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36078 
Journal Article 
Nitrogen cycling in a freshwater marsh of Panicum hemitomon on the deltaic plain of the Mississippi River 
Delaune, RD; Smith, CJ; Sarafyan, MN 
1986 
Yes 
Journal of Ecology
ISSN: 0022-0477
EISSN: 1365-2745 
74 
1 
249-256 
WOS:A1986A813800017 
(1) A study was made of nitrogen cycling and the effect of added inorganic nitrogen on biomass production of Panicum hemitomon in the deltaic plain of the Mississippi River. Nitrogen is apparently a limiting nutrient since supplemental nitrogen increased above-ground biomass by 40%. (2) There is apparently little loss of internal nitrogen from the system since 80% of the nitrogen added at the rate of 3 g m -2 was recovered in the soil-plant system at the end of the growing season. (3) Nitrogen fixation was the principal source of nitrogen to this vast freshwater system with 6.7 g m -2 year -1 being added. These marshes are apparently serving as large nitrogen sinks, with 12 g m -2 year -1 being retained as organic nitrogen as a result of accretion as determined by 137 Cs dating. (4) The results suggest that these freshwater marshes may improve water quality by removing nutrients from inflowing water.