Control of the Hydraulic Load on Nitrous Oxide Emissions from Cascade Reservoirs

Nitrous oxide (N2O) Emissions at the Air-Water-Sediment Interfaces of Cascade Reservoirs in the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau: Spatial Patterns and Environmental Controls

The construction of cascade reservoirs can interfere with the natural hydrologic cycles of basins, causing negative environmental effects such as altering the emission patterns of the Nitrous oxide (N2O), a potent greenhouse gas. To elucidate the impact of cascade reservoirs construction on river N2O emissions, we utilized the thin boundary model and the incubation experiments to estimate the N2O fluxes at the air-water interface and at the water-sediment interface of cascade reservoirs on the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau, respectively. Additionally, we explored the influence of various factors, with particular emphasis on damming, on N2O emissions and production. Moreover, we identified the main pathways of N2O production and proposed management strategies to mitigate N2O emissions from cascade reservoirs. The findings revealed that N2O fluxes at the air-water interface and the water-sediment interface were 4.73 ± 1.32 μmol · m-2 · d-1 and 15.56 ± 1.98 μmol · m-2 · d-1, respectively. Influenced by temperature, dissolved oxygen (DO), resource substances (active nitrogen substrates and dissolved organic carbon (DOC)) and reservoir properties (scale, hydraulic retention time (HRT), reservoir age, etc.), the N2O concentration and flux exhibited notable spatial heterogeneity, gradually increasing downstream. Temperature has a significant direct impact on N2O flux, as well as indirect effects through DO and resource chemicals. Furthermore, the correlation between dissolved oxygen utilization rate (AOU) and net N2O flux (△N2O) indicated that N2O emissions at the water-air interface were primarily attributable to nitrification, whereas those at the water-sediment interface were predominantly driven by denitrification. These findings not only enhance our comprehension of N2O emissions at various interfaces of cascade reservoirs but also offer theoretical backing for the formulation of management strategies aimed at efficiently mitigating N2O emissions from continuously dammed rivers.

Elucidation of the dominant factors influencing N2O emission in water-level fluctuation zones in a karst canyon reservoir, southwest China

The water-level fluctuations zones (WLFZs) are crucial transitional interfaces within river-reservoir systems, serving as hotspots for N2O emission. However, the comprehension of response patterns and mechanisms governing N2O emission under hydrological fluctuation remains limited, especially in karstic canyon reservoirs, which introduces significant uncertainty to N2O flux assessments. Soil samples were collected from the WLFZs of the Hongjiadu (HJD) Reservoir along the water flow direction from transition zone (T1 and T2) to lacustrine zone (T3, T4 and T5) at three elevations for each site. These soil columns were used to conduct simulation experiments under various water-filled pore space gradients (WFPSs) to investigate the potential N2O flux pattern and elucidate the underlying mechanism. Our results showed that nutrient distribution and N2O flux pattern differed significantly between two zones, with the highest N2O fluxes in the transition zone sites and lacustrine zone sites were found at 75 % and 95 % WFPS, respectively. Soil nutrient loss in lower elevation areas is influenced by prolonged impoundment durations. The higher N2O fluxes in the lacustrine zone can be attributed to increased nutrient levels resulting from anthropogenic activities. Furthermore, correlation analysis revealed that soil bulk density significantly impacted N2O fluxes across all sites, while NO3-and SOC facilitated N2O emissions in T1-T2 and T4-T5, respectively. It was evident that N2O production primarily contributed to nitrification in the transition zone and was constrained by the mineralization process, whereas denitrification dominated in the lacustrine zone. Notably, the annual N2O efflux from WLFZs accounted for 27 % of that from the water-air interface in HJD Reservoir, indicating a considerably lower contribution than anticipated. Nevertheless, this study highlights the significance of WLFZs as a vital potential source of N2O emission, particularly under the influence of anthropogenic activities and high WFPS gradient.

Denitrification regulates spatiotemporal pattern of N2O emission in an interconnected urban river-lake network

