Biogeochemical mass-balances (C, N, P, Si) in three large reservoirs of the Seine Basin (France)

Three major reservoirs (Marne, Seine and Aube), situated in the upstream basin of the river Seine represent a storage capacity of 800 10⁶ m³. In order to quantify the possible role of these reservoirs as a sink or source of nutrients and organic matter for the river system, an input/output mass-balance of suspended matter, organic carbon, inorganic nitrogen forms, phosphorus and reactive silica was established, providing reliable estimates of their retention/elimination and export. The study was carried out over 3 years (1993, 1994 and 1995) in differing hydrological conditions. The retention times varied from 0.3 to 0.8 year, depending on the reservoir and the year, but was longer in 1993 that was a drier year than 1994 and 1995, hydrologically quite similar.Regarding retention (or elimination) and export, the behaviour of the three studied reservoirs was similar. A clear loss or retention of nitrogen, phosphorus and silica was observed in the reservoirs and represented about 40% of the incoming flux of nitrate, 50% of silica, and 60% of phosphate. The retention was lower for total phosphorus than for phosphate. The reservoirs are also sites of suspended matter deposition except during the decennial drawdown, when suspended matter is exported. For inorganic nitrogen, the average amount of nitrate retained in the Seine basin reservoirs upstream from Paris is 5000 tonnes y^–1 that is almost equal to the estimated retention by deposition or denitrification in river channel sediments for the whole drainage network. The retention in the reservoirs represents about 12% of the total flux of nitrate at the outlet of the basin upstream from Paris, and 5% at the mouth of the Seine River.We also calculated inlake C, N, P, Si budgets on the basis of direct process measurements. Measurements of planktonic primary and bacterial activity production led to annual net production of 4200 and 580 tonnes of carbon, respectively. A reasonable value (450 tonnes of carbon) of grazing was calculated. Corresponding N, P, Si fluxes were drawn from appropriate C:N:P:Si ratios. Benthic fluxes were measured with bell jars. The retention of P and Si represents a small fraction of important internal fluxes of phytoplanktonic uptake and recycling, while inorganic nitrogen retention depends mostly on benthic denitrification. The behaviour of P and Si differs in that P is mainly recycled in the water column, while Si dissolution occurs at the sediment interface. Nitrogen is recycled in both the planktonic and the benthic phase.     

Applications of ecological stoichiometry for sustainable acquisition of ecosystem services

Human activities have differentially altered biogeochemical cycling at local, regional and global scales. We propose that a stoichiometric approach, examining the fluxes of multiple elements and the ratio between them, may be a useful tool for better understanding human effects on ecosystem processes and services. The different scale of impacts of the elements carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus and the different nature of their biogeochemical cycles, imply a large variation of their stoichiometric ratios in space and time and thus divergent impacts on biota.
In this paper, we examine the effects of anthropogenic perturbations on nutrient ratios in ecosystems in two examples and one case study. Altered stoichiometry in agricultural systems (example 1) can affect not only crop yield and quality but also the interactions between plants and their pollinators, pests and pathogens. Human activities have also altered stoichiometry in coastal ecosystems (example 2). Increased N loading has especially lead to increased N:P and reduced Si:N ratios, with detrimental effects on ecosystem services derived from coastal pelagic food webs, such as fish yield and water quality. The terrestrial–aquatic linkage in stoichiometric alterations is illustrated with a case study, the Mississippi River watershed, where anthropogenic activities have caused stoichiometric changes that have propagated through the watershed into the northern Gulf of Mexico.
Coupled with altered stoichiometric nutrient inputs are the inherent differences in variation and sensitivity of different ecosystems to anthropogenic disturbance. Furthermore, the connections among the components of a watershed may result in downstream cascades of disrupted functioning. Applying a multiple element perspective to understanding and addressing societal needs is a new direction for both ecological stoichiometry and sustainability.     

