Abstract
The potential nitrogen sources for the primary production in the intertidal area are nitrogen compounds obtained from mineralization in the sediment and the water column, nitrogen fixation, outflow from rivers and groundwater seeping from the mainland.
The available inorganic nitrogen in the adjacent coastal waters decreases from 50–80 μmol NO3 -/l and 6–15 μmol NH4 +/l in early spring to ca one tenth during the growing season. In the sediment of the tidal flats available ammonia and nitrate vary between 50 and 100 μmol/1 pw. In the salt marsh available ammonia increases from 200–300 nmol NH4 +/g fwt to approximately double the amount, and the available nitrate varies from 100–300 nmol NO3 -/g fwt (250–750 μmol NO3 -/l pw) to ca one third during the growing season.
The exchange of NH4 +, NO2 - and NO3 - across the sediment water interface has been estimated during tidal cycles under light and dark conditions on the tidal flats. The flux of nitrogen was dependent on the flora and fauna as well as the time of the year.
The tidal activity, frequency and length of inundation are considered the driving force in a two-way process between salt marshes and adjacent coastal waters. The role of marsh sediment, tidal water and sediments of the tidal flats as sites of accumulation, consumption and remineralization of organic matter is emphasized. The possible exchange of ammonia and nitrate between the salt marsh and the different compartments of the tidal water is discussed.
Article PDF
Similar content being viewed by others
Explore related subjects
Discover the latest articles, news and stories from top researchers in related subjects.Avoid common mistakes on your manuscript.
References
Armstrong, F. A. J., Stearns, C. R. & Strickland, J. D. H., 1967. The measurement of upwelling and subsequent biological processes by means of the technicon autoanalyser and associated equipment. Deep-Sea Res. 14: 381–389.
Chapman, V. J., 1960. Salt Marshes and Deserts of the World. Leonard Hill/Interscience, London and New York. 392 pp.
Haines, E. B., Chalmers, A. G., Hanson, R. B. & Sherr, B., 1977. Nitrogen pools and fluxes in Georgian salt marsh. In: M. Wiley (ed.), Estuarine Processes, Vol. 2, pp. 241–254. Academic Press, New York.
Hansen, K., 1951. Preliminary report on the sediments of the Danish Wadden Sea. Medd. fra Geol. For. 12: 1–26.
Henriksen, K. & Jensen, A., 1979. Nitrogen mineralization in a salt marsh ecosystem dominated by Halimione portulacoides. In: R. L. Jefferies & A. J. Davy (eds.), Ecological Processes in Coastal Environments, pp. 373–384. Blackwell, Oxford.
Henriksen, K., Hansen, J. J. & Blackburn, T. H., 1981. Rates of nitrification, distribution of nitrifying bacteria and nitrate fluxes in different types of sediment from Danish waters. Mar. Biol. 61: 299–304.
Henriksen, K., Rasmussen, M. B. & Jensen, A., 1982. Effect of bioturbation on microbial nitrogen transformations in the sediment and fluxes of ammonia and nitrate to the overlaying water. Ecol. Bull. 35: 193–205.
Henriksen, K., Jensen, A. & Rasmussen, M. B., 1984. Aspects of nitrogen and phosphorus mineralization and recycling in the northern part of the Danish Wadden Sea. Neth. J. Sea Res. (in press).
Jacobsen, B., 1952. Landskabsudviklingen i Skallingenmarsken. Geogr. Tidsskr. 52: 147–159.
Jacobsen, V. H., 1972. Notes on the distribution of organic nitrogen in the seabottom of the Danish Wadden Sea. Geogr. Tidsskr. 71: 46–53.
Jensen, A., 1973. Kormofytvegetationen i den ydre marsk på Skallingen-succession i relation til edafiske, hydrologiske og klimatiske faktorer. Thesis, Institute of Ecological Botany, University of Copenhagen.
Pigott, C. D., 1969. Influence of mineral nutrition on the zonation of flowering plants in coastal salt-marshes. In: I. H. Rorison (ed.), Ecological Aspects of the Mineral Nutrition of Plants, pp. 25–35. Blackwell, Oxford.
Pomeroy, L. R., 1970. The strategy of mineral cycling. Ann. Rev. Ecol. Syst. 1: 171–190.
Solarzano, L., 1969. Determination of ammonia in natural waters by the phenol hypochloride method. Limnol. Oceanogr. 14: 799–801.
Tyler, G., 1967. On the effect of phosporus and nitrogen, supplied to Baltic shore meadow vegetation. Bot. Notiser. 120: 433–447.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
This work was supported by grant No. 511-15776 from the Danish National Research Council. The skilled technical assistance of E. Bundgaard Frentz and B. Pihlkjær is acknowledged. Thanks are due to the Skallingen Laboratory for providing field laboratory facilities, and to the Harbour of Esbjerg for providing tidal data. The constructive criticism and discussion of the manuscript by Dr A. J. Davy is kindly acknowledged.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Jensen, A., Henriksen, K. & Rasmussen, M.B. The distribution and interconversion of ammonium and nitrate in the Skallingen salt marsh (Denmark) and their exchange with the adjacent coastal water. Vegetatio 62, 357–366 (1985). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00044762
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00044762