Amazon deforestation alters small stream structure, nitrogen biogeochemistry and connectivity to larger rivers

Human activities that modify land cover can alter the structure and biogeochemistry of small streams but these effects are poorly known over large regions of the humid tropics where rates of forest clearing are high. We examined how conversion of Amazon lowland tropical forest to cattle pasture influenced the physical and chemical structure, organic matter stocks and N cycling of small streams. We combined a regional ground survey of small streams with an intensive study of nutrient cycling using ¹⁵N additions in three representative streams: a second-order forest stream, a second-order pasture stream and a third-order pasture stream. These three streams were within several km of each other and on similar soils. Replacement of forest with pasture decreased stream habitat complexity by changing streams from run and pool channels with forest leaf detritus (50% cover) to grass-filled (63% cover) channel with runs of slow-moving water. In the survey, pasture streams consistently had lower concentrations of dissolved oxygen and nitrate (NO₃ ^?) compared with similar-sized forest streams. Stable isotope additions revealed that second-order pasture stream had a shorter NH₄ ⁺ uptake length, higher uptake rates into organic matter components and a shorter ¹⁵NH₄ ⁺ residence time than the second-order forest stream or the third-order pasture stream. Nitrification was significant in the forest stream (19% of the added ¹⁵NH₄ ⁺) but not in the second-order pasture (0%) or third-order (6%) pasture stream. The forest stream retained 7% of added ¹⁵N in organic matter compartments and exported 53% (¹⁵NH₄ ⁺?=?34%; ¹⁵NO₃ ^??=?19%). In contrast, the second-order pasture stream retained 75% of added ¹⁵N, predominantly in grasses (69%) and exported only 4% as ¹⁵NH₄ ⁺. The fate of tracer ¹⁵N in the third-order pasture stream more closely resembled that in the forest stream, with 5% of added N retained and 26% exported (¹⁵NH₄ ⁺?=?9%; ¹⁵NO₃ ^??=?6%). These findings indicate that the widespread infilling by grass in small streams in areas deforested for pasture greatly increases the retention of inorganic N in the first- and second-order streams, which make up roughly three-fourths of total stream channel length in Amazon basin watersheds. The importance of this phenomenon and its effect on N transport to larger rivers across the larger areas of the Amazon Basin will depend on better evaluation of both the extent and the scale at which stream infilling by grass occurs, but our analysis suggests the phenomenon is widespread.     

Natural controls and human impacts on stream nutrient concentrations in a deforested region of the Brazilian Amazon basin

This study documents regional patterns in stream nitrogen and phosphorus concentrations in the Brazilian state of Rondônia in the southwestern Amazon basin, and interprets the patterns as functions of watershed soil properties, deforestation extent, and urban population density. The survey includes 77 different locations sampled in the dry and wet seasons, with a watershed size range from 1.8 to 33,000km² over a total area of approximately 140,000km². A sequential regression technique is used to separate the effects of natural watersheds properties and anthropogenic disturbance on nutrients and chloride. Natural variation in soil texture explains most of the variance in stream nitrate concentrations, while deforestation extent and urban population density explain most of the variance in stream chloride (Cl) and total dissolved nitrogen (TDN) concentrations. Stream TDN, total dissolved phosphorus (TDP), particulate phosphorus (PP) and Cl concentrations all increase non-linearly with deforestation extent in the dry season after controlling for natural variability due to soil type. Stream nutrient and Cl disturbances are observed only in watersheds more than 66–75% deforested (watershed area range 2–300km²), suggesting stream nutrient concentrations are resistant to perturbation from vegetation conversion below a 66–75% threshold. In heavily deforested watersheds, stream Cl shows the largest changes in concentration (12±6 times forested background), followed by TDP (2.3±1.5), PP (1.9±0.8) and TDN (1.7±0.5). Wet season signals in Cl and TDP are diluted relative to the dry season, and no land use signal is observed in wet season TDN, PN, or PP. Stream TDN and TDP concentrations in non-urban watersheds both correlate with stream Cl, suggesting that sources other than vegetation and soil organic matter contribute to enhanced nutrient concentrations. Small, urbanized watersheds (5–20km²) have up to 40 times the chloride and 10 times the TDN concentrations of forested catchments in the dry season. Several large watersheds (1000–3000km²) with urban populations show higher Cl, TDN and TDP levels than any small pasture watershed, suggesting that human impacts on nutrient concentrations in large river systems may be dominated by urban areas. Anthropogenic disturbance of dry-season stream Cl and TDN is detectable in large streams draining deforested and urbanized watersheds up to 33,000km². We conclude that regional deforestation and urbanization result in changes in stream Cl, N and P concentrations at wide range of scales, from small pasture streams to large river systems.     