Urban rivers are hotspots of N2O production and emission. Interconnected river-lake networks are constructed to improve the water quality and hydrodynamic conditions of urban rivers in many cities of China. However, the impact of the river-lake connectivity project on N2O production and emission remains unclear. This study investigated dissolved N2O and emission of the river-lake network in Wuhan City, China from March 2021 to December 2021. The results showed that river-lake connection greatly decreased riverine Nitrogen (N) concentration and increased dissolved oxygen (DO) concentration compare to traditional urban rivers. N2O emissions from the urban river interconnected with lakes (LUR: 67.3 ± 92.6 μmol/m2/d) were much lower than those from the traditional urban rivers (UR: 467.3 ± 1075.7 μmol/m2/d) and agricultural rivers (AR: 20.4 ± 15.3μmol/m2/d). Regression tree analysis suggested that the N2O concentrations were extremely high when hypoxia exists (DO < 1.6 mg/L), and TDN was the primary factor regulating N2O concentrations when hypoxia does not occur. Thus, we ascribe the low N2O emission in the LUR and AR to the lower N contents and higher DO concentrations. The microbial process of N2O production and consumption were quantitatively estimated by isotopic models. The mean proportion of denitrification derived N2O (fbD) was 63.5 %, 55.6 %, 42.3 % and 42.7 % in the UR, LUR, lakes and AR, suggested denitrification dominated N2O production in the urban rivers, but nitrification dominated N2O production in the lakes and AR. The positive correlation between logN2O and fbD suggested that denitrification is the key process to regulate the N2O production and emission. The abundance of denitrification genes (nirS and nirK) was much higher than that of nitrification genes (amoA and amoB), also evidenced that denitrification was the main N2O source. Therefore, river-lake interconnected projects changed the nutrients level and hypoxic condition, leading to the inhibition of denitrification and nitrification, and ultimately resulting in a decrease of N2O production and emission. These results advance the knowledge on the microbial processes that regulate N2O emissions in inland waters and illustrate the integrated management of water quality and N2O emission.

Increased nitrous oxide emissions from global lakes and reservoirs since the pre-industrial era

Lentic systems (lakes and reservoirs) are emission hotpots of nitrous oxide (N2O), a potent greenhouse gas; however, this has not been well quantified yet. Here we examine how multiple environmental forcings have affected N2O emissions from global lentic systems since the pre-industrial period. Our results show that global lentic systems emitted 64.6 ± 12.1 Gg N2O-N yr-1 in the 2010s, increased by 126% since the 1850s. The significance of small lentic systems on mitigating N2O emissions is highlighted due to their substantial emission rates and response to terrestrial environmental changes. Incorporated with riverine emissions, this study indicates that N2O emissions from global inland waters in the 2010s was 319.6 ± 58.2 Gg N yr-1. This suggests a global emission factor of 0.051% for inland water N2O emissions relative to agricultural nitrogen applications and provides the country-level emission factors (ranging from 0 to 0.341%) for improving the methodology for national greenhouse gas emission inventories.

Spatiotemporal variations and dominated environmental parameters of nitrous oxide (N2O) concentrations from cascade reservoirs in southwest China

Anthropogenic activity has caused rivers and reservoirs to become sources of nitrous oxide (N2O), which is thought to play an important role in global climate change. There are thermal and DO stratification in deep-water reservoirs with long hydraulic retention time, which change N2O production mechanism compared with shallow-water reservoirs. To promote our understanding of the relationship of N2O production in reservoirs at different depths, spatiotemporal variations in water environmental factors and N2O from cascade reservoirs of Chaishitan (CST), Longtan (LT), Yantan (YT) and Dahua (DH) reservoirs in the Zhujiang River were detected, and the LT and YT reservoirs were compared as representatives of deep-water and shallow-water reservoirs in April and July 2019. The average N2O concentrations in the LT and YT reservoirs were 22.82 ± 2.21 and 21.55 ± 1.65 nmol L-1, respectively. During spring and summer, the WT (water temperature) and DO (dissolved oxygen) concentrations in the YT reservoir were well mixed. In contrast, the LT reservoir, as a deep-water reservoir, had thermal and DO stratifications in both the shallow and middle water, especially in the summer when the solar radiation intensity was high. During summer stratification, the DO concentration in the LT reservoir showed obvious spatial variation, ranging from 1.23 to 9.84 mg L-1, while the DO concentration in the YT reservoir showed very little variation, ranging from 6.45 to 7.09 mg L-1. Structural equation modeling results showed that NH4+ was the main determinant of the N2O concentration in the YT reservoir, and DO was the most influential factor of the N2O concentration in the LT reservoir. These results suggest significant variations in the factors influencing N2O concentration among reservoirs. Additionally, the mechanisms of N2O production differ between deep-water and shallow-water reservoirs. This study highlights the spatio-temporal variations and influential factors contributing to N2O concentration. Furthermore, it discusses the production mechanisms of N2O in different types of reservoirs. These findings contribute to our understanding of N2O distribution in hydropower systems and provide valuable data for the management of hydropower facilities and research on greenhouse gas emissions.

