Modulating nitrification-denitrification potential in urban secondary wetlands

Hydrodynamic disturbance is a pervasive but poorly understood regulator of nitrogen (N) removal in urban secondary wetlands. While its impact on physical processes is recognized, the mechanisms by which disturbance intensity modulates microbial N-cycling potential and community structure remain elusive. Here, this study quantified the response of sediment nitrification and denitrification to a gradient of flow disturbances across a growing season, linking functional changes to microbial community dynamics in both planted and unplanted zones. Both potential nitrification and denitrification rates (PNR and PDR) consistently increased with both seasonal progression and disturbance intensity.