Abstract
Sediment cores containing different densities of Chironomus plumosus, ranging from 0 to 12 000 ind. m−2, were incubated in the laboratory, with 100 and 39% O2 saturation in the overlying water. Rates of O2 uptake, and fluxes of the various inorganic N species were measured after addition of 15NO su−inf3 to the overlying water. The animals enhanced O2 and NO su−inf3 uptake, due to irrigation. Denitrification of NO su−inf3 coming from the overlying water (Dw) and dissimilatory NO su−inf3 reduction to NH sup+inf4 (DNRA) represented 20–30 and 4–10% of the NO su−inf3 uptake, respectively. Only 20–40% of the measured NH sup+inf4 effluxes corresponded to DNRA, the rest was probably due to animal excretion. Nitrite production, mostly from dissimilatory NO sup−inf3 reduction, was detected at both 39 and 100% oxygen saturation. Higher rates of NO su−inf2 production at the lower oxygen concentrations, were probably due to a thinner oxic layer, compared to fully oxygenated waters. The presence of Chironomus plumosus increased nitrification rates, relative to non-inhabited microcosms. However, nitrification rates were low compared to Dw, probably due to low numbers of nitrifiers in the sediment. At 39% oxygen saturation, rates of nitrification and denitrification of NO su−inf3 generated within the sediment were not measurable.
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Pelegrí, S.P., Blackburn, T.H. Nitrogen cycling in lake sediments bioturbated by Chironomus plumosus larvae, under different degrees of oxygenation. Hydrobiologia 325, 231–238 (1996). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00014989
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00014989