Nitrogen transformations in a small mountain stream

Ammonium, urea, and nitrate were added to Bear Brook, a second and third order stream in the Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest, New Hampshire. Removal of ammonium and urea during downstream transport coincided with the release of nitrate. Nitrate removal did not occur when it was added alone or with dissolved organic carbon. Laboratory experiments showed that coarse particulate organic material (detritus) and bryophytes taken from the streambed were active in the removal of ammonium from enriched stream water, and in the release of nitrate upon the addition of ammonium.The patterns of removal and release observed in these experiments suggest a biologically mediated, oxidation process. Budgetary calculations show that the in-stream transformation of nitrogen inputs during summer and autumn could represent 12 to 25 percent of the nitrogen exported as nitrate during winter and spring from heterotrophic streams like Bear Brook. This type of internal cycling affects the timing and form of nitrogen export from small streams draining forested watersheds in the northeastern United States.     

The influence of dissolved nutrients and particulate organic matter quality on microbial respiration and biomass in a forest stream

1. Although dissolved nutrients and the quality of particulate organic matter (POM) influence microbial processes in aquatic systems, these factors have rarely been considered simultaneously. We manipulated dissolved nutrient concentrations and POM type in three contiguous reaches (reference, nitrogen, nitrogen + phosphorus) of a low nutrient, third‐order stream at Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest (U.S.A). In each reach we placed species of leaves (mean C : N of 68 and C : P of 2284) and wood (mean C : N of 721 and C : P of 60 654) that differed in elemental composition. We measured the respiration and biomass of microbes associated with this POM before and after nutrient addition. 2. Before nutrient addition, microbial respiration rates and biomass were higher for leaves than for wood. Respiration rates of microbes associated with wood showed a larger response to increased dissolved nutrient concentrations than respiration rates of microbes associated with leaves, suggesting that the response of microbes to increased dissolved nutrients was influenced by the quality of their substrate. 3. Overall, dissolved nutrients had strong positive effects on microbial respiration and fungal, but not bacterial, biomass, indicating that microbial respiration and fungi were nutrient limited. The concentration of nitrate in the enriched reaches was within the range of natural variation in forest streams, suggesting that natural variation in nitrate among forest streams influences carbon mineralisation and fungal biomass.     

凉水和帽儿山地区低级溪流生境和水质状况

为研究不同植被景观土地利用下低级溪流的生境状况和水质差异,对凉水国家级自然保护区红松原始林内和帽儿山国家森林公园境内天然次生林植被和农田背景下各3条溪流生境和水质状况进行调查。对溪流生物特性（悬浮藻、附着藻）和理化性质（温度、混浊度、溶解氧（DO）、pH、NH4^＋-N、NO3^-N、PO4^3-P、总氮（TN）和总磷（11P））以及细小颗粒有机物质（FPOM）和粗大有机物质（CPOM））进行测定。研究结果表明,凉水地区原始林溪流的生境状况好于帽儿山地区的次生林,帽儿山地区农田溪流生境最差。原始林溪流具有稳定的溪底生物生活基质,稳水区和急流区均匀分布,稳水区尺度变化大,受淀积物沉降干扰小,河道较弯曲,河岸稳定,河岸植被覆盖度高;次生林溪流以急流区为主,稳定基质相对较差,并受到一定程度的淀积物沉降干扰,河岸尚稳定,有一定程度的人为干扰;农田溪流基质不稳定,受到强烈淀积物沉降影响,渠道化严重,河岸带植被严重破坏。3种景观背景下溪流总磷（11P）、溶解氧（DO）、混浊度、温度、氮磷比值（N／P）（P〈0．05）存在显著差异。原始林溪流NH4^＋、DO、TP、TN、悬浮藻浓度和pH较高、附着藻数量较多,温度较低、FPOM和CPOM的数量较少;次生林溪流的NO3^--N、N／P和TDIN较高。 浊度较低;农田溪流浊度、温度、PO4^3--P较高,DO和pH较低,附着藻数量较少。景观尺度上的土地利用对溪流生境具有深刻的影响,同时决定溪流的水质状况。     

