Growing season loss of nitrate at three northeastern hardwood forests: A regional indicator of nitrogen saturation

Conference · Wed Jun 01 00:00:00 EDT 1994 · Bulletin of the Ecological Society of America; (United States)

OSTI ID:7163957

Pardo, L H; Murdoch, P E; Mitchell, M J; Driscoll, C T; Likens, G E ^[1]

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1. USDA Forest Service, Burlington, VA (United States)

Nitrogen is typically tightly retained in terrestrial ecosystems in the Northeast. In ecosystems with episodic nitrogen losses, nitrate export during the summer period of high biotic demand remains low. Increasing nitrate loss during the growing season is an early indicator of ecosystems shifting from episodic to chronic nitrogen loss (nitrogen saturation). Studies of nitrogen cycling from Biscuit Brook, Catskills, NY, Huntington Forest, Adirondacks, NY and Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest, White Mountains, NH, showed high nitrate loss at each site during the summer of 1990. This regional pattern many be caused by anthropogenic (higher nitrogen deposition), climatic (temperature and weather interactions), and/or natural (eg. pest outbreaks) disturbance. High nitrate loss causes surface water quality deterioration and may be linked to forest decline. The pattern also demonstrates the need for surface water monitoring on a regional scale to assess the effects of air pollution emissions legislation.

• OSTI ID: 7163957
• Report Number(s): CONF-940894-; CODEN: BECLAG
• Journal Information: Bulletin of the Ecological Society of America; (United States), Vol. 75:2; Conference: Annual Ecological Society of America (ESA) meeting: science and public policy, Knoxville, TN (United States), 7-11 Aug 1994; ISSN 0012-9623
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
AIR POLLUTION
ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS
CLIMATIC CHANGE
FORESTS
NITROGEN CYCLE
NITRATES
VARIATIONS
NITROGEN
ECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION
NEW YORK
WATER QUALITY
DEVELOPED COUNTRIES
ELEMENTS
ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY
NITROGEN COMPOUNDS
NONMETALS
NORTH AMERICA
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
POLLUTION
USA
540120* - Environment
Atmospheric- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport- (1990-)
540220 - Environment
Terrestrial- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport- (1990-)