Nitrogen and phosphorus budgets for a tropical watershed impacted by agricultural land use: Guayas, Ecuador

Large-scale changes in land use are occurring in many tropical regions, with significant impacts on nitrogen and phosphorus biogeochemistry. In this study we examine the relationships between land use, anthropogenic nutrient inputs, and riverine nutrient exports in a major agricultural watershed of the Pacific coast of South America, the Guayas River basin of Ecuador. We present comprehensive nutrient budgets for nitrogen (N) and phosphorous (P) for the Guayas River basin and 10 sub-watersheds. We quantify the four major anthropogenic nutrient fluxes into and out of the region: N and P fertilizer application, N fixation by leguminous crops, net import/export of N and P in agricultural products (food and feed), and atmospheric deposition. We also estimate inputs of N from biological N fixation in forests and of P from weathering sources in soils and bedrock. The sum of these sources represents net inputs of N and P to each watershed region. Overall, synthetic fertilizers are the largest input to the Guayas Basin for N (53%) and P (57%), and the largest outputs are N and P in crops. Losses of N and P in river export account for 14–38% of total N and P inputs, and there is significant accumulation of N and P, or unmeasured forms of N and P export, in most of the sub-basins. Nutrient balances are indicative of the sustainability of land use practices in a region, where a negative balance of N or P indicates nutrient depletion and subsequent loss of soil fertility, yield, and economic viability. Although the nutrient balance of the entire Guayas Basin is positive, there are negative or near zero balances in two sub-watersheds with extensive banana, coffee and permanent crops. In these basins, degradation of soil quality may be occurring due to these net nutrient losses. Our data show that nutrients are leaving the basin primarily as export crops, with riverine losses of nutrients smaller than crop exports. Nonetheless, there is a direct relationship between nutrient inputs and river outputs, suggesting that agricultural management practices in the basin may have direct impacts on N and P delivery to the highly productive Guayas estuary.     

Soil system budgets of N,Si and P in an agricultural irrigated watershed: surplus,differential export and underlying mechanisms

Ongoing socio-economic and climatic changes can differentially affect the biogeochemistry of the key nutrients nitrogen (N), silica (Si), and phosphorus (P) by altering their soil budgets, their transfer to aquatic environments and their ecological stoichiometry. This may lead to cascade consequences for aquatic communities and biogeochemical processes. Soil budgets, river export, and N, Si, and P ecological stoichiometry were assessed in a heavy impacted basin (Mincio River, Italy) in two decades (1991–2000; 2001–2010). The main aim was to analyse element-specific mechanisms of terrestrial-aquatic transport and retention within aquatic habitats. Budget results suggest a net accumulation (inputs exceeding outputs) of all nutrients in agricultural lands, mainly due to livestock manure, with a reduction for N (196 kg N ha^?1 year^?1 in 2000, and 132 kg N ha^?1 year^?1 in 2010), and constant values for Si (up to 3 kg Si ha^?1 year^?1) and P (43 kg P ha^?1 year^?1) along the study period. River export of N and P accounted for 3–27% and?~?2% of N and P soil net accumulation, respectively, while Si export was significantly greater (25 kg Si ha^?1 year^?1) than Si net accumulation on farmlands. The stoichiometry of net nutrient accumulation in soils was not reflected by the stoichiometry of nutrient riverine export, due to element-specific mechanisms. We speculate that N and Si vertical and horizontal mobilization is increased by the irrigation loop, while P retention is favored by limited erosion due to limited slopes in the Mincio River basin. The simultaneous analysis of N, Si and P allows us to better understand the different paths, transformation and retention mechanisms at the watershed scale.     