Runoff sources and land cover change in the Amazon: an end-member mixing analysis from small watersheds

The flowpaths by which water moves from watersheds to streams has important consequences for the runoff dynamics and biogeochemistry of surface waters in the Amazon Basin. The clearing of Amazon forest to cattle pasture has the potential to change runoff sources to streams by shifting runoff to more surficial flow pathways. We applied end-member mixing analysis (EMMA) to 10 small watersheds throughout the Amazon in which solute composition of streamwater and groundwater, overland flow, soil solution, throughfall and rainwater were measured, largely as part of the Large-Scale Biosphere-Atmosphere Experiment in Amazonia. We found a range in the extent to which streamwater samples fell within the mixing space determined by potential flowpath end-members, suggesting that some water sources to streams were not sampled. The contribution of overland flow as a source of stream flow was greater in pasture watersheds than in forest watersheds of comparable size. Increases in overland flow contribution to pasture streams ranged in some cases from 0% in forest to 27?C28% in pasture and were broadly consistent with results from hydrometric sampling of Amazon forest and pasture watersheds that indicate 17- to 18-fold increase in the overland flow contribution to stream flow in pastures. In forest, overland flow was an important contribution to stream flow (45?C57%) in ephemeral streams where flows were dominated by stormflow. Overland flow contribution to stream flow decreased in importance with increasing watershed area, from 21 to 57% in forest and 60?C89% in pasture watersheds of less than 10?ha to 0% in forest and 27?C28% in pastures in watersheds greater than 100?ha. Soil solution contributions to stream flow were similar across watershed area and groundwater inputs generally increased in proportion to decreases in overland flow. Application of EMMA across multiple watersheds indicated patterns across gradients of stream size and land cover that were consistent with patterns determined by detailed hydrometric sampling.     

Physico-chemistry and aquatic insects of a glacier-fed and a spring-fed alpine stream

1. Physico-chemical conditions and benthic macroinvertebrates were studied in two adjacent alpine streams in the Tyrolean Alps, Austria, for 2 years, and aquatic insect emergence was recorded for 1 year.
2. In the spring-fed system, maximum discharge and increased concentrations of suspended solids, nitrate and particulate phosphorus occurred during snowmelt in June. In the glacier-fed stream, high discharge and strong diel fluctuations in flow and concentrations of suspended solids created a harsh and unstable environment during summer. Glacial ablation, variation in groundwater inflow, and water inputs from tributaries draining calcareous rocks caused water chemistry to vary both seasonally and longitudinally in glacier-fed Rotmoosache.
3. A total of 126 aquatic or semi-aquatic invertebrate taxa were collected, 94 of which were found in the glacier-fed stream and 120 in the spring-fed stream. Chironomid abundance was 2–8 times and taxa richness 2–3 times lower in the glacier-fed stream than in the spring-fed stream, as was the number of chironomid taxa (72 versus 93 total).
4. These results broadly support the conceptual model by Milner & Petts (1994) concerning glacier-fed stream systems. However, single samples and seasonal means showed relatively high invertebrate abundance and richness, especially during winter, indicating a considerable degree of spatial and temporal variability.
5. We suggest that the seasonal shifts from harsh environmental conditions in summer to less severe conditions in autumn and a rather constant environment in winter are an important factor affecting larval development, life-history patterns and the maintenance of relatively high levels of diversity and productivity in glacier-fed streams.     

Longitudinal patterns in carbon and nitrogen fluxes and stream metabolism along an urban watershed continuum

