Evidence for a Regime Shift in Nitrogen Export from a Forested Watershed

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dc.contributor.authorWebster, Jackson R.en
dc.contributor.authorKnoepp, Jennifer D.en
dc.contributor.authorSwank, W. T.en
dc.contributor.authorMiniat, Chelcy F.en
dc.contributor.departmentBiological Sciencesen
dc.date.accessioned2020-04-21T13:12:35Zen
dc.date.available2020-04-21T13:12:35Zen
dc.date.issued2016-08en
dc.description.abstractIn this study, we document a functional regime shift in stream inorganic nitrogen (N) processing indicated by a major change in N export from a forested watershed. Evidence from 36 years of data following experimental clearcut logging at Coweeta Hydrologic Laboratory, NC, suggests that forest disturbance in this area can cause elevation of dissolved inorganic N (DIN) loss lasting decades or perhaps longer. This elevation of N export was apparently caused by an initial pulse of organic matter input, reduced vegetation uptake, increased mineralization of soil organic N, and N fixation by black locust-associated bacteria following clearcut logging. In forested reference watersheds at Coweeta, maximum DIN concentration occurs in summer when base flow is low, but the clearcut watershed shifted to a pattern of maximum winter DIN concentration. The seasonal pattern of DIN concentration and export from reference watersheds can be explained by terrestrial and in-stream processes, but following clearcutting, elevated DIN availability saturated both terrestrial and in-stream uptake, and the N export regime became dominated by hydrologic transport. We suggest that the long-term elevation of stream DIN concentration and export along with the changes in seasonality of DIN export and the relationship between concentration and discharge represent a functional regime shift initiated by forest disturbance.en
dc.description.adminPublic domain – authored by a U.S. government employeeen
dc.description.notesWe thank Bobbie Niederlehner for help with the statistical analyses. Many of the ideas in this paper resulted from discussions with Drs. Rhett Jackson, Durrell Scott, Stephen Schoenholtz, Jeb Barrett, Kevin McGuire, Brian Strahm, Mary Beth Adams, Sheila Christopher, and Charley Kelly. We also appreciate the helpful comments from two anonymous reviewers. The WS 7 study was supported by the USDA Forest Service, Southern Research Station, Coweeta Hydrologic Laboratory, and by a series of grants from the National Science Foundation. This analysis of long-term data was supported by NSF grant DEB0823293 to the Coweeta LTER program at the University of Georgia and by Coweeta Hydrologic Laboratory.en
dc.description.sponsorshipUSDA Forest ServiceUnited States Department of Agriculture (USDA)United States Forest Service; Southern Research StationUnited States Department of Agriculture (USDA)United States Forest Service; Coweeta Hydrologic Laboratory; National Science FoundationNational Science Foundation (NSF); NSFNational Science Foundation (NSF) [DEB0823293]en
dc.format.mimetypeapplication/pdfen
dc.identifier.doihttps://doi.org/10.1007/s10021-016-9974-1en
dc.identifier.eissn1435-0629en
dc.identifier.issn1432-9840en
dc.identifier.issue5en
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/10919/97849en
dc.identifier.volume19en
dc.language.isoenen
dc.rightsCreative Commons CC0 1.0 Universal Public Domain Dedicationen
dc.rights.urihttp://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/en
dc.subjectwatersheden
dc.subjectNitrogenen
dc.subjectbudgeten
dc.subjectregime shiften
dc.subjectclearcuttingen
dc.subjectstreamen
dc.titleEvidence for a Regime Shift in Nitrogen Export from a Forested Watersheden
dc.title.serialEcosystemsen
dc.typeArticle - Refereeden
dc.type.dcmitypeTexten
dc.type.dcmitypeStillImageen

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