Abstract:Microbially mediated nitrification plays a key role in nitrogen transformation and emission of greenhouse gases N2O in lacustrine ecosystems. Thus, studying microbial nitrification process and rate in lake environments helps comprehensively understand nitrogen biogeochemical cycle in lacustrine ecosystems and its response to regional and global climate change. This review summarized processes and microbial community compositions of nitrification (including ammonia oxidation, nitrite oxidation and complete ammonia oxidation) in lacustrine ecosystems and their influencing factors. Spotlight was given to the mechanisms and relative contributions of N2O production through ammonia oxidizing archaea and bacteria and complete ammonia oxidizing bacteria, followed by summary and prospect on the current situation and future development of nitrification researches in lakes.