Nitrate losses from disturbed ecosystems

Journal Article · Mon Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1979 · Science (Washington, D.C.); (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1126/science.204.4392.469· OSTI ID:5300027

Vitousek, P M; Gosz, J R; Grier, C C; Melillo, J M; Reiners, W A; Todd, R L

A systematic examination of nitrogen cycling in disturbed forest ecosystems demonstrates that eight processes, operating at three stages in the nitrogen cycle, could delay or prevent solution losses of nitrate from disturbed forests. An experimental and comparative study of nitrate losses from trenched plots in 19 forest sites throughout the United States suggests that four of these processes (nitrogen uptake by regrowing vegetation, nitrogen immobilization, lags in nitrification, and a lack of water for nitrate transport) are the most important in practice. The net effect of all of these processes except uptake by regrowing vegetation is insufficient to prevent or delay losses from relatively fertile sites, and hence such sites have the potential for very high nitrate losses following disturbance.

• OSTI ID: 5300027
• Journal Information: Science (Washington, D.C.); (United States), Journal Name: Science (Washington, D.C.); (United States) Vol. 204; ISSN SCIEA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

520200* -- Environment
Aquatic-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989)
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
DISTURBANCES
ECOSYSTEMS
ELEMENTS
FORESTS
LAND POLLUTION
LOSSES
NITRATES
NITRIFICATION
NITROGEN
NITROGEN COMPOUNDS
NITROGEN CYCLE
NONMETALS
NORTH AMERICA
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
POLLUTION
TERRESTRIAL ECOSYSTEMS
UPTAKE
USA