Restoring Nitrogen Cycling Integrity in Eutrophied Temperate Wetlands Through Targeted Denitrifying Microbial Consortium Inoculation and Emergent Macrophyte Replanting
Keywords:
eutrophication remediation, denitrifying microbial consortia, wetland nitrogen cycling, emergent macrophyte restoration, biogeochemical nitrogen removal, sediment redox dynamics, macroinvertebrate community recovery, 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing, freshwater ecosystem servicesAbstract
Chronic anthropogenic nitrogen loading in temperate freshwater wetlands disrupts biogeochemical cycling, accelerates eutrophication, and undermines ecosystem provisioning services. This study evaluates a dual-intervention restoration protocol combining targeted inoculation of denitrifying microbial consortia (Paracoccus denitrificans and Pseudomonas stutzeri assemblages) with emergent macrophyte replanting (Phragmites australis and Typha latifolia) across six degraded wetland plots in the Rhine-Meuse delta over 24 months. Nitrate removal efficiency, sediment redox potential, dissolved oxygen gradients, and aboveground biomass accrual were monitored at bimonthly intervals. Results demonstrate a 74.3% reduction in interstitial nitrate concentration and a statistically significant recovery of macroinvertebrate assemblage richness (p < 0.001). Microbial community profiling via 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing confirmed stable denitrifier establishment. The combined protocol substantially outperforms single-intervention controls, offering a scalable, cost-effective remediation strategy for nitrogen-impaired wetland ecosystems.
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