How Waterlogged Conditions Influence the Nitrogen Dynamics in a Soil–Water–Plant System: Implications for Wetland Restoration

Abstract

Growing populations and industrialization have led to increased nitrogen (N) loads in wetland ecosystems. A micro-constructed wetland planted with Lythrum salicaria L. to treat artificial wastewater was used to investigate the short-term variations in the plant biomass and dynamics of total nitrogen (TN) content. Our results showed that the biomass of Lythrum salicaria L. rapidly increased during the experiment due to their extensive root system and vigorous spread, and waterlogged conditions had little effect on the relationship between biomass and the TN content in soil and effluent. Under different waterlogged conditions, the TN removal rates in the water were all greater than 60%, providing a reference for the waterlogged conditions used in wetland eutrophication restoration.