Major element chemistry,weathering and element yields for the Caura River drainage,Venezuela

The Caura River, a major tributary of the Orinoco River, was sampled at bi-weekly intervals for two years. Because the watershed is covered with undisturbed forest overlying a Precambrian shield, the water of the Caura River has low conductivity (mean, 15 uS/cm), contains small amounts of particulate material (mean, 11 mg/1), and is slightly acidic (median pH, 6.8). Concentrations of total dissolved solids vary less than two-fold in response to the seasonal ten-fold variation in discharge; concentrations of particulate material vary more (ten-fold) and are lowest at the time of peak discharge. Seasonal changes in concentrations of Si, major metal cations, and hydrogen ion are complementary to each other and indicate regular seasonal changes in weathering rates. Measurements of bulk atmospheric deposition and the observed runoff yield of Cl and S were used in estimating the basin-wide atmospheric deposition of major elements, which were as follows (kg/ha/yr): Ca, 1.3; Mg, 0.29; Na, 8.2; K, 1.0; Cl, 12; S, 2.8; P, 0.14. Element ratios show that terrestrial sources contribute strongly to the atmospheric deposition of Ca, K, S, and P. From the atmospheric contributions and runoff yields, watershed retention was computed for major elements with reference to Si. The watershed accumulates Al, Fe, and P, whereas losses of Ca, Mg, Na, K, and S originating from non-atmospheric sources exceed the relative loss rates of Si. The rock weathering rate based on Si is 1.8 cm/ 1,000 years. Although significant amounts of Ca, Mg, Na, and K are found in atmospheric deposition, the dominant influence on the mass balances of these elements is weathering rather than deposition. Weathering has a trivial influence on the cycles of Cl and S. Both atmospheric deposition and weathering are important in the mass balance of P. The ecosystem does not effectively conserve most biologically active elements (Ca, Mg, Na, K). The ecosystem conserves significant amounts of phosphorus (31% of total input), but probably by abiotic mechanisms.     

Effects of Point Source Loadings, Sub-basin Inputs and Longitudinal Variation in Material Retention on C, N and P Delivery from the Ohio River Basin

Spatial variability in material fluxes within large river basins may arise from point source inputs, variable contributions from sub-basins and longitudinal variation in material transformation and retention. By measuring instantaneous fluxes throughout the Ohio River basin, we were able to draw inferences about the importance of these factors in determining the overall export of C, N and P from the basin. Our study spanned the lower 645 km of the Ohio River and included all tributaries that contributed at least 1% of the volume of the Ohio River at its confluence with the Mississippi. The intensively cultivated northern sub-basin (Wabash River) contributed a large fraction of N and P entering the Ohio River. In the southern sub-basins (Tennessee and Cumberland Rivers), impoundments and less intense cultivation appear to diminish and delay material delivery particularly with respect to N. The southern rivers account for a proportionately larger fraction of the water entering the Mississippi River during low discharge conditions and this fraction has increased during the past 50 years. The upper portion of the study reach was found to be a net source of CHLa and DOC and a net sink for inorganic N suggesting that this portion of the river provided a generally favorable environment for autotrophic production. Point source loadings of NH₄ were significant inputs to the upper sub-reach but a relatively small component of the overall budget for dissolved inorganic N.     

