.
Recently, a growing number of studies have confirmed that biological nitrogen fixation is also an important reactive nitrogen source in coastal regions. However, how benthic nitrogen fixation and diazotrophic community in coastal regions respond to seasonal hypoxia remains largely unknown. In this study, we investigated the spatiotemporal pattern of potential nitrogen fixation rate and diazotrophic abundance and community in sediments of a eutrophic marine ranch experiencing summer hypoxia using 15N tracing and high throughput sequencing techniques. The results showed that potential nitrogen fixation rates ranged from 0.013 to 10.199 μmol kg−1 h−1, and were significantly enhanced by summer hypoxia (ANOVA, p < 0.05). However, nifH gene abundance peaked in June. The diazotrophic community was dominated by Geobacteraceae (>60%), followed by Desulfobulbaceae (13.61%). Bottom water oxygen, pH, Chl-a concentration, and sediment NH4+ significantly regulated benthic nitrogen fixation, while the variation of diazotrophic community was explained by sediment TOC, TN, and Fe content (p < 0.05). This study highlighted that hypoxia stimulated benthic nitrogen fixation, which counteracted the nitrogen removal by denitrification and anammox, and could further aggregate eutrophication of the coastal marine ranch. Moreover, the result emphasized the importance of nitrogen fixation in coastal regions for the global N budget. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nitrogen Cycling Processes in Coastal Ecosystems)
►▼ Show Figures

Graphical abstract

11 pages, 1508 KiB  
Article
Temperature-Related N2O Emission and Emission Potential of Freshwater Sediment
by Shuai Li, Ang Yue, Selina Sterup Moore, Fei Ye, Jiapeng Wu, Yiguo Hong and Yu Wang
Processes 2022, 10(12), 2728; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/pr10122728 - 16 Dec 2022
Viewed by 1156
Abstract
Nitrous oxide (N2O) is a major radiative forcing and stratospheric ozone-depleting gas. Among natural sources, freshwater ecosystems are significant contributors to N2O. Although temperature is a key factor determining the N2O emissions, the respective effects of temperature [...] Read more.
Nitrous oxide (N2O) is a major radiative forcing and stratospheric ozone-depleting gas. Among natural sources, freshwater ecosystems are significant contributors to N2O. Although temperature is a key factor determining the N2O emissions, the respective effects of temperature on emitted and dissolved N2O in the water column of freshwater ecosystems remain unclear. In this study, 48 h incubation experiments were performed at three different temperatures; 15 °C, 25 °C, and 35 °C. For each sample, N2O emission, dissolved N2O in the overlying water and denitrification rates were measured, and N2O-related functional genes were quantified at regular intervals. The highest N2O emission was observed at an incubation of 35 °C, which was 1.5 to 2.1 factors higher than samples incubated at 25 °C and 15 °C. However, the highest level of dissolved N2O and estimated exchange flux of N2O were both observed at 25 °C and were both approximately 2 factors higher than those at 35 °C and 15 °C. The denitrification rates increased significantly during the incubation period, and samples at 25 °C and 35 °C exhibited much greater rates than those at 15 °C, which is in agreement with the N2O emission of the three incubation temperatures. The NO3− decreased in relation to the increase of N2O emissions, which confirms the dominant role of denitrification in N2O generation. Indeed, the nirK type denitrifier, which constitutes part of the denitrification process, dominated the nirS type involved in N2O generation, and the nosZ II type N2O reducer was more abundant than the nosZ I type. The results of the current study indicate that higher temperatures (35 °C) result in higher N2O emissions, but incubation at moderate temperatures (25 °C) causes higher levels of dissolved N2O, which represent a potential source of N2O emissions from freshwater ecosystems. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nitrogen Cycling Processes in Coastal Ecosystems)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

