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Air pollution

Climate Change-Induced Extreme Events Impact Carbon and Nitrogen Cycling

Strategic Insights

— 2 min read

Research conducted at Hohai University in the People's Republic of China has revealed that climate change-induced extreme heat, flooding, and drought events significantly affect the carbon and nitrogen cycling process, including the denitrifying anaerobic methane oxidation (DAMO) process. The study found that a 2022 record-breaking flash drought influenced the DAMO process, leading to increased methane consumption in the littoral wetlands of Poyang Lake. The research also highlighted the importance of temperature, available nitrogen substrate, and the abundance of DAMO archaea and bacteria in driving nitrate- and nitrite-DAMO rates.

Key Takeaways:

  • The study found that higher DAMO rates were observed during the summer FD (8.73 ± 3.79 and 16.03 ± 7.45 nmol CO g d for nitrate-DAMO and nitrite-DAMO respectively) compared to winter drought.
  • Nitrite-DAMO (52% 74%) dominated the DAMO processes during both summer FD and winter drought.
  • The abundance of DAMO bacterial pmoA genes (4.7 x 10^1.1 x 10^ copies g dry soil) was higher than DAMO archaeal mcrA genes (1.4 x 10^1.3 x 10^ copies g dry soil).
  • Temperature, available nitrogen substrate, and the abundance of DAMO archaea and bacteria significantly influenced nitrate- and nitrite-DAMO rates.
  • The study provided novel insights into the carbon-nitrogen coupling and mitigation of greenhouse gases in aquatic ecosystems.
  • The research has been peer-reviewed and published in the Journal of Environmental Management.

Statistics:

  • 8.73 ± 3.79 nmol CO g d: DAMO rate during summer FD.
  • 16.03 ± 7.45 nmol CO g d: DAMO rate during summer FD.
  • 52% 74%: Nitrite-DAMO dominance during summer FD and winter drought.
  • 4.7 x 10^1.1 x 10^ copies g dry soil: Abundance of DAMO bacterial pmoA genes.
  • 1.4 x 10^1.3 x 10^ copies g dry soil: Abundance of DAMO archaeal mcrA genes.
  • 2022: Year in which the record-breaking flash drought occurred.
  • Poyang Lake: The largest freshwater lake in China, where the study was conducted.

Sources:

  • Denitrifying anaerobic methane oxidation reduces greenhouse gas emissions in floodplain sediments of the largest freshwater lake in China under flash drought. Journal of Environmental Management, 2025;394:127532.
  • Hohai University
  • Joint International Research Laboratory of Global Change and Water Cycle, State Key Laboratory of Water Disaster Prevention
  • Lingtong Zhu, Joint International Research Laboratory of Global Change and Water Cycle, State Key Laboratory of Water Disaster Prevention, Hohai University, Nanjing, 210098, People's Republic of China
  • Rui Su, Xiaowei He, Hongjie Zhang, Rui Huang, Jin Zeng, and Dayong Zhao.

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