沙颍河流域人为输入对水体水化学组成的影响

人类活动输入影响河流水体化学组成,增加经河流体系向海洋输出物质的通量,影响全球物质循环过程。有效识别人为输入的影响途径和范围对于量化人类活动对全球物质循环的影响具有重要作用。沙颍河是淮河上游最大支流,流域水体受人为输入影响严重,通过研究沙颍河流域强人为输入对河水水化学组成的影响过程,有利于弄清楚强烈人为活动干扰下河流输出物质通量的变化。本文通过平水期(2019年12月)采集河水(n=41)以及地下水样品(n=12),分析其水化学及氢氧同位素组成,阐明人为输入影响方式和途径以及在空间上的分布规律,辨别控制水体化学组成的主要因素。结果表明:沙颍河支流河水和地下水阴离子以HCO₃^-为主,阳离子以Ca2⁺为主,干流河水逐渐转变为阴离子以Cl^-为主,阳离子以Na⁺为主的水体水化学类型;碳酸盐岩和硅酸盐岩化学风化、城市工业和生活污水以及农业面源是控制流域水体化学组成的主要因素。多数沙河河水以及上游颍河河水水化学组成主要受岩石化学风化为主,少受工业废水及生活污水影响,贾鲁河和沙颍河干流河水受城市工业及生活污水影响,流域地下水普遍受到农业面源的影响;研究区地下水氯碱指数小于0,与硅酸盐岩矿物中K⁺和Na⁺与水体中Ca2⁺和Mg2⁺发生阳离子交换有关。沙颍河干流河水水体K⁺和Na⁺含量高于地下水,除地下水补给河水部分K⁺和Na^(⁺)外,工业废水和生活污水输入的K⁺和Na⁺是沙颍河干流河水K⁺和Na⁺含量升高的主要原因;沙颍河干流河水Cl^-等行为保守元素含量往下游逐渐降低,与地下水补给和下游闸坝畜水稀释有关,而水体氘盈余值持续升高,显示下游河水经历强烈蒸发过程。本研究阐明了强人为输入对河水的影响,为沙颍河流域水污染治理提供了科学依据。     

The Role of Snowmelt and Spring Rainfall in Inorganic Nutrient Fluxes from a Large Temperate Watershed, the Androscoggin River Basin (Maine and New Hampshire)

The importance of snowmelt and spring rainfall to water and nutrient exports from macro-scale watersheds (>1000 km²) is not well established. Data collected from the Androscoggin River watershed (Maine and New Hampshire) between February 1999 and March 2002 show that the 90-day spring melt period accounted for 39–57% of total annual discharge and is likely driven both by snowpack melting and spring rainfall. While large loads of dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN) are delivered to the watershed from snowmelt and rain (from 1.16× 10⁶ to 1.61× 10⁶ kg N over the study years), only one third of this N load is exported from the basin during the snowmelt period (0.40× 10⁶–0.48 × 10⁶ kg N). Despite reduced residence time and temperature limitations on biological N retention, there is a poor mass balance between DIN input to the watershed and the nitrogen exported from mouth of the river. Inferences from a geochemical hydrograph separation suggests that approximately 51–63% of the water leaving the mouth of the Androscoggin river is from these ‘new’ water sources (rain and snowmelt) while 37–49% is from DIN depleted soil and groundwater. Mixing of water from different sources, as well as nutrient retention by dams in the upper watershed, may account for the large discrepancy between DIN inputs and exports from this watershed.     

Organic carbon transfers in the subtropical Red River system (Viet Nam): insights on CO<Subscript>2</Subscript> sources and sinks

The Red River, draining a 169,000 km² watershed, is the second largest river in Viet Nam and constitutes the main source of water for a large percentage of the population of North Viet Nam. Here we present the results of an investigation into the spatial distribution and temporal dynamics of particulate and dissolved organic carbon (POC and DOC, respectively) in the Red River Basin. POC concentrations ranged from 0.24 to 5.80 mg C L^?1 and DOC concentrations ranged from 0.26 to 5.39 mg C L^?1. The application of the Seneque/Riverstrahler model to monthly POC and DOC measurements showed that, in general, the model simulations of the temporal variations and spatial distribution of organic carbon (OC) concentration followed the observed trends. They also show the impact of high population densities (up to 994 inhab km^?2 in the delta area) on OC inputs in surface runoff from the different land use classes and from urban point sources. A budget of the main fluxes of OC in the whole river network, including diffuse inputs from soil leaching and runoff and point sources from urban centers, as well as algal net primary production and heterotrophic respiration was established using the model results. It shows the predominantly heterotrophic character of the river system and provides an estimate of CO₂ emissions from the river of 330 Gg C year^?1. This value is in reasonable agreement with the few available direct measurements of CO₂ fluxes in the downstream part of the river network.     