12 pages, 1684 KiB  
Article
Improvement of the Gut Microbiota In Vivo by a Short-Chain Fatty Acids-Producing Strain Lactococcus garvieae CF11
by Shuting Fang, Tian Qin, Ting Yu and Guoxia Zhang
Processes 2022, 10(3), 604; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/pr10030604 - 20 Mar 2022
Cited by 8 | Viewed by 2938
Abstract
Gut microbiota has strong connections with health. Regulating and enhancing gut microbiota and increasing the population of beneficial microorganisms constitutes a new approach to increasing the efficiency of health status. Although it has been shown that Lactococcus can adjust gut microbiota and be [...] Read more.
Gut microbiota has strong connections with health. Regulating and enhancing gut microbiota and increasing the population of beneficial microorganisms constitutes a new approach to increasing the efficiency of health status. Although it has been shown that Lactococcus can adjust gut microbiota and be beneficial for the host, little is known about whether strains of Lactococcus petauri can improve the gut microbiota. This study focused on the influence of Lactococcus petauri CF11 on the gut microbiome composition and the levels of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) in vivo in healthy Sprague Dawley rats. The present results showed that strain CF11 was able to induce a higher amount of fecal acetic acid and propionic acid and enhance species richness. Moreover, strain CF11 improved the gut microbiota community structure. In the experimental group, the genera Oscillospira, Coprococcus, and Ruminococcus, which are reported to be able to produce SCFAs, are significantly increased when compared with the control group (p < 0.05). Finally, the functions of genes revealed that 180 pathways were upregulated or downregulated in comparison with the control group. Among them, the top-five clearly enriched pathways regarding metabolism included porphyrin and chlorophyll metabolism; C5-Branched dibasic acid metabolism; valine, leucine, and isoleucine biosynthesis; phenylalanine, tyrosine, and tryptophan biosynthesis; and ascorbate and aldarate metabolism. Our data suggest that the SCFAs-producing strain CF11 is a potential probiotic. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nitrogen Cycling Processes in Coastal Ecosystems)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

12 pages, 1740 KiB  
Article
Health Effect of N-Nitroso Diethylamine in Treated Water on Gut Microbiota Using a Simulated Human Intestinal Microbiota System
by Dedong Wang, Yanting Jiang, Di Wu, Shuxue Li, Zhendong Wu, Yi Zhong, Lin Zhang, Chongshan Guo, Xiaotong Li, Lili Sun, Qin Li, Jinhua Zhou and Weiyun He
Processes 2022, 10(3), 438; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/pr10030438 - 22 Feb 2022
Viewed by 1426
Abstract
Chlorination disinfection byproducts (CDBPs) can exert adverse human health effects. Many toxicology-based studies confirmed the health hazards of CDBPs, but little research has been done on gut microbiome. We explored the effect of CDBPs on intestinal microbiota in the Simulator of the Human [...] Read more.
Chlorination disinfection byproducts (CDBPs) can exert adverse human health effects. Many toxicology-based studies confirmed the health hazards of CDBPs, but little research has been done on gut microbiome. We explored the effect of CDBPs on intestinal microbiota in the Simulator of the Human Intestinal Microbial Ecosystem (SHIME). The results showed that CDBPs slightly inhibited the production of short-chain fatty acids, and the abundance of Actinobacteria decreased in the transverse colon and descending colon. The abundance of Proteobacteria increased in the ascending colon and descending colon, while it decreased in the transverse colon. The abundance of Firmicutes decreased in both the ascending colon and descending colon. In particular, the abundance of Lachnospiraceae members, Bilophila, Oscillospira, Parabacteroides, Desulfovibrio, and Roseburia increased in the ascending colon, while the abundance of Sutterella, Bacteroides, Escherichia, Phascolarctobacterium, Clostridium, Citrobacter, and Klebsiella increased in the descending colon. The Shannon index differed significantly in both the ascending colon and descending colon before and after exposure. Overall, we demonstrate the feasibility of applying the SHIME model to studying the effects of intestinal toxicity on health of chlorinated by-products. The findings of this study improve our understanding of the health impact of CDBPs on the intestinal microbiota and better control of CDBPs in treated water is recommended. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nitrogen Cycling Processes in Coastal Ecosystems)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:
 
Displaying articles 1-5
Back to TopTop