High exogenous humus inhibits greenhouse gas emissions from steppe lakes

Although freshwater lakes are considered to be an important source of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, the potential driving mechanisms of such emissions are not well understood, especially in steppe lakes. In this study, the GHG emission characteristics in Hulun Lake Basin, including Hulun Lake, Beier Lake, Wulannuoer Lake, and their surrounding watersheds were investigated. The average methane (CH₄) and nitrous oxide (N₂O) emission fluxes released from rivers were 67.84 ± 20.53 and 0.11 ± 0.04 μg m^-2·min^-1, which were larger than those of lakes, with values of 28.60 ± 13.02 and 0.06 ± 0.02 μg m^-2·min^-1, respectively. Conversely, the average carbon dioxide (CO₂) emission flux from lakes (1816.58 ± 498.98 μg m^-2·min^-1) was higher than that of rivers of (1795.41 ± 670.49 μg m^-2·min^-1). The water in Hulun Lake Basin was rich in organic matter and had a high chemical oxygen demand (COD). Three-dimensional fluorescence combined with a parallel factor analysis (3D-EEM-PARAFAC) demonstrated that the organic matter was composed of four humus types (from Component 1 (C1) to Component 4 (C4)), of which, C1 and C4 were terrestrial humus. The fluorescence index (FI) and humification index (HIX) indicated that the organic matter in the water was mainly imported from exogenous humus. The GHG emission fluxes were negatively correlated with these four components, indicating that GHG emissions were mainly affected by the organic matter source and components, and humus was the most important factor that inhibited GHG emissions in steppe lakes. However, the GHG emission flux was relatively high in some areas of the lake, especially in areas with high nutrient levels or where algal blooms occurred, as evidenced by the significantly positive correlations with total nitrogen (TN), total phosphorous (TP), and chlorophyll-a (chl-a) (p < 0.01). The algae-derived organic matter simulated the decomposition of refractory humus, thus, promoting GHG emissions. These findings are crucial for accurately evaluating the GHG emission fluxes, understanding the carbon cycle, and proposing future management strategies for steppe lakes.

Nitrification Regulates the Spatiotemporal Variability of N2O Emissions in a Eutrophic Lake

Nitrous oxide (N₂O) emissions from lakes exhibit significant spatiotemporal heterogeneity, and quantitative identification of the different N₂O production processes is greatly limited, causing the role of nitrification to be undervalued or ignored in models of a lake's N₂O emissions. Here, the contributions of nitrification and denitrification to N₂O production were quantitatively assessed in the eutrophic Lake Taihu using molecular biology and isotope mapping techniques. The N₂O fluxes ranged from -41.48 to 28.84 μmol m^-2 d^-1 in the lake, with lower N₂O concentrations being observed in spring and summer and significantly higher N₂O emissions being observed in autumn and winter. The ¹⁵N site preference and relevant isotopic evidence demonstrated that denitrification contributed approximately 90% of the lake's gross N₂O production during summer and autumn, 27-83% of which was simultaneously eliminated via N₂O reduction. Surprisingly, nitrification seemed to act as a key process promoting N₂O production and contributing to the lake as a source of N₂O emissions. A combination of N₂O isotopocule-based approaches and molecular techniques can be used to determine the precise characteristics of microbial N₂O production and consumption in eutrophic lakes. The results of this study provide a basis for accurately assessing N₂O emissions from lakes at the regional and global scales.

River damming enhances ecological functional stability of planktonic microorganisms

Planktonic microorganisms play an important role in maintaining the ecological functions in aquatic ecosystems, but how their structure and function interrelate and respond to environmental changes is still not very clear. Damming interrupts the river continuum and alters river nutrient biogeochemical cycling and biological succession. Considering that river damming decreases the irregular hydrological fluctuation, we hypothesized that it can enhance the ecological functional stability (EFS) of planktonic microorganisms. Therefore, the community composition of planktonic bacteria and archaea, functional genes related to carbon, nitrogen, sulfur, and phosphorus cycling, and relevant environmental factors of four cascade reservoirs in the Pearl River, Southern China, were investigated to understand the impact of damming on microbial community structure and function and verify the above hypothesis. Here, the ratio of function to taxa (F:T) based on Euclidean distance matrix analysis was first proposed to characterize the microbial EFS; the smaller the ratio, the more stable the ecological functions. The results showed that the reservoirs created by river damming had seasonal thermal and chemical stratifications with an increasing hydraulic retention time, which significantly changed the microbial structure and function. The river microbial F:T was significantly higher than that of the reservoirs, indicating that river damming enhances the EFS of the planktonic microorganisms. Structural equation modeling demonstrated that water temperature was an important factor influencing the relationship between the microbial structure and function and thus affected their EFS. In addition, reservoir hydraulic load was found a main factor regulating the seasonal difference in microbial EFS among the reservoirs. This study will help to deepen the understanding of the relationship between microbial structure and function and provide a theoretical basis of assessing the ecological function change after the construction of river damming.