Retention of nitrogen and phosphorus in a Danish lowland river system: implications for the export from the watershed

In a Danish lowland river system intensive measurements were made, in four 80 m reaches, of the nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) stored in the stream sediment. The results were used for calculation of the total retention in the river system during two summers (June to August). In addition, the mobilization of nutrients from the stream bottom in autumn 1987 was compared with the export from the watershed.During the study period (June 1987 to September 1988) the amounts of N and P stored in stream reaches were determined fortnightly using a core-sample technique. In reaches dominated by submersed macrophytes, 25–40 g N m^–2 and 20–30 g P m^–2 were stored during two summers, against only 10–15g N and P m^–2 for sandy and gravely reaches. In riparian zones with emergent macrophytes the retention was even higher than in the submersed macrophytes. Gross retention exceeded net retention by a factor of two to three.Net retention of P in the river system during the summer of 1987 was equal to the summer export from the watershed. On an annual basis, retention in the summer constituted 20% of the P export. In contrast, retention in the summer of 1988 amounted to 60% of the total P export during the same period (38% reduction) and 22% in comparison with the annual export. The corresponding figures for N were lower, showing reductions of 16% and 12% of the export of total N in the two summer periods, and about 1% of the annual exports.In September 1987 6.4% of the total N export and 65% of the total P export from the watershed consisted of resuspended material. In 1987 the N and P retained during the summer was almost completely resuspended during storm events during September to November.     

Effects of phytoplankton on the elemental composition (C,N, P) of suspended particulate material in the lower river Rhine

The spatial and temporal distribution of element concentrations were monitored together with chlorophyll a as an indicator of algal density to assess the effect of phytoplankton on the elemental composition (C, N, P) of suspended materials in the lower Rhine. The high concentrations of particulate C, N and P in the river were found to decrease in the delta and to increase again in the estuarine turbidity zone. Phytoplankton blooms increased the concentrations of particulate C, N, and P significantly in the upstream part of the river. In summer 1989, 15–65% of the particulate C and 20–75% of the particulate N were attributable to phytoplankton. Together with published data these observations indicate that in eutrophic rivers, the input of organic materials from the catchment is strongly modified and supplemented by in situ growth of phytoplankton. During seaward transport the phytoplankton and the particulate elements disappeared from the river water concomitantly with the suspended matter, indicating an increased retention of these elements due to sedimentation. In contrast, soluble ammonia, nitrite and phosphate increased in the tidal reaches of the river because of local input in the harbour and city of Rotterdam and because of mineralization. Therefore the total nutrient load of the Rhine estimated at the German/Dutch border does not reflect the actual input into the sea.     

A comparison of NEWS and SPARROW models to understand sources of nitrogen delivered to US coastal areas

The relative contributions of different anthropogenic and natural sources of in-stream nitrogen (N) cannot be directly measured at whole-watershed scales. Hence, source attribution estimates beyond the scale of small catchments must rely on models. Although such estimates have been accomplished using individual models, there has not yet been a comparison of N source attribution predictions at large spatial scales. We compared results from two models applied to the continental US: Nutrient Export from WaterSheds (NEWS) and SPAtially Referenced Regressions On Watersheds (SPARROW). NEWS and SPARROW predictions for total N delivery to the US coastal zone were 373 and 429 kg N km^?2 year^?1, respectively, for the contemporary period. Despite differences in how inputs were represented and defined by the models, NEWS and SPARROW both identified the same single-largest N sources for 67 % of the surface area that drains to the US coastal zone. When only anthropogenic sources were considered, agreement increased to 78 % of surface area. Fertilizer and crop N-fixation were dominant in the Mississippi River Basin, where the bulk of agricultural lands are located. Sewage and population-related sources were most important in urban areas and natural N (primarily N-fixation on non-agricultural land) was most important in the Pacific Northwest. Attribution to fertilizer plus crop N-fixation, atmospheric deposition, and sewage and population-related sources was generally greater by SPARROW than NEWS, and the reverse was true for manure and natural sources. Nonetheless, both models agreed in attributing 62–81 % of N delivered to the coastal zone in the continental US to human activities.     

