The influence of land use on nitrogen and sulfur turnover: a microbial approach

Saline lakes are subject to numerous environmental impacts related to human activities. Pollution is one of the major threats to water bodies, since it produces the increase of nitrogen and sulfur contents, changing the chemical and biological conditions of the ecosystem. Microbially mediated redox processes exert a fundamental control on nutrient and contaminant turnover. Therefore, the aim of this study was to determine the influence of land use on the microbial communities responsible for N and S turnover in the lacustrine sediments from Petrola Lake (SE Spain) disturbed by anthropogenic activities (agriculture, farming, mining, and wastewaters). To reach this goal, chemical and molecular tools (sequencing of 16S rDNA gene) were applied. The results showed the influence of land use on the chemistry and microbial community structure of the sediments from the saline lake. Compared to natural conditions, wastewater and mining showed the largest differences in terms of microbial structure as a result of salinity. These findings provide better understanding of how land use affects the water chemistry and the abundance of organisms responsible for nutrient turnover.