An urban watershed continuum framework hypothesizes that there are coupled changes in (1) carbon and nitrogen cycling, (2) groundwater-surface water interactions, and (3) ecosystem metabolism along broader hydrologic flowpaths. It expands our understanding of urban streams beyond a reach scale. We evaluated this framework by analyzing longitudinal patterns in: C and N concentrations and mass balances, groundwater-surface interactions, and stream metabolism and carbon quality from headwaters to larger order streams. 52 monitoring sites were sampled seasonally and monthly along the Gwynns Falls watershed, which drains 170 km² of the Baltimore Long-Term Ecological Research site. Regarding our first hypothesis of coupled C and N cycles, there were significant inverse linear relationships between nitrate and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and nitrogen longitudinally (P < 0.05). Regarding our second hypothesis of coupled groundwater-surface water interactions, groundwater seepage and leaky piped infrastructure contributed significant inputs of water and N to stream reaches based on mass balance and chloride/fluoride tracer data. Regarding our third hypothesis of coupled ecosystem metabolism and carbon quality, stream metabolism increased downstream and showed potential to enhance DOC lability (e.g., ~4 times higher mean monthly primary production in urban streams than forest streams). DOC lability also increased with distance downstream and watershed urbanization based on protein and humic-like fractions, with major implications for ecosystem metabolism, biological oxygen demand, and CO₂ production and alkalinity. Overall, our results showed significant in-stream retention and release (0–100 %) of watershed C and N loads over the scale of kilometers, seldom considered when evaluating monitoring, management, and restoration effectiveness. Given dynamic transport and retention across evolving spatial scales, there is a strong need to longitudinally and synoptically expand studies of hydrologic and biogeochemical processes beyond a stream reach scale along the urban watershed continuum.     

Seasonal Variability of Particulate Organic Matter in a Mountain Stream in Central Spain

The aim of this paper was to study the influence of environmental characteristics of the Mediterranean climate on seasonal variability of particulate organic matter abundance in a mountain stream. Coarse and fine fractions of both suspended and benthic particulate organic matter were determined on 14 occasions between February 1998 and November 1999 in a second‐order Mediterranean stream in Central Spain (Arroyo Mediano). Temporal variability of suspended organic matter followed a seasonal pattern, attributed to litter‐fall inputs, instream processing, and the hydrological regime. Suspended organic matter (SOM) and its seasonal variability fall well within the range reported for streams in temperate non‐Mediterranean deciduous forest. However, we found no seasonal trend in benthic organic matter (BOM) storage, and it seems that the amount of BOM remained fairly constant throughout the year. Reach retention (evaluated as the ratio between BOM and SOM per m²) was higher in summer during reduced stream flow, mainly due to coarse particulate organic matter storage. These observations do not differ from those reported for other headwater streams in temperate forested biomes, from which we conclude that there was no evidence of a Mediterranean influence on particulate organic matter dynamics in the Mediano stream, nor probably in other headwater Mediterranean streams. (© 2006 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Contrasting nutrient exports from a forested and an agricultural catchment in south-eastern Australia

Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and total and inorganic nitrogen and phosphorus concentrations were determined over 3 years in headwater streams draining two adjacent catchments. The catchments are currently under different land use; pasture/grazing vs plantation forestry. The objectives of the work were to quantify C and nutrient export from these landuses and elucidate the factors regulating export. In both catchments, stream water dissolved inorganic nutrient concentrations exhibited strong seasonal variations. Concentrations were highest during runoff events in late summer and autumn and rapidly declined as discharge increased during winter and spring. The annual variation of stream water N and P concentrations indicated that these nutrients accumulated in the catchments during dry summer periods and were flushed to the streams during autumn storm events. By contrast, stream water DOC concentrations did not exhibit seasonal variation. Higher DOC and NO₃ ⁻ concentrations were observed in the stream of the forest catchment, reflecting greater input and subsequent breakdown of leaf-litter in the forest catchment. Annual export of DOC was lower from the forested catchment due to the reduced discharge from this catchment. In contrast however, annual export of nitrate was higher from the forest catchment suggesting that there was an additional NO₃ ⁻ source or reduction of a NO₃ ⁻ sink. We hypothesize that the denitrification capacity of the forested catchment has been significantly reduced as a consequence of increased evapotranspiration and subsequent decrease in streamflow and associated reduction in the near stream saturated area.     

The effects of forest on stream water quality in two coastal plain watersheds of the Chesapeake Bay

Forest had varying effects on stream nutrients in two coastal plain basins of the Delmarva Peninsula, USA. In the Choptank basin, forest was strongly associated with low stream total nitrogen (TN) and nitrate (NO₃⁻) concentrations (r²0.70), and forest placement along first order streams was important in maintaining low stream nitrogen (N) concentrations (r²0.35). In addition, a multiple regression model explained 40% of the stream total phosphorus (TP) variance and indicated that forest directly adjacent to streams (0–100 m) acted as a TP source and forest further away (100–300 m) from streams acted as a TP sink. In contrast, stream nutrients in the nearby Chester basin demonstrated a strong relationship with soil hydrologic properties. Forest had no significant effect on stream N and P because the finer-textured soils, higher stream slopes, and higher runoff potential of the Chester basin appeared to result in less baseflow compared to that in the Choptank basin. This reduced the opportunity for forest to intercept N via plant uptake and denitrification in the high runoff potential soils of the Chester basin. The high percentage of stormflow (40%) coupled with high stream slopes resulted in high soil erosion potential, which may explain the higher TP stream concentrations measured in the Chester compared to that in the Choptank. Differences in the hydrologic pathway appear to explain the different effects of forest on water quality in these two basins.     