Study on carbon dioxide emission from reservoirs with different regulation types and its empirical prediction model

The construction of artificial reservoirs with various regulation types on river is currently an important form of comprehensive utilization of water energy and water resources in river basins. The type of regulation is important in controlling the residence time, which in turn affects the photosynthesis-respiration balance in the water. This process has a significant impact on carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions from reservoirs. In this study, seasonal observations were carried out from September 2020 to July 2021 at five artificial reservoirs in the Qiantang River Basin, eastern China, to reveal the characteristics of CO₂ emission from the water-air interface of reservoirs with different regulating types. The results showed that the annual average CO₂ emission flux of the studied reservoirs varied significantly, ranging from 4.2 to 155.3 mmol m^-2 day^-1 with an average of 48.4 mmol m^-2 day^-1, which also had a significant negative correlation with the hydraulic retention time. While downstream of the dam, the annual average CO₂ emission flux was quite high with a range of 105.8 to 543.0 mmol m^-2 day^-1, averaging 381.6 mmol m^-2 day^-1. This is mainly due to the release of water with high-concentration CO₂ from the bottom of the reservoir. Additionally, using related data of reservoirs around the world, a CO₂ emission model with hydraulic retention time, air temperature, and reservoir age as the primary parameters was developed, which was conducive to evaluate reservoir CO₂ emissions on a larger scale and provided theoretical support for effective reservoir management.

Chlorophyll maxima layer in a large subtropical reservoir (Xinanjiang Reservoir): Spatial development process and limitation by CO2 and phosphorus

In marine investigations, the maximum chlorophyll-a (Chla) concentration is often reported to occur at a specific depth below the ocean surface, a phenomenon known as subsurface Chla maxima (SCM). However, SCM has long been overlooked in artificial reservoirs, which may lead to a serious underestimation of the primary productivity level and trophic status of reservoirs. To better understand the temporal and spatial variability of SCM and the mechanisms leading to SCM development, this study conducted a detailed survey in a large subtropical reservoir (Xinanjiang Reservoir, XAJR) from September 2020 to August 2021. The seasonal thermal stratification, in situ variables (WT, pH, DO and Chla), nutrient concentrations (DSi, NO₃^-, DIP and DCO₂), Chla maxima depth and magnitude of the riverine region (S1), transition region (S2) and the central part of the XAJR (S3 and S4) were all thoroughly investigated. Thermal stratification and SCM in XAJR exhibited significant seasonal and spatial heterogeneity. Phytoplankton biomass in the epilimnion was limited by dissolved CO₂ from June to October in the warm seasons, while it was primarily limited by phosphorus in the other seasons, according to the nutrient limitation analysis. Along the water column, dissolved CO₂ limitation occurred mainly above the SCM layer, and the water column below the SCM layer gradually transitioned from dissolved CO₂ limitation to phosphorus limitation. Furthermore, as the thermal stratification developed, the upstream water mass moves along the middle of the water column as density flow toward the reservoir, providing nutrients for the development of the SCM. This research contributes to a better understanding of the temporal and spatial variation of SCM and nutrient supply in deep and large stratified reservoirs.

Anthropogenic regulation governs nutrient cycling and biological succession in hydropower reservoirs

Hydropower plays an important role in the supply of renewable energy, but it also exerts a great influence on the river continuum. Understanding nutrient cycling and microbial community succession in hydropower reservoirs is key to weighing hydroelectric pros and cons. However, the underlying control mechanisms are still not well known, especially with respect to the impacts of hydrological conditions. Based on a comprehensive survey of hydropower reservoirs along the Wujiang River in SW China and an integration of published data, we found that reservoir physicochemical and biological stratifications and planktonic microbial community assembly were synergistically evolving, and reservoir hydraulic load (i.e., mean water depth per unit retention time) was a key factor controlling the strength of stratifications, CO₂ and N₂O fluxes, nutrient retention efficiency, and bacterioplankton diversity. Hydraulic loads are artificially designed for hydropower reservoirs, and nutrient cycling and biological succession in reservoirs are thus governed by anthropogenic regulation. This study provides a theoretical basis to mitigate the environmental impacts of hydropower dams by regulating reservoir hydraulic load.

