Geography
Nitrogen and phosphorus concentrations in forest streams of the United States
Document Type
Article
Abstract
Seventy to eighty percent of the water flowing in rivers in the United States originates as precipitation in forests. This project developed a synoptic picture of the patterns in water chemistry for over 300 streams in small, forested watersheds across the United States. Nitrate (NO3-) concentrations averaged 0.31 mg N/L, with some streams averaging ten times this level. Nitrate concentrations tended to be higher in the northeastern United States in watersheds dominated by hardwood forests (especially hardwoods other than oaks) and in recently harvested watersheds. Concentrations of dissolved organic N (mean 0.32 mg N/L) were similar to those of NO3-, whereas ammonium (NH4+) concentrations were much lower (mean 0.05 mg N/L). Nitrate dominated the N loads of streams draining hardwood forests, whereas dissolved organic N dominated the streams in coniferous forests. Concentrations of inorganic phosphate were typically much lower (mean 12 mg P/L) than dissolved organic phosphate (mean 84 mg P/L). The frequencies of chemical concentrations in streams in small, forested watersheds showed more streams with higher NO3- concentrations than the streams used in national monitoring programs of larger, mostly forested watersheds. At a local scale, no trend in nitrate concentration with stream order or basin size was consistent across studies.
Publication Title
Journal of the American Water Resources Association
Publication Date
1-1-2004
Volume
40
Issue
5
First Page
1277
Last Page
1291
ISSN
1093-474X
DOI
10.1111/j.1752-1688.2004.tb01586.x
Keywords
forest hydrology, nonpoint source pollution, stream water quality, synopsis, watershed management
Repository Citation
Binkley, Dan; Ice, George G.; Kaye, Jason; and Williams, Christopher A., "Nitrogen and phosphorus concentrations in forest streams of the United States" (2004). Geography. 931.
https://commons.clarku.edu/faculty_geography/931