Understanding how nutrients move through forested watersheds is important for determining the influences of natural processes and people. New techniques will be used to study the fate of two important elements, carbon and nitrogen. Interrelationships of these elements affect ecosystem productivity and the cycling of other elements.
Research will be done in a variety of landscape types (e.g., upland forests, wetlands and streams) which cycle carbon and nitrogen differently. Since these zones are common throughout the northeast United States and southeast Canada, findings will have general application. Results can be used in evaluating the effects of land usage and climatic change on carbon and nitrogen cycling.
