Effects of variable hydroperiods and water level fluctuations on denitrification capacity, nitrate removal, and benthic-microbial community structure in constructed wetlands

Cari K. Ishida; John J. Kelly; Kimberly A. Gray

doi:10.1016/j.ecoleng.2006.06.010

Effects of variable hydroperiods and water level fluctuations on denitrification capacity, nitrate removal, and benthic-microbial community structure in constructed wetlands

Cari K. Ishida, John J. Kelly, Kimberly A. Gray^*

^*Corresponding author for this work

Civil and Environmental Engineering

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

52 Scopus citations

Abstract

The hydrologic character of wetlands is one of the attributes by which they are defined. There are, however, conflicting reports about the detrimental versus beneficial responses of wetland systems to water level fluctuations and variable hydroperiods. We conducted water level and hydroperiod fluctuation studies in full-scale experimental wetlands in order to determine the effects of hydraulic operation on wetland performance (in terms of nutrient removal), and benthic-bacterial community function (in terms of denitrification potential, DNP) and structure (via terminal restriction fragment length polymorphisms, T-RFLP). In our comparison, detention time was the controlling factor for nitrate removal at the system level. However, widely fluctuating water levels and variable hydroperiods did not diminish either the nitrate removal capacity of the experimental wetlands, or the size or composition of benthic-bacterial communities relative to the more stable water level systems. Rather, significant differences in denitrification potential rates, bacterial cell densities, and benthic community structure were a function of sampling location within the experimental wetlands regardless of hydraulic operation. The results of this study support the need for reconsidering the hydraulic criteria for wetland delineation.

Original language	English (US)
Pages (from-to)	363-373
Number of pages	11
Journal	Ecological Engineering
Volume	28
Issue number	4
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecoleng.2006.06.010
State	Published - Dec 22 2006

Funding

We would like to acknowledge Wetlands Research Inc. and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for supporting this project. We would like to thank Dr. Donald Hey, Kathy Paap, Jerry Curan, and their site management crew for their help maintaining the field site, and Dr. Shai Arnon, Carla Ng, Jessica Seck, Maximilian Dunn, Laura Pigion, Clare Frederick, and Caitlin Kielhorn for their assistance with field work, and Dr. Deanna Hurum, Dr. Tanita Sirivedhin, Jill Kostel, Dr. Kristin Searcy, Dr. Mary Jo Kirisits, Dr. Gail Teitzel, and Susan Fishbain for laboratory assistance. We would also like to acknowledge Angela Reifenberg, P.E., and Gary Schaefer, P.E., at Hey & Associates for their assistance with the nutrient loading calculations, and Dr. Marty Berg at Loyola University Chicago for his assistance with the statistical analyses.

Keywords

ANOSIM
Acetylene inhibition
Bacterial community structure
Denitrification
Hydroperiod variation
Multiple dimensional scaling
Nutrient removal
T-RFLP
Water level fluctuation
Wetlands

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Environmental Engineering
Nature and Landscape Conservation
Management, Monitoring, Policy and Law

Access to Document

10.1016/j.ecoleng.2006.06.010

Cite this

@article{7dd22aa76696463a9a7dc9a5adacbf9d,

title = "Effects of variable hydroperiods and water level fluctuations on denitrification capacity, nitrate removal, and benthic-microbial community structure in constructed wetlands",

abstract = "The hydrologic character of wetlands is one of the attributes by which they are defined. There are, however, conflicting reports about the detrimental versus beneficial responses of wetland systems to water level fluctuations and variable hydroperiods. We conducted water level and hydroperiod fluctuation studies in full-scale experimental wetlands in order to determine the effects of hydraulic operation on wetland performance (in terms of nutrient removal), and benthic-bacterial community function (in terms of denitrification potential, DNP) and structure (via terminal restriction fragment length polymorphisms, T-RFLP). In our comparison, detention time was the controlling factor for nitrate removal at the system level. However, widely fluctuating water levels and variable hydroperiods did not diminish either the nitrate removal capacity of the experimental wetlands, or the size or composition of benthic-bacterial communities relative to the more stable water level systems. Rather, significant differences in denitrification potential rates, bacterial cell densities, and benthic community structure were a function of sampling location within the experimental wetlands regardless of hydraulic operation. The results of this study support the need for reconsidering the hydraulic criteria for wetland delineation.",

keywords = "ANOSIM, Acetylene inhibition, Bacterial community structure, Denitrification, Hydroperiod variation, Multiple dimensional scaling, Nutrient removal, T-RFLP, Water level fluctuation, Wetlands",

