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Quantifying the frequency of synchronous carbon and nitrogen export to the river network

  • Biogeochemistry Letters
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Abstract

The biogeochemical cycles of carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) are inextricably linked for a range of reactions. For coupled reactions such as denitrification to occur, however, solutes must be found together in space and time. Using the framework of concentration-discharge (c-Q) relationships, we examine the frequency of synchronous C and N export (i.e. identical c-Q behavior) across a river network using > 5 years of high-frequency sensor data. We demonstrate that across space and time the export of C and N to a river network is asynchronous 57% of the time. The probability of simultaneous export in largely forested watersheds demonstrates little temporal structure, while in more human-impacted watersheds, we observe the highest frequency of asynchronous c-Q behavior. We discuss the implications of synchronous c-Q behavior for solute flux estimation models and develop a theoretical framework for predicting where within a landscape we expect the probability of coupled C and N reactions to be greatest. By simultaneously comparing the variability in C and N c-Q relationships we develop an integrated framework for predicting synchronous export of solutes.

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Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank the Water Quality Analysis Lab at the University of New Hampshire for assistance with sample analysis and field support and especially Jody Potter and Lisle Snyder. This project was funded by the National Science Foundation and EPSCoR projects Canary in the Watershed (NSF EPS-1929148) and Ecosystems and Society (NSF EPS-1101245). Partial funding was also provided by the New Hampshire Agricultural Experiment Station. This is scientific contribution 2879. This work was supported by the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture (McIntire-Stennis) Project (1006760). The authors acknowledge the efforts of two anonymous reviewers whose suggestions greatly improved the manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Natural Resources and the Environment, University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH, 03824, USA

    Adam S. Wymore, Hannah M. Fazekas & William H. McDowell

  2. National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, 93101, USA

    Adam S. Wymore & Hannah M. Fazekas

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  1. Adam S. Wymore
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Correspondence to Adam S. Wymore.

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Wymore, A.S., Fazekas, H.M. & McDowell, W.H. Quantifying the frequency of synchronous carbon and nitrogen export to the river network. Biogeochemistry 152, 1–12 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10533-020-00741-z

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