Cryptic Sulfur and Oxygen Cycling Potentially Reduces N2O-Driven Greenhouse Warming: Underlying Revision Need of the Nitrogen Cycle

Increasing global deoxygenation has widely formed oxygen-limited biotopes, altering the metabolic pathways of numerous microbes and causing a large greenhouse effect of nitrous oxide (N₂O). Although there are many sources of N₂O, denitrification is the sole sink that removes N₂O from the biosphere, and the low-level oxygen in waters has been classically thought to be the key factor regulating N₂O emissions from incomplete denitrification. However, through microcosm incubations with sandy sediment, we demonstrate here for the first time that the stress from oxygenated environments does not suppress, but rather boosts the complete denitrification process when the sulfur cycle is actively ongoing. This study highlights the potential of reducing N₂O-driven greenhouse warming and fills a gap in pre-cognitions on the nitrogen cycle, which may impact our current understanding of greenhouse gas sinks. Combining molecular techniques and kinetic verification, we reveal that dominant inhibitions in oxygen-limited environments can interestingly undergo triple detoxification by cryptic sulfur and oxygen cycling, which may extensively occur in nature but have been long neglected by researchers. Furthermore, reviewing the present data and observations from natural and artificial ecosystems leads to the necessary revision needs of the global nitrogen cycle.

Distinctive Microbial Processes and Controlling Factors Related to Indirect N2O Emission from Agricultural and Urban Rivers in Taihu Watershed

Inland rivers are hotspots of anthropogenic indirect nitrous oxide (N₂O) emissions, but the underlying microbial processes remain poorly understood. This study measured N₂O fluxes from agricultural and urban rivers in Taihu watershed and investigated the microbial processes driving N₂O production and consumption. The N₂O fluxes were significantly higher in agricultural rivers (140.1 ± 89.1 μmol m^-2 d^-1) than in urban rivers (25.1 ± 27.0 μmol m^-2 d^-1) (p < 0.001). All wind-based models significantly underestimated N₂O flux in urban rivers (p < 0.05) when using the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change method because they underestimated the N₂O emission factor (EF_5r). Wind speed and nitrate were the key factors affecting N₂O fluxes in agricultural and urban rivers, respectively. NirK-type denitrifiers produced N₂O in urban river water, while nirS-type denitrifiers consumed N₂O in the sediments of all rivers. Co-occurrence network analysis indicated organics from Microcystis served as electron donors for denitrifiers (dominated by Flavobacterium) in water, while direct interspecies electron transfer between Thiobacillus and methanogens and between Dechloromonas and sulfate-reducing bacteria enhanced N₂O reduction in sediments. This study advances our knowledge on the distinctive microbial processes that determine N₂O emissions in inland rivers and illustrates the need to revise EF_5r for N₂O estimation in urban rivers.

Nitrous oxide emissions from subtropical estuaries: Insights for environmental controls and implications

Estuaries are expected to contribute large nitrous oxide (N₂O) emissions, however the environmental controls and implications of N₂O emissions have not been well understood. Here we investigated water N₂O concentrations, fluxes and sources in wet and dry seasons for 2019-2020 in five subtropical estuaries spanning hydrologic characteristics and nitrogen concentrations gradient. Water dissolved N₂O concentrations and fluxes were in a range of 15.8-84.9 nmol L^-1 and 0.66-22.2 µg m^-2 h^-1, respectively. These studied estuaries were oversaturated in N₂O, with the saturations of 118-615%. Water dissolved N₂O concentrations, saturations and fluxes increased significantly as nitrogen concentrations increase, whereas they did not differ significantly between the wet and dry seasons. Water N₂O emissions, however, were also lower in the estuaries characterized by large discharge and water flow. N₂O saturations and fluxes were determined directly by water nitrogen and oxygen concentrations and more indirectly by water temperature and velocity. The δ¹⁵N-N₂O and site preference-N₂O varied respectively from 2.86 to 11.31‰ and from 1.58 to 11.72‰, which overlapped the values between nitrification and denitrification. Nitrification and denitrification were responsible for 18.7-38.1% and 61.9-81.3% of N₂O emissions, respectively. Indirect N₂O emission factors were 0.08-0.14% and decreased with increasing total nitrogen concentrations. It is estimated that water N₂O emissions in CO₂ equiv could offset approximately 4.9% of average CO₂ sink of China estuaries. Therefore, these results suggest that nitrogen concentrations and hydrologic characteristics together modify N₂O emissions and that estuaries may be the important contributors to N₂O emissions.

Submerged macrophytes regulate diurnal nitrous oxide emissions from a shallow eutrophic lake: A case study of Lake Wuliangsuhai in the temperate arid region of China

