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Stream Water Chemistry in Mixed-Conifer Headwater Basins: Role of Water Sources, Seasonality, Watershed Characteristics, and Disturbances

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Abstract

Understanding the transport of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and nitrogen (N) as water flows through headwater basins is important for predicting downstream water quality. With increased recognition of climatic impact on nutrient transport, more studies are needed in headwater basins experiencing a Mediterranean-type climate, such as those of the Sierra Nevada, California. We analyzed water samples collected over 5 years from eight low-order and mixed-conifer watersheds to elucidate the temporal variation of water chemistry and evaluate their responses to prolonged drought and low-intensity forest thinning. We observed higher stream DOC concentrations in October compared to other months within water years prior to drought and thinning, suggesting the importance of antecedent moisture conditions on seasonal C export. In unthinned watersheds, stream DOC concentrations were lower (62%) and DOC aromaticity was higher (68 and 92%, depending on the index used) during drought compared to non-drought years. In thinned watersheds during drought years, stream water had higher DOC concentrations (66–94% in three consecutive years following thinning) and dissolved inorganic N (24%, in the third year following thinning) compared to unthinned watersheds during drought. Additionally, lower stream DOC concentrations were found in watersheds with higher elevations and lower drainage densities in the year with near-average precipitation; however, these correlations were not significant in years with greater or extremely low precipitation. Taken together, our results suggest that stream concentrations of DOC and dissolved N in Mediterranean headwater basins are extremely variable over time due to the high temporal climatic variabilities and periodic management practices.

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Data Availability

Data can be found at: https://doi.org/10.2737/RDS-2017-0037; https://doi.org/10.2737/RDS-2018-0028; https://doi.org/10.2737/RDS-2017-0040.

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Acknowledgements

This study was conducted in the Kings River Experimental Watersheds (KREW) project, which was established and is managed by the Pacific Southwest Research Station of the USDA Forest Service. The KREW study was implemented using funds from the National Fire Plan of the USDA Forest Service. Additional funding for this work was provided by the Pacific Southwest Research Station of the USDA Forest Service and the National Science Foundation through its support of the Southern Sierra Critical Zone Observatory (SSCZO; EAR-0725097, 1239521, and 1331939). We would like to thank many others from UC Merced for their dedicated work in collecting field samples and laboratory processing for the SSCZO project. We thank staff from the Pacific Southwest Research Station for their ongoing support of all aspects of KREW and for providing data and water samples for this research. We also thank Professors Amy Burgin and Sarah Ledford, and three anonymous reviewers for their helpful feedback on the manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Sierra Nevada Research Institute, University of California, Merced, California, USA

    Yang Yang, Stephen C. Hart, Erin M. Stacy, Morgan E. Barnes & Asmeret Asefaw Berhe

  2. Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of California, Merced, California, USA

    Stephen C. Hart, Morgan E. Barnes & Asmeret Asefaw Berhe

  3. Regional Water Quality Control Board, Colorado River Basin Region, Palm Desert, California, USA

    Emma P. McCorkle

  4. Pacific Southwest Research Station, Forest Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Fresno, California, USA

    Carolyn T. Hunsaker

  5. Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences, University of Nevada, Reno, Nevada, USA

    Dale W. Johnson

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  1. Yang Yang
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Correspondence to Yang Yang.

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Author Contributions

SCH and AAB developed the concept of this manuscript. YY, EPM, EMS, and SCH conducted laboratory analyses. CTH designed and implemented the KREW study, and CTH and DWJ contributed inorganic nitrogen data. MEB performed preliminary data analyses. YY conducted the full data analyses and drafted the manuscript. All authors contributed to revisions.

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Yang, Y., Hart, S.C., McCorkle, E.P. et al. Stream Water Chemistry in Mixed-Conifer Headwater Basins: Role of Water Sources, Seasonality, Watershed Characteristics, and Disturbances. Ecosystems 24, 1853–1874 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10021-021-00620-0

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