Sediment-water fluxes of dissolved inorganic carbon, O2, nutrients, and N2 from the hypoxic region of the Louisiana continental shelf

Globally, hypoxic areas (<63?mmol O₂ m^?3) in coastal waters are increasing in number and spatial extent. One of the largest coastal hypoxic regions has been observed during the summer in the bottom-water of the Louisiana continental shelf. The shelf receives the sediments, organic matter, and nutrients exported from the Mississippi River watershed, and much of this material is ultimately deposited to the sea floor. Hence, quantifying the rates of sediment-water dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC), oxygen (O₂), and nutrient fluxes is important for understanding how these processes relate to the development and maintenance of hypoxia. In this study, the sediment-water fluxes of DIC, O₂, nutrients, and N₂ (denitrification) were measured on the Louisiana shelf during six cruises from 2005 to 2007. On each cruise, three to four sites were occupied in or directly adjacent to the region of the shelf that experiences hypoxia. DIC fluxes, a proxy for total sediment respiration, ranged from 7.9 to 21.4?mmol?m^?2 day^?1 but did not vary significantly either spatially or as a function of bottom-water O₂ concentration. Overall, sediment respiration and nutrient flux rates were small in comparison to water-column respiration and phytoplankton nutrient demand. Nitrate fluxes were correlated with bottom-water O₂ concentrations (r?=?0.69), and there was evidence that decreasing O₂ concentrations inhibited coupled nitrification-denitrification. Denitrification rates averaged 1.4?mmol?N?m^?2 day^?1. Scaled to the area of the shelf, the denitrification sink represented approximately 39% of the N load from the Mississippi River watershed. The sediment-water fluxes reported from this study add substantial information on the spatial and temporal patterns in carbon, O₂, and nutrient cycling available for the Louisiana continental shelf and, thus, improve the understanding of this system.     

Biofilms as food for decapods (Atyidae,Palaemonidae) in the River Murray,South Australia

Stable water levels and turbidity associated with flow regulation in the River Murray have promoted the growth of filamentous green algae and Cyanobacteria in biofilms on submerged wood. We investigated the assimilation of biofilm algae by two dominant consumers, the decapod crustaceans Macrobrachium australiense (Palaemonidae) and Paratya australiensis (Atyidae), in two river reaches differing in the extent of floodplain development, hence wetland connectivity. Filamentous Cyanobacteria, a major part of the biofilms assimilated in combination with other foods, were up to 83% of the algal component of the gut content volume of P. australiensis and 44% that of M. australiense. Cyanobacteria have not previously been reported as a major source of nutrition for adult decapods. There was little difference between the stable isotopic signatures (¹³C/¹²C, ¹⁵N/¹⁴N) of the two decapod species, or between decapods in the two reaches. Coarse and fine particulate organic matter from the gorge had similar isotopic signatures to those from upstream and so were likely derived from macrophyte detritus rather than local willows. Red gum leaves and wood were too depleted in both ¹³C and ¹⁵N to register in the diets of either decapod in gorge or floodplain reaches. The most likely food sources for the decapods are littoral plants in the gorge reach and fine particulate organic matter material processed upstream. This is consistent with current hypotheses of organic matter flux in large river systems.     

Modeling the hydrochemistry of the Choptank River basin using GWLF and Arc/Info: 2. Model Validation and Application