Submerged macrophytes can increase oxygen concentrations of water and promote diel oxygen fluctuations, and this phenomenon is hypothesized to play a vital role in regulating nitrous oxide (N₂O) emissions from eutrophic lakes. However, the effects of submerged macrophytes on N₂O emissions in shallow eutrophic lakes remain poorly investigated. In this study, Lake Wuliangsuhai, a typical shallow eutrophic lake, was investigated to study the role of submerged macrophytes in regulating N₂O emissions. We measured the N₂O fluxes and related parameters through continual 72-h in situ diel monitoring in two sampling sections that covered dense submerged macrophyte areas and open water. In this study, the dissolved oxygen (DO) concentration of the water in the submerged macrophyte area exhibited significant diurnal variations, with significantly higher water oxygen concentrations than the open water area during the daytime. The N₂O fluxes of Lake Wuliangsuhai ranged from 0.01 to 0.24 μmol m^-2 h^-1, with an average value of 0.11 μmol m^-2 h^-1. Moreover, significant diel variations in the N₂O flux and net N₂O production were observed in the submerged macrophyte areas, where the maximum N₂O flux occurred at midday. The molar ratios of NH₄⁺-N to oxygen (N/O ratio) of the water were responsible for the diel variations in the N₂O production in the lake. However, the high oxygen concentration of the water was the major regulator of the N₂O flux of Lake Wuliangsuhai. Therefore, submerged macrophyte restoration is significant not only for water quality improvement in shallow eutrophic lakes but also for N₂O emission mitigation by increasing the DO concentration of the water.

Varying water column stability controls the denitrification process in a subtropical reservoir, Southwest China

Reservoirs are regarded as hotspots of nitrogen transformation and potential sources of nitrous oxide (N₂O). However, it remains unclear how the hydrological conditions due to dam construction control the processes of nitrogen transformation in reservoir waters. To address this issue, we examined the spatial-temporal characteristics of nitrate concentrations, δ¹⁵N-NO₃^-, δ¹⁸O-NO₃^-, δ¹⁸O-H₂O, relative water column stability (RWCS), and related environmental factors in a subtropical eutrophic reservoir (Hongfeng Reservoir, HFR), Southwest China. We found that denitrification was the most important nitrogen transformation process in the HFR and that higher denitrification intensity was associated with increased RWCS in summer, which suggested hydrological control of the denitrification process. In contrast, low RWCS conditions favored the nitrification process in the HFR in winter. Additionally, dissolved oxygen (DO; p < 0.05) and nitrate concentrations (p < 0.01) had significant impacts on the denitrification rate. We also found that the spatiotemporal RWCS variations were a prerequisite for regulating DO/nitrate stratification and the coupling/decoupling of nitrification-denitrification at the local and global scales. This study would advances our knowledge of the impacts of RWCS and thermal stratification on nitrogen transformation processes in reservoirs.

Co-occurrence of planktonic bacteria and archaea affects their biogeographic patterns in China's coastal wetlands

Planktonic bacteria and archaea play a key role in maintaining ecological functions in aquatic ecosystems; however, their biogeographic patterns and underlying mechanisms have not been well known in coastal wetlands including multiple types and at a large space scale. Therefore, planktonic bacteria and archaea and related environmental factors were investigated in twenty-one wetlands along China's coast to understand the above concerns. The results indicated that planktonic bacteria had different biogeographic pattern from planktonic archaea, and both patterns were not dependent on the wetland's types. Deterministic selection shapes the former's community structure, whereas stochastic processes regulate the latter's, being consistent with the fact that planktonic archaea have a larger niche breadth than planktonic bacteria. Planktonic bacteria and archaea co-occur, and their co-occurrence rather than salinity is more important in shaping their community structure although salinity is found to be a main environmental deterministic factor in the coastal wetland waters. This study highlights the role of planktonic bacteria-archaea co-occurrence on their biogeographic patterns, and thus provides a new insight into studying underlying mechanisms of microbial biogeography in coastal wetlands.

Coastal reservoirs as a source of nitrous oxide: Spatio-temporal patterns and assessment strategy

Coastal reservoirs are widely regarded as a viable solution to the water scarcity problem faced by coastal cities with growing populations. As a result of the accumulation of anthropogenic wastes and the alteration of hydroecological processes, these reservoirs may also become the emission hotspots of nitrous oxide (N₂O). Hitherto, accurate global assessment of N₂O emission suffers from the scarcity and low spatio-temporal resolution of field data, especially from small coastal reservoirs with high spatial heterogeneity and multiple water sources. In this study, we measured the surface water N₂O concentrations and emissions at a high spatial resolution across three seasons in a subtropical coastal reservoir in southeastern China, which was hydrochemically highly heterogeneous because of the combined influence of river runoff, aquacultural discharge, industrial discharge and municipal sewage. Both N₂O concentration and emission exhibited strong spatio-temporal variations, which were correlated with nitrogen loading from the river and wastewater discharge. The mean N₂O concentration and emission were found to be significantly higher in the summer than in spring and autumn. The results of redundancy analysis showed that NH₄⁺-N explained the greatest variance in N₂O emission, which implied that nitrification was the main microbial pathway for N₂O production in spite of the potentially increasing importance of denitrification of NO₃^--N in the summer. The mean N₂O emission across the whole reservoir was 107 μg m^-2 h^-1, which was more than an order of magnitude higher than that from global lakes and reservoirs. Based on our results of Monte Carlo simulations, a minimum of 15 sampling points per km² would be needed to produce representative and reliable N₂O estimates in such a spatially heterogeneous aquatic system. Overall, coastal reservoirs could play an increasingly important role in future climate change via their N₂O emission to the atmosphere as water demand and anthropogenic pressure continue to rise.