Allochthonous coarse particulate organic material in forest and pasture reaches of two south-eastern Australian streams

1. Terrestrial plant litter entering two forest and two pasture sites on upland streams in south-eastern Australia was measured over a 2-year period using traps suspended above the streams. Laterally transported terrestrial plant litter was also determined in one stream, but found to be only 10% of the total. 2. Litter accession to traps suspended above the stream was significantly lower at both forested sites than was litter fall in the adjacent riparian vegetation. 3. Litter input was high (600–700g DW m^?2yr^?1) and seasonal, with 30–50% of the annual total entering the stream during December—February (summer). However, seasonality was not as great as that recorded in Northern Hemisphere deciduous forest streams. 4. Leaves comprised the largest litter component, but represented a relatively smaller proportion of the litter than is usually the case in Northern Hemisphere deciduous forest streams; in contrast bark was a relatively large proportion of the litter. 5. At the sites flowing through pasture, litter accession was about two orders of magnitude lower than at the forested sites.     

土地利用、溪流级别与溪流河水理化性质的关系

为研究土地利用对溪流水质的影响 ,对黑龙江省尚志市帽儿山境内阿什河流域的 1～ 5级溪流河水进行采样 ,同时记载森林覆盖度、邻近土地利用类型及地貌特征。对溪水样品的的 p H,浑浊度 ,NH 4- N、NO- 3- N和 PO3 3- P浓度进行分析测定。对不同溪流级别和土地利用类型的溪流河水进行分析。结果表明 :随着溪流级别的升高和土地利用类型由森林变为农田和村镇 ,溪流河水的 p H,浑浊度 ,NH 4- N、NO- 3- N和 PO3- 3- P浓度均显著升高。森林植被保存相对较好的 1、2级溪流水质最佳 ,但溪水中溶解无机磷和无机氮的浓度与美国温带地区相似的低级溪流相比 ,分别高 30倍和 1 0 0倍。河岸带破坏 ,土地利用的变化 ,放牧、樵采等频繁干扰造成的土壤侵蚀和养分流失输入是造成该流域溪流富营养化的主要原因     

The influence of elevated nitrate concentration on rate of leaf decomposition in a stream

SUMMARY.

• 1 Leaf decomposition was compared in two streams at the Coweeta Hydrologic Laboratory, North Carolina. U.S.A. One stream drains an undisturbed hardwood watershed, while the other drains a successional watershed subject to an insect outbreak. The successional watershed has elevated nitrate concentrations in the streamwater.
• 2 Both black locust (Robinia pseudo-acacia) and sweet birch (Betula lenta) leaf litter decomposed 2.8 times more rapidly in the stream with high nitrate concentrations.
• 3 The more rapid decay rates appeared to be partly due to accelerated microbial processing in response to nitrate enrichment, because microbial biomass (as ATP) was higher in the nitrate-enriched stream.
• 4 At each point in time, nitrogen and phosphorus content of the litter was lower in the high nitrate stream; however, there was no significant difference in nitrogen or phosphorus content at the same state of leaf decay in the two streams.

     

Factors controlling long-term changes in soil pools of exchangeable basic cations and stream acid neutralizing capacity in a northern hardwood forest ecosystem