We used the hydrochemical model GWLF to estimate terrestrial diffuse fluxes from ungauged areas of a coastal plain catchment, the Choptank River basin. The gauged area of the basin is 17% of the land surface, and we divided the remaining ungauged area into 21 subbasins. Three comparative approaches were used: (1) application of area yield coefficients based on 11 years of observations from the gauged area to extrapolate over ungauged subbasins without modeling, (2) application of GWLF to estimate export from all subbasins using model parameters calibrated in the gauged subbasin, and (3) application of GWLF with parameter adjustments based on the local characteristics in each subbasin. Comparison of the predicted export from 6 selected subbasins with observed export data showed that application of GWLF with local adjustments reduced model errors of N export from 43% to 27%. With only one adjustment for sediment P, application of GWLF alone reduced errors of P export from 92%to 40–45%, with or without local adjustments for flow and sediment retention. The data supported the hypothesis that significant spatial variations in N and P yields introduce large errors when extrapolating from gauged to ungauged subbasins, and estimated TN and TP yield coefficients varied over 1–21 kg N and 0.1–0.5 kg P ha^–1 y^–1 in ungauged areas due to varying human population densities, soil drainage characteristics, and amounts of agriculture. The most accurate estimates of terrestrial diffuse sources were combined with point source discharges and wet atmospheric inputs to estimate annual average inputs of 2.5 × 10⁶ kg N and 5.8 × 10⁴ kg P y^–1 to the Choptank estuary during 1980–1996. These results illustrate the problems of spatial extrapolation from gauged to ungauged areas and emphasize the need for application of local characteristics for accurate assessment of watershed export.     

Human activities directly alter watershed dissolved silica fluxes

Controls on chemical weathering, such as bedrock geology, runoff, and temperature, are considered to be the primary drivers of Si transport from the continents to the oceans. However, recent work has highlighted terrestrial vegetation as an important control over Si cycling. Here we show that at the regional scale (Southern New England, USA), land use/land cover (LULC) is an important variable controlling the net transport of Si from the land to the sea, accounting for at least 40% of dissolved Si (DSi) fluxes. A multiple linear regression model using average DSi fluxes from 25 rivers (>2,300 observations) shows the percent forest cover, as well as development and agricultural land use, to be significant (p < 0.05) drivers of DSi flux. This was true regardless of watershed size and lithology. Furthermore, forest cover is significantly negatively correlated, while development is significantly positively correlated, with Si concentrations and fluxes. We hypothesize that these relationships are due to several mechanisms, specifically the ability of terrestrial vegetation to store large amounts of Si within its biomass, the altered watershed hydrology that accompanies LULC change, and the capability of urban regions to serve as sources of Si to aquatic systems. Thus, we conclude that anthropogenic activities may be directly perturbing the global Si cycle through land use change and we offer a conceptual model which highlights a new approach to understanding the non-geochemical controls on Si fluxes.     

Transformation and retention of nitrogen in a coastal forest ecosystem

Transformations and fluxes of N were examined in three forested sites located along a gradient of soil texture in the coastal forests of the Waquoit Bay watershed on Cape Cod. Total N leaching losses to ground water were 0.5 kg ha^-1 yr^-1 in the loamy sand site and 1.5 kg ha^-1 yr^-1 in the fine sand site. Leaching loss to groundwater was not measured in the coarse sand site due to the prohibitive depth of the water table but total N leaching loss to 1m depth in the mineral soil was 3.9 kg ha^-1 yr^-1. DON accounted for most of the leaching losses below the rooting zone (77–89%) and through the soil profile to ground water (60%–80%). Differences in DON retention capacity of the mineral soil in the sites along the soil texture gradient were most likely related to changes in mineral soil particle surface area and percolation rates associated with soil texture. Forests of the watershed functioned as a sink for inorganic N deposited on the surface of the watershed in wet and dry deposition but a source of dissolved organic N to ground water and adjoining coastal ecosystems.     

The effect of increasing salinity and forest mortality on soil nitrogen and phosphorus mineralization in tidal freshwater forested wetlands

