Lacustrine sediment/groundwater nutrient dynamics

A small pond in southwestern peninsular Florida was sampled to determine the areal and depth distribution of total phosphorus, total nitrogen, and organic matter. Concentrations of these constituents decreased from the center to the edge of the pond and from the top to the bottom of the sediments. At the center of the pond total phosphorus showed a secondary concentration peak at a depth of 20 to 40 cm in the sediments indicative of the downward transfer of soluble phosphorus during times of low water.A system of monitoring wells was installed at the pond to measure groundwater input and output nutrient concentrations. There was no difference in total groundwater nitrogen concentration across the pond but the mean increase in total phosphorus concentration between input and output wells, ca. 200 g1^–1, was statistically highly significant. The results suggest that whereas nitrogen is recycled from sediments to the pond and the atmosphere, the pond-sediment system loses some phosphorus to groundwater throughflow.