Effects of Père David's Deer(Elaphurus davidianus)Reintroduction on Nitrogen Removal Processes in Coastal Wetland Soils in Yancheng
The Père David's deer(Elaphurus davidianus),a species endemic to China,has seen a gradual recovery in population size in recent years.However,the impact of their reintroduction on nitrogen transformation processes in the coastal wetland soils in Yancheng,Jiangsu province,remains unclear.This study aims to investigate the effects of Père David's deer grazing on denitrification and anaerobic ammonium oxidation rates(anammox),as well as their influencing factors in coastal wetland soils,to elucidate the regulatory mechanism of Père David's deer reintroduction on nitrogen removal in these ecosystems.Topsoil samples were collected from the area affected by the Père David's deer activity and a control area unaffected by the deer in the national nature reserve of Père David's Deer in Yancheng.Soil physicochemical properties,denitrification rates,and anammox rates were measured and statistically analyzed.The results showed that,compared to the control area,the Père David's deer grazing area had significantly higher soil organic carbon,ammonium nitrogen,nitrate nitrogen,bulk density,and salinity,while soil pH,temperature,and total nitrogen content were significantly lower.The soil denitrification rate in the grazing area was significantly higher,21.56 times of the control area,while the anammox rate was significantly lower.Correlation analysis revealed that the denitrification rate was significantly positively correlated with organic carbon,total carbon,ammonium nitrogen,and bulk density,and significantly negatively correlated with temperature and total nitrogen.In contrast,the anammox rate was mainly influenced by salinity.Père David's deer grazing significantly promoted the denitrification process while inhibiting the anammox process by altering the nutrient content and environmental conditions of the coastal wetland soils.These findings provide important insights into understanding the response mechanisms of nitrogen cycling processes in coastal wetlands during the recovery of Père David's deer populations and offer a scientific basis for the management of Père David's deer reintroduction projects.
Père David's deerCoastal wetlandsDenitrificationAnaerobic Ammonium oxidationNitrogen cycle
万方数据
维普