Tidal freshwater wetlands are sensitive to sea level rise and increased salinity, although little information is known about the impact of salinification on nutrient biogeochemistry in tidal freshwater forested wetlands. We quantified soil nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) mineralization using seasonal in situ incubations of modified resin cores along spatial gradients of chronic salinification (from continuously freshwater tidal forest to salt impacted tidal forest to oligohaline marsh) and in hummocks and hollows of the continuously freshwater tidal forest along the blackwater Waccamaw River and alluvial Savannah River. Salinification increased rates of net N and P mineralization fluxes and turnover in tidal freshwater forested wetland soils, most likely through tree stress and senescence (for N) and conversion to oligohaline marsh (for P). Stimulation of N and P mineralization by chronic salinification was apparently unrelated to inputs of sulfate (for N and P) or direct effects of increased soil conductivity (for N). In addition, the tidal wetland soils of the alluvial river mineralized more P relative to N than the blackwater river. Finally, hummocks had much greater nitrification fluxes than hollows at the continuously freshwater tidal forested wetland sites. These findings add to knowledge of the responses of tidal freshwater ecosystems to sea level rise and salinification that is necessary to predict the consequences of state changes in coastal ecosystem structure and function due to global change, including potential impacts on estuarine eutrophication.     

Regional nitrogen budgets for China and its major watersheds

Since the Changjiang River, Huanghe River and Zhujiang River are the three major rivers in China that are flowing into the Pacific Ocean, this paper addresses nitrogen budgeting, source (input) and sink (output and storage), in these three river valleys, and the China watershed as well. In the China watershed, the anthropogenic reactive N has far exceeded the terrestrial bio-fixed N in nature, and human activities have significantly altered the N cycling in this region. In 1995, the total amount of anthropogenic reactive N in China reached 31.2 Tg with 22.2 Tg coming from synthetic fertilizers and 4.18 Tg from NO_x emission from fossil fuel combustion, and the input of recycling N amounted to 30.5 Tg, consisting mainly of human and animal excrement N, reflecting the intensity of the human activity. The sink of N includes N in the harvested crop, denitrification and storage in agricultural soils, transportation into waterbodies and volatilization of NH₃. N output and storage in soil reached up to 48–53 Tg. Of this amount, 14 Tg was in the harvested crops, 12 Tg stored in agricultural soils, 11 Tg transported into waterbodies, 5 – 10 Tg denitrified in the soils and a limited amount exported through food/feed.In this paper – besides the N budget in the China watershed – the N budgets and especially N transports into waterbodies in the Changjiang, Huanghe and Zhujiang river valleys are estimated.     

Nutrient fluxes and water quality in the drainage network of the Scheldt basin over the last 50 years

and use and urban activity in the catchment of the Scheldt river system have deeply changed during the last 50 years, modifying in turn the water quality of the drainage network and the fluxes of nutrient transferred to the estuary and to the sea. Based on the RIVERSTRAHLER model, developed for establishing the link between the biogeochemical functioning of large river systems and the constraints set by the meteorology, the morphology of the drainage network and the human activity in the watershed, we reassembled the data available to document these constraints in the Scheldt basin since the last half of the XXth century and we used them to reconstruct the variations of nutrient and oxygen concentrations at the outlet of the Scheldt drainage network. We compared the results with the water quality data at the entrance of the estuarine zone available since the 1960s. Both model results and observational data show a very severe deterioration of water quality (with deep oxygen depletion) in the beginning of the 1960s, while a clear trend to improvement is apparent since the late 1980s. The budget of nutrient loadings from the watershed, retention within the drainage network and delivery to the estuarine zone is established on an annual basis for the 50 last years. The yearly fluxes of nutrient delivered by the river to the estuary and the sea show a severe depletion of silica with respect to nitrogen compared with the requirements of diatoms, and a clear shift from the early 1990s from nitrogen to phosphorus potential limitation. Seasonal variations of nutrient delivery are however much more pronounced for nitrogen, with much less inputs during the dry seasons, while phosphorus inputs, mainly from point sources are more constant, so that nitrogen limitation can still occur during summer. Compared with similar budget estimations carried out for the Seine river system, the Scheldt basin, in spite of its much higher population density, does not deliver higher specific fluxes of nutrient (presently about 2000 kgN/km²/yr, 80 kgP/km²/yr and 1000 kgSi/km²/yr), owing to very efficient processes of nutrient retention.