Understanding the factors regulating the concentrations of basic cations in soils and surface waters is critical if rates of recovery are to be predicted in response to decreases in acidic deposition. Using a dynamic simulation model (PnET-BGC), we evaluated the extent to which atmospheric deposition of strong acids and associated leaching by strong anions, atmospheric deposition of basic cations through changes in emissions of particulate matter, and historical forest cutting have influenced soil pools of exchangeable basic cations and the acid-base status of stream water at the Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest (HBEF) in New Hampshire. Historical deposition of basic cations was reconstructed from regression relationships with particulate matter emissions. Simulation results indicate that the combination of these factors has resulted in changes in the percent soil base saturation, and stream pH and acid neutralizing capacity (ANC) from pre-industrial estimates of 20%, 6.3 and 45 eq L^–1, respectively, to current values of 10%, 5.0 and –5 eq L^–1, respectively. These current values fall within the critical thresholds at which forest vegetation and aquatic biotic are at risk from soil and surface water acidification due to acidic deposition. While the deposition of strong acid anions had the largest impact on the acid-base status of soil and stream water, the reduction in deposition of basic cations associated with reductions in particulate emissions was estimated to have contributed about 27% of the depletion in soil Ca²⁺ exchange pool and 15% of the decreases in stream water concentrations of basic cations. Decline in stream water concentrations of basic cation occurred under both increasing and decreasing exchangeable pools, depending on the process controlling the acid base status of the ecosystem. Model calculations suggest that historical forest cutting has resulted in only slight decreases in soil pools of exchangeable basic cations, and has had a limited effect on stream ANC over the long-term.     

Algal assemblages and their relationship with water quality in tropical Mexican streams with different land uses

This study analyzes the relationship between physical and chemical factors and the algal communities in tropical streams in micro-watersheds where >70% of their area has different land uses, specifically, cloud mountain forest, coffee plantations, and livestock pastures. Physical, chemical, and biological variables were measured monthly in each stream over a 1-year period. The concentrations of nitrates + nitrites, total suspended solids (TSS), and silica in the streams were found to differ during the dry and rainy seasons. Coffee-plantation streams showed the highest levels of suspended solids, nitrates + nitrites, and sulfates. Based on chlorophyll a concentration, the forest and coffee-plantation streams are oligo-mesotrophic, while pasture streams are meso-eutrophic. Forest streams displayed the lowest levels of richness and algal diversity, followed by coffee-plantation streams, whereas pasture streams were the most diverse. Chlorophyll a concentration and species richness depended on land use and season. Forest coverage was positively correlated with acidophilous and oligo-eutraphentic diatom species. Coffee coverage displayed a significant positive correlation with motile species and a significant negative correlation with pollution-sensitive diatom taxa. The results show that diatom assemblages responded to micro-watershed conditions and can be used to monitor the effects of land use on streams in tropical regions.     

Macroinvertebrate community traits and nitrate removal in stream sediments

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Deforestation of watersheds of Panama: nutrient retention and export to streams

A series of eight watersheds on the Pacific coast of Panama where conversion of mature lowland wet forest to pastures by artisanal burning provided watershed-scale experimental units with a wide range of forest cover (23, 29, 47, 56, 66, 73, 73, 91, and 92 %). We used these watersheds as a landscape-scale experiment to assess effects of degree of deforestation on within-watershed retention and hydrological export of atmospheric inputs of nutrients. Retention was estimated by comparing rainfall nutrient concentrations (volume-weighted to allow for evapotranspiration) to concentrations in freshwater reaches of receiving streams. Retention of rain-derived nutrients in these Panama watersheds averaged 77, 85, 80, and 62 % for nitrate, ammonium, dissolved organic N, and phosphate, respectively. Retention of rain-derived inorganic nitrogen, however, depended on watershed cover: retention of nitrate and ammonium in pasture-dominated watersheds was 95 and 98 %, while fully forested watersheds retained 65 and 80 % of atmospheric nitrate and ammonium inputs. Watershed forest cover did not affect retention of dissolved organic nitrogen and phosphate. Exports from more forested watersheds yielded DIN/P near 16, while pasture-dominated watersheds exported N/P near 2. The differences in magnitude of exports and ratios suggest that deforestation in these Panamanian forests results in exports that affect growth of plants and algae in the receiving stream and estuarine ecosystems. Watershed retention of dissolved inorganic nitrogen calculated from wet plus dry atmospheric deposition varied from 90 % in pasture- to 65 % in forest-dominated watersheds, respectively. Discharges of DIN to receiving waters from the watersheds therefore rose from 10 % of atmospheric inputs for pasture-dominated watersheds, to about 35 % of atmospheric inputs for fully forested watersheds. These results from watersheds with no agriculture or urbanization, but different conversion of forest to pasture by burning, show significant, deforestation-dependent retention within tropical watersheds, but also ecologically significant, and deforestation-dependent, exports that are biologically significant because of the paucity of nutrients in receiving tropical stream and coastal waters.