Biogeosciences www.biogeosciences.net 1726-4170 1726-4189 5 5 2008 10.5194/bg-5-1227-2008 http://www.biogeosciences.net/5/1227/2008/ http://www.biogeosciences.net/5/1227/2008/bg-5-1227-2008.html http://www.biogeosciences.net/5/1227/2008/bg-5-1227-2008.pdf 1227 1244 2008-09-03 Nitrification and inorganic nitrogen distribution in a large perturbed river/estuarine system: the Pearl River Estuary, China M. Dai mdai@xmu.edu.cn L. Wang X. Guo W. Zhai Q. Li B. He S.-J. Kao State Key Laboratory of Marine Environmental Science, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, China We investigated the spatial distribution and seasonal variation of dissolved inorganic nitrogen in a large perturbed estuary, the Pearl River Estuary, based on three cruises conducted in winter (January 2005), summer (August 2005) and spring (March 2006). On-site incubation was also carried out for determining ammonium and nitrite oxidation rates (nitrification rates). We observed a year-round pattern of dramatic decrease in NH₄⁺, increase in NO₃^−, but insignificant change in NO₂^− in the upper estuary at salinity ~0–5. However, species and concentrations of inorganic nitrogen at upper estuary significantly changed with season. In winter, with low runoff, the most upper reach of the Pearl River Estuary showed relatively low rates of ammonia oxidation (0–5.4 μmol N L^−1 d^−1) and nitrite oxidation (0–5.2 μmol N L^−1 d^−1), accompanied by extremely high concentrations of ammonia (up to >800 μmol L^−1) and nitrate (up to >300 μmol L^−1). In summer, the upper estuary showed higher nitrification rates (ammonia oxidation rate ~1.5–33.1 μmol N L^−1 d^−1, nitrite oxidation rate ~0.6–32.0 μmol N L^−1 d^−1) with lower concentrations of ammonia (<350 μmol L^−1) and nitrate (<120 μmol L^−1). 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