Seasonal variation of nitrogen biogeochemical processes constrained by nitrate dual isotopes in cascade reservoirs, Southwestern China

The increase of affected river reaches by reservoirs has drastically disturbed the original hydrological conditions, and subsequently influenced the nutrient biogeochemistry in the aquatic system, particularly in the cascade reservoir system. To understand the seasonal variation of nitrogen (N) behaviors in cascade reservoirs, hydrochemistry and nitrate dual isotopes (δ¹⁵N-NO₃^- and δ¹⁸O-NO₃^-) were conducted in a karst watershed (Wujiang River) in southwest China. The results showed that NO₃^--N accounted for almost 90% of the total dissolved nitrogen (TDN) concentration with high average concentration 3.8 ± 0.4 mg/L among four cascade reservoirs. Higher N concentration (4.0 ± 0.8 mg/L) and larger longitudinal variation were observed in summer than in other seasons. The relationship between the variation of NO₃^--N and dual isotopes in the profiles demonstrated that nitrification was dominated transformation, while assimilation contributed significantly in the epilimnion during spring and summer. The high dissolved oxygen concentration in the present cascade reservoirs system prevented the occurrence of N depletion processes in most of the reservoirs. Denitrification occurred in the oldest reservoir during winter with a rate ranging from 18 to 28%. The long-term record of surface water TDN concentration in reservoirs demonstrated an increase from 2.0 to 3.6 mg/L during the past two decades (~ 0.1 mg/L per year). The seasonal nitrate isotopic signature and continuously increased fertilizer application demonstrated that chemical fertilizer contribution significantly influenced NO₃^--N concentration in the karst cascade reservoirs. The research highlighted that the notable N increase in karst cascade reservoirs could influence the aquatic health in the region and further investigations were required.

New insights into mechanisms of sunlight- and dark-mediated high-temperature accelerated diurnal production-degradation of fluorescent DOM in lake waters

The production of fluorescent dissolved organic matter (FDOM) by phytoplankton and its subsequent degradation, both of which occur constantly under diurnal-day time sunlight and by night time dark-microbial respiration processes in the upper layer of surface waters, influence markedly several biogeochemical processes and functions in aquatic environments and can be feasibly related to global warming (GW). In this work sunlight-mediated high-temperature was shown to accelerate the production of FDOM, but also its complete disappearance over a 24-h diurnal period in July at the highest air and water temperatures (respectively, 41.1 and 33.5 °C), differently from lower temperature months. Extracellular polymeric substances (EPS), an early-state DOM, were produced by phytoplankton in July in the early morning (6:00-9:00), then they were degraded into four FDOM components over midday (10:00-15:00), which was followed by simultaneous production and almost complete degradation of FDOM with reformation of EPS during the night (2:00-6:00). Such transformations occurred simultaneously with the fluctuating production of nutrients, dissolved organic carbon (DOC), dissolved organic nitrogen (DON) and the two isotopes (δ¹⁵N and δ¹⁸O) of NO₃^-. It was estimated that complete degradation of FDOM in July was associated with mineralization of approximately 15% of the initial DOC, which showed a nighttime minimum (00:00) in comparison to a maximum at 13:00. FDOM identified by excitation-emission matrix spectroscopy combined with parallel factor analysis consisted of EPS, autochthonous humic-like substances (AHLS) of C- and M-types, a combined form of C- and M-types of AHLS, protein-like substances (PLS), newly-released PLS, tryptophan-like substances, tyrosine-like substances (TYLS), a combined form of TYLS and phenylalanine-like substances (PALS), and their degradation products. Finally, stepwise degradation and production processes are synthesized in a pathway for FDOM components production and their subsequent transformation under different diurnal temperature conditions, which provided a broader paradigm for future impacts on GW-mediated DOM dynamics in lake water.

Density currents reduce nitrous oxide emissions in a tributary bay of Three Gorges Reservoir

Reservoirs are a significant source of the potent greenhouse gas nitrous oxide (N₂O), but there are few data on N₂O in the world's largest reservoirs and limited understanding of the factors controlling their emission rates. Here we analyzed high-resolution measurements of dissolved N₂O concentrations and fluxes in a typical tributary bay of Three Gorges Reservoir. The surface water was oversaturated in N₂O during both low and high water level (8.6 -16.4 nmol/L, 107% - 180% saturation) and N₂O fluxes varied nearly tenfold (0.2 and 1.6 μmol/(m² h)). Dissolved N₂O concentrations were characterized by pronounced vertical gradients, which were controlled by bidirectional density currents. The river water with high concentrations entered the bay as an underflow along the riverbed, the upper part of the water column was formed by intrusive backwater of Three Gorges Reservoir having significantly lower N₂O concentrations. In consequence, the N₂O emission potential of the impoundment was reduced compared to pre-impoundment conditions. These results reveal the importance of hydraulic conditions on N₂O emission from large reservoirs and suggest that flow regulation can be a potential tool for mitigating greenhouse gas emissions from manmade impoundments.

Filamentous green algae Spirogyra regulates methane emissions from eutrophic rivers

Excessive growth of filamentous green algae in rivers has attracted much attention due to their functional importance to primary production and carbon cycling. However, comprehensive knowledge of how filamentous green algae affect carbon cycling, especially the CH₄ emissions from river ecosystems, remains limited. In this study, incubation experiments were conducted to examine the factors regulating CH₄ emissions from a eutrophic river with dense growth of filamentous green algae Spirogyra through combinations of biogeochemical, molecular biological, and stable carbon isotope analyses. Results showed that although water dissolved oxygen (DO) in the algae+sediment (A+S) incubation groups increased up to 19 mg L^-1, average CH₄ flux of the groups was 13.09 μmol m^-2 day^-1, nearly up to two times higher than that from sediments without algae (S groups). The significant increase of sediment CH₄ oxidation potential and methanotroph abundances identified the enhancing sediment CH₄ oxidation during Spirogyra bloom. However, the increased water CH₄ concentration was consistent with depleted water [Formula: see text] and decreased apparent fractionation factor (α_app), suggesting the important contribution of Spirogyra to the oxic water CH₄ production. It can thus be concluded that high DO concentration during the algal bloom promoted the CH₄ consumption by enhancing sediment CH₄ oxidation, while algal-linked oxic water CH₄ production as a major component of water CH₄ promoted the CH₄ emissions from the river. Our study highlights the regulation of Spirogyra in aquatic CH₄ fluxes and will help to estimate accurately CH₄ emissions from eutrophic rivers with dense blooms of filamentous green algae. Graphical abstract.

Control of Hydraulic Load on Bacterioplankton Diversity in Cascade Hydropower Reservoirs, Southwest China

Hydroelectric reservoirs are highly regulated ecosystems, where the understanding on bacterioplankton has been very limited so far. In view of significant changes in river hydrological conditions by dam construction, hydraulic load (i.e., the ratio of mean water depth to water retention time) was assumed to control bacterioplankton diversity in cascading hydropower reservoirs. To evaluate this hypothesis, we investigated bacterioplankton composition and diversity using high-throughput sequencing and related environmental variables in eleven reservoirs on the Wujiang River, Southwest China. Our results showed a decrease of bacterioplankton diversity index with an increase of reservoir hydraulic load. This is because hydraulic load governs dissolved oxygen variation in the water column, which is a key factor shaping bacterioplankton composition in these hydroelectric reservoirs. In contrast, bacterioplankton abundance was mainly affected by nutrient-related environmental factors. Therefore, from a hydrological perspective, hydraulic load is a decisive factor for the bacterioplankton diversity in the hydroelectric reservoirs. This study can improve the understanding of reservoir bacterial ecology, and the empirical relationship between hydraulic load and bacterioplankton diversity index will help to quantitatively evaluate ecological effects of river damming.

Nitrous oxide emissions from cascade hydropower reservoirs in the upper Mekong River

Nitrous oxide is a powerful greenhouse gas, and its emissions from single reservoirs have been extensively studied; however, it still remains unclear about nitrous oxide emission patterns in cascade reservoirs. In this study, nitrous oxide emissions from cascade hydropower reservoirs were investigated using the thin boundary layer model in the heavily dammed upper Mekong River. Meanwhile, sediment denitrification for nitrous oxide production was analysed using the stable isotope method and the quantitative polymerase chain reaction method. Our results demonstrated that nitrous oxide emissions (0.47-1.08 μg m^-2h^-1) in the upper Mekong River were much lower than the global mean level (19.60 μg m^-2h^-1), but were increased by dam constructions; nitrous oxide emissions exhibited an increase trend along the flow direction in the cascade reservoirs. Sediment accumulation by dams supplied sufficient nitrogen substrates and organic carbon, creating hotspots of denitrification at the transition zone in reservoirs. As the elevation decreased, the increase in temperature enhanced microbial denitrification at the active zone, and thereby increased nitrous oxide production with the prolonged residence time. This study advanced our knowledge on nitrous oxide emissions from cascade hydropower systems.