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Title: Dual nitrate isotopes clarify the role of biological processing and hydrologic flow paths on nitrogen cycling in subtropical low-gradient watersheds

Journal Article · · Journal of Geophysical Research. Biogeosciences
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1002/2015JG003189· OSTI ID:1247930
 [1];  [2];  [3];  [4];  [2];  [2]
  1. Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States). Climate Change Science Institute and Environmental Sciences Division
  2. Univ. of Georgia, Athens, GA (United States). Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources
  3. Univ. of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK (Canada). Global Institute for Water Security and School of Environment and Sustainability; Univ. of Aberdeen, Aberdeen (United Kingdom). School of Geosciences
  4. Univ. of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK (Canada). Global Institute for Water Security and School of Environment and Sustainability; Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology, Belvaux (Luxembourg). Environmental Research and Innovation Department
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Abstract Nitrogen (N) is an important nutrient as it often limits productivity but in excess can impair water quality. Most studies on watershed N cycling have occurred in upland forested catchments where snowmelt dominates N export; fewer studies have focused on low‐relief watersheds that lack snow. We examined watershed N cycling in three adjacent, low‐relief watersheds in the Upper Coastal Plain of the southeastern United States to better understand the role of hydrological flow paths and biological transformations of N at the watershed scale. Groundwater was the dominant source of nitrified N to stream water in two of the three watersheds, while atmospheric deposition comprised 28% of stream water nitrate in one watershed. The greater atmospheric contribution may have been due to the larger stream channel area relative to total watershed area or the dominance of shallow subsurface flow paths contributing to stream flow in this watershed. There was a positive relationship between temperature and stream water ammonium concentrations and a negative relationship between temperature and stream water nitrate concentrations in each watershed suggesting that N cycling processes (i.e., nitrification and denitrification) varied seasonally. However, there were no clear patterns in the importance of denitrification in different water pools possibly because a variety of factors (i.e., assimilatory uptake, dissimilatory uptake, and mixing) affected nitrate concentrations. Together, these results highlight the hydrological and biological controls on N cycling in low‐gradient watersheds and variability in N delivery flow paths among adjacent watersheds with similar physical characteristics.

Research Organization:
Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE)
Grant/Contract Number:
AC05-00OR22725; DE‐AC05‐00OR22725
OSTI ID:
1247930
Alternate ID(s):
OSTI ID: 1402317
Journal Information:
Journal of Geophysical Research. Biogeosciences, Vol. 121, Issue 2; ISSN 2169-8953
Publisher:
American Geophysical UnionCopyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Citation Metrics:
Cited by: 21 works
Citation information provided by
Web of Science

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Cited By (4)

Stable Isotopes of Water and Nitrate for the Identification of Groundwater Flowpaths: A Review journal January 2020
Denitrification as a major regional nitrogen sink in subtropical forest catchments: Evidence from multi‐site dual nitrate isotopes journal February 2019
Estuarine Macrofauna Affects Benthic Biogeochemistry in a Hypertrophic Lagoon journal June 2019
Whether the Rock Fragment Content Should Be Considered When Investigating Nitrogen Cycle in Stony Soils? journal March 2019

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Related Subjects

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
subtropics
low-relief watersheds
dual stable isotopes of nitrate
streams
groundwater