Collaborative Research: NO3-N Retention in Headwater Streams: Influences of Riparian Vegetation, Metabolism and Subsurface Process

Human activities have introduced massive quantities of nitrogen to both terrestrial and aquatic environments with detrimental effects on forests, rivers, and estuaries. Consequently, it is important to understand how and where natural processes retain and transform nitrogen as it moves across the landscape. Our research will focus on how headwater streams function as sites for retention of nitrogen with emphasis on microbial processes that return nitrogen to the atmosphere. The program design compares headwater streams that differ in their terrestrial settings and the degree with which streams interact with groundwater. Study sites in New Mexico, Tennessee, and North Carolina will be established to compare the influence of forest type (open or dense) and subsurface processes (streams on bedrock vs streams that exchange water with subsurface sediments) to assess how the biota of stream ecosystems effectively retain nitrogen and how these processes vary across the landscape. Abstract

Agency
National Science Foundation (NSF)
Institute
Division of Environmental Biology (DEB)
Application #