author = "Ishida, {Cari K.} and Kelly, {John J.} and Gray, {Kimberly A.}",

note = "Funding Information: We would like to acknowledge Wetlands Research Inc. and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for supporting this project. We would like to thank Dr. Donald Hey, Kathy Paap, Jerry Curan, and their site management crew for their help maintaining the field site, and Dr. Shai Arnon, Carla Ng, Jessica Seck, Maximilian Dunn, Laura Pigion, Clare Frederick, and Caitlin Kielhorn for their assistance with field work, and Dr. Deanna Hurum, Dr. Tanita Sirivedhin, Jill Kostel, Dr. Kristin Searcy, Dr. Mary Jo Kirisits, Dr. Gail Teitzel, and Susan Fishbain for laboratory assistance. We would also like to acknowledge Angela Reifenberg, P.E., and Gary Schaefer, P.E., at Hey & Associates for their assistance with the nutrient loading calculations, and Dr. Marty Berg at Loyola University Chicago for his assistance with the statistical analyses. ",

year = "2006",

month = dec,

day = "22",

doi = "10.1016/j.ecoleng.2006.06.010",

language = "English (US)",

volume = "28",

pages = "363--373",

journal = "Ecological Engineering",

issn = "0925-8574",

publisher = "Elsevier B.V.",

number = "4",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - Effects of variable hydroperiods and water level fluctuations on denitrification capacity, nitrate removal, and benthic-microbial community structure in constructed wetlands

AU - Ishida, Cari K.

AU - Kelly, John J.

AU - Gray, Kimberly A.

N1 - Funding Information: We would like to acknowledge Wetlands Research Inc. and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for supporting this project. We would like to thank Dr. Donald Hey, Kathy Paap, Jerry Curan, and their site management crew for their help maintaining the field site, and Dr. Shai Arnon, Carla Ng, Jessica Seck, Maximilian Dunn, Laura Pigion, Clare Frederick, and Caitlin Kielhorn for their assistance with field work, and Dr. Deanna Hurum, Dr. Tanita Sirivedhin, Jill Kostel, Dr. Kristin Searcy, Dr. Mary Jo Kirisits, Dr. Gail Teitzel, and Susan Fishbain for laboratory assistance. We would also like to acknowledge Angela Reifenberg, P.E., and Gary Schaefer, P.E., at Hey & Associates for their assistance with the nutrient loading calculations, and Dr. Marty Berg at Loyola University Chicago for his assistance with the statistical analyses.

PY - 2006/12/22

Y1 - 2006/12/22

N2 - The hydrologic character of wetlands is one of the attributes by which they are defined. There are, however, conflicting reports about the detrimental versus beneficial responses of wetland systems to water level fluctuations and variable hydroperiods. We conducted water level and hydroperiod fluctuation studies in full-scale experimental wetlands in order to determine the effects of hydraulic operation on wetland performance (in terms of nutrient removal), and benthic-bacterial community function (in terms of denitrification potential, DNP) and structure (via terminal restriction fragment length polymorphisms, T-RFLP). In our comparison, detention time was the controlling factor for nitrate removal at the system level. However, widely fluctuating water levels and variable hydroperiods did not diminish either the nitrate removal capacity of the experimental wetlands, or the size or composition of benthic-bacterial communities relative to the more stable water level systems. Rather, significant differences in denitrification potential rates, bacterial cell densities, and benthic community structure were a function of sampling location within the experimental wetlands regardless of hydraulic operation. The results of this study support the need for reconsidering the hydraulic criteria for wetland delineation.

AB - The hydrologic character of wetlands is one of the attributes by which they are defined. There are, however, conflicting reports about the detrimental versus beneficial responses of wetland systems to water level fluctuations and variable hydroperiods. We conducted water level and hydroperiod fluctuation studies in full-scale experimental wetlands in order to determine the effects of hydraulic operation on wetland performance (in terms of nutrient removal), and benthic-bacterial community function (in terms of denitrification potential, DNP) and structure (via terminal restriction fragment length polymorphisms, T-RFLP). In our comparison, detention time was the controlling factor for nitrate removal at the system level. However, widely fluctuating water levels and variable hydroperiods did not diminish either the nitrate removal capacity of the experimental wetlands, or the size or composition of benthic-bacterial communities relative to the more stable water level systems. Rather, significant differences in denitrification potential rates, bacterial cell densities, and benthic community structure were a function of sampling location within the experimental wetlands regardless of hydraulic operation. The results of this study support the need for reconsidering the hydraulic criteria for wetland delineation.

KW - ANOSIM

KW - Acetylene inhibition

KW - Bacterial community structure

KW - Denitrification

KW - Hydroperiod variation

KW - Multiple dimensional scaling

KW - Nutrient removal

KW - T-RFLP

KW - Water level fluctuation

KW - Wetlands

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=33845335778&partnerID=8YFLogxK

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=33845335778&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1016/j.ecoleng.2006.06.010

DO - 10.1016/j.ecoleng.2006.06.010

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:33845335778

SN - 0925-8574

VL - 28

SP - 363

EP - 373

JO - Ecological Engineering

JF - Ecological Engineering

IS - 4

ER -

Effects of variable hydroperiods and water level fluctuations on denitrification capacity, nitrate removal, and benthic-microbial community structure in constructed wetlands

Abstract

Funding

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Access to Document

Other files and links

Fingerprint

Cite this