Title | Event-scale riverine loading of nitrogen and phosphorus: Impacts of land use, seasonality, and antecedent conditions on N:P export ratios |
Publication Type | Poster |
Year of Publication | 2019 |
Authors | Kincaid, D, Seybold, EC, Adair, EC, Bowden, WB, Perdrial, JN, Vaughan, M, Schroth, AW |
Conference Name | 2019 AGU (American Geophysical Union) Fall Meeting |
Date Published | 2019/12 |
Publisher | American Geophysical Union (AGU) |
Conference Location | San Francisco, CA |
Abstract | Riverine nutrient loads, particularly during high flows, impact ecological processes in receiving waterbodies by altering nutrient concentrations and ratios. Given that nitrogen (N) to phosphorus (P) ratios influence a range of processes, and that anthropogenic activities are shifting the balance of these elements, it is important to understand N and P loading patterns across space and time. While general differences in N and P provenance and riverine loading dynamics are well-established, drivers of variability in intra- and inter-event loading patterns remains poorly understood. Yet these events tend to dominate annual nutrient loads in many climates. With the advent of in situ sensors and novel algorithms to predict N and P concentrations concurrently, opportunity exists to examine event-scale N and P loading patterns. Here we use high-frequency N and P measurements from >350 events over 5 years to quantify riverine N and P loading and N:P export ratios in three low-order watersheds with different primary land uses and land covers (i.e., agricultural, forested, urban) in the Lake Champlain Basin in northern Vermont, USA. We also use discharge, precipitation, and high-frequency riparian soil sensor data to examine the influence of storm characteristics and antecedent conditions on N and P export. Our results demonstrate: (1) the importance of event contributions to annual loads for both nutrients, (2) land use/land cover and season interact with storm size to determine event-scale N and P loading and N:P export ratios, and (3) it is important to consider storm characteristics and antecedent conditions to fully understand N & P export dynamics from watersheds. |
URL | https://agu.confex.com/agu/fm19/meetingapp.cgi/Paper/608533 |
Event-scale riverine loading of nitrogen and phosphorus: Impacts of land use, seasonality, and antecedent conditions on N:P export ratios
Status:
Published
Attributable Grant:
BREE
Grant Year:
Year4
Acknowledged VT EPSCoR:
Ack-Yes