Functional traits explain the enhancement of denitrification by wetland plants

doi:10.1093/jpe/rtag023

J Plant Ecol ›› Advance articles DOI:10.1093/jpe/rtag023

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Functional traits explain the enhancement of denitrification by wetland plants

Yingji Pan^1,2,4*, Lars Lønsmann Iversen^3,4, Peter M. van Bodegom²

¹ State Key Laboratory of Black Soils Conservation and Utilization, Key Laboratory of Wetland Ecology, Key Laboratory of Marsh Wetland Ecosystem Conservation and Restoration, National Forestry and Grassland Administration, Northeast Institute of Geography and Agroecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 130102 Changchun, China
² Institute of Environmental Sciences (CML), Leiden University, Einsteinweg 2, 2333 CC Leiden, The Netherlands
³ Department of Biology, McGill University, Montréal, H3A 1B1 Québec, Canada
⁴ Contributed equally to this work.
^*Corresponding author. Email: panyingji@iga.ac.cn

Received:2025-05-07 Accepted:2026-02-04 Published:2026-03-03
Supported by:
This research was supported by National Key Research and Development Program of China (2023YFF1304502). Y.P. acknowledges funding from the Chinese Academy of Sciences (E429S10101), and the Innovation Team Project of Northeast Institute of Geography and Agroecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences (2023CXTD03). L.L.I. received support from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council [grant. DGECR-2022-00328].

功能性状解释湿地植物对反硝化作用的影响

Abstract

Abstract: Denitrification is one of the most important ecosystem functions in wetland ecosystems, affecting nutrient cycling, water purification and the global nitrogen budget. However, the effects of wetland plants on denitrification remain unclear because of the complex plant-microbe-substrate interactions involved. In this study, we evaluated the effects of 25 wetland plant species traits on denitrification based on data from meta-analyses on denitrification, global wetland plant trait databases and structural equation modelling (SEM). We use plant functional traits as an indicator to quantitatively model the multifaceted ecological processes controlling denitrification as well as the overall denitrification enhancement by wetland plants. We found that both direct and indirect (i.e., the effect of one variable on another is mediated by a third variable) pathways strongly contribute to the overall enhancement of denitrification by wetland plants. Specifically, wetland plant root traits jointly control substrate oxygen availability, which reduces the enhancement of denitrification by wetland plants through oxygen inhibition effects. Plant nitrogen status facilitates denitrification enhancement probably through organic nitrogen input by plant leaves and root exudates. Root biomass directly decreases denitrification enhancement through competition for nitrogen uptake with denitrifying bacteria. Our results provide a systematic view of the effect of wetland plant traits on denitrification enhancement. The application of plant functional traits in revealing the complex denitrification processes helps us to better understand the impacts of plants on wetland ecosystem functioning and inspire new practices in ecological engineering and ecological management on denitrification through a trait- based perspective.

Plant functional traits affect the extent to which denitrification is enhanced by wetland plants through both direct and indirect pathways. Through constructing a structural equation model, our trait-based perspective helps reveal the pathways underlying denitrification and inspires new practices in ecological engineering and ecological management.

Key words: Denitrification, Ecosystem functioning, Ecological processes and pathways, Plant functional traits, Plant–soil (below-ground) interactions, Structural equation model (SEM), Trait-based approaches

摘要：
摘要：反硝化作用是湿地生态系统最为重要的生态功能之一，影响着养分循环、水质净化以及全球的氮平衡。然而，限于“植物-微生物-基质”之间存在复杂的交互作用，湿地植物对于反硝化作用的影响仍不明确。结合荟萃分析、全球湿地植物功能性状数据库及结构方程模型，本研究评估了25种湿地植物功能性状对反硝化作用的影响。我们将植物功能性状作为指标，对控制反硝化作用的复杂生态过程以及植物对反硝化作用的影响进行了定量建模，发现湿地植物的直接和间接作用都对反硝化作用做出了重要贡献。具体而言，湿地植物根系性状调控基质的氧含量，从而通过氧气的抑制效应减弱反硝化作用；植物的氮状况可能通过植物叶片及根系分泌物的有机氮输入促进反硝化作用；植物根系生物量通过与反硝化细菌竞争氮源，直接减弱反硝化作用。我们的结果为研究植物性状对反硝化作用的影响提供了一个系统性的视角。运用植物功能性状揭示复杂的反硝化过程有助于我们更深入地理解植物对湿地生态系统功能的影响，并从基于植物功能性状的视角为反硝化作用的生态工程和生态管理提供新的实践启示。

关键词: 反硝化作用, 生态系统功能, 生态过程与途径, 植物功能性状, 植物-土壤(地下)互作, 结构方程模型, 基于功能性状的方法

Yingji Pan, Lars Lønsmann Iversen, Peter M. van Bodegom. Functional traits explain the enhancement of denitrification by wetland plants[J]. J Plant Ecol, DOI: 10.1093/jpe/rtag023.

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Functional traits explain the enhancement of denitrification by wetland plants

功能性状解释湿地植物对反硝化作用的影响

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