Assessing the microbial community structure’s diversity associated with nutrients concentration in the natural wetland systems
type: CreativeWork
description: Microbial communities play a major role in natural wetlands systems biogeochemical cycles. Therefore, understanding the association between their composition, diversity and environmental parameters is significant in order to understand soil microbial ecology associated with nutrients concentration. Such knowledge may enhance the improvement in the management and protection of wetland systems, as nutrients are essential for wetland plant growth. Despite their usefulness, they promote toxin-producing cyanobacteria and facilitates algal biomass growth that cause undesirable eutrophication and oxygen depletion when present in excess. Nutrient pollution therefore is one of the most widespread and challenging environmental problems in the water that usually result to serious environmental and health challenges. For this study, water and sediment samples were collected over a period of twelve months from Lake Icubhu, which is a fresh water wetland, and Nhlabane mouth Estuary. The physicochemical properties such as temperature, potential hydrogen (pH), chemical oxygen demand (COD), total suspended solids (TSS) and nutrients were analyzed in water samples. The InoLab_IDS multi 9310 was used for the analysis of temperature and pH, while the filter technique was used for the analysis of TSS concentrations, and spectrophotometric methods were used for the analysis of nutrients and COD concentrations, using respective kits.The pH ranged between 6.5 -7 in Lake Icubhu, and 6.9 – 7.3 in Nhlabane Estuary. Nitrate and nitrite were highest in the autumn (3.2 mg/l – 0.5 mg/l),and least in the summer (0.1 mg/l – 0.01 mg/l) for both wetlands, phosphorus and ammonium were also examined. The results of nutrients obtained in this study demonstrated a significant threat to the studied wetlands when compared to the South African standard for Water Quality Guidelines of Aquatic ecosystem throughout the study period. It has been observed and concluded from the values obtained in this study that…
abstract: Microbial communities play a major role in natural wetlands systems biogeochemical cycles. Therefore, understanding the association between their composition, diversity and environmental parameters is significant in order to understand soil microbial ecology associated with nutrients concentration. Such knowledge may enhance the improvement in the management and protection of wetland systems, as nutrients are essential for wetland plant growth. Despite their usefulness, they promote toxin-producing cyanobacteria and facilitates algal biomass growth that cause undesirable eutrophication and oxygen depletion when present in excess. Nutrient pollution therefore is one of the most widespread and challenging environmental problems in the water that usually result to serious environmental and health challenges. For this study, water and sediment samples were collected over a period of twelve months from Lake Icubhu, which is a fresh water wetland, and Nhlabane mouth Estuary. The physicochemical properties such as temperature, potential hydrogen (pH), chemical oxygen demand (COD), total suspended solids (TSS) and nutrients were analyzed in water samples. The InoLab_IDS multi 9310 was used for the analysis of temperature and pH, while the filter technique was used for the analysis of TSS concentrations, and spectrophotometric methods were used for the analysis of nutrients and COD concentrations, using respective kits.The pH ranged between 6.5 -7 in Lake Icubhu, and 6.9 – 7.3 in Nhlabane Estuary. Nitrate and nitrite were highest in the autumn (3.2 mg/l – 0.5 mg/l),and least in the summer (0.1 mg/l – 0.01 mg/l) for both wetlands, phosphorus and ammonium were also examined. The results of nutrients obtained in this study demonstrated a significant threat to the studied wetlands when compared to the South African standard for Water Quality Guidelines of Aquatic ecosystem throughout the study period. It has been observed and concluded from the values obtained in this study that…
author: Buthelezi, Nondumiso, Petunia
keywords: Nutrients concentration, Natural wetland systems
license: https://devspace.unizulu.ac.za/bitstreams/bf6be344-2c5d-486b-9338-bcb1c54b1010/download
date published: 2018
date modified: 2026-07-24T06:16:44Z
provider: University of Zululand
publisher: Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations
type: WebPage
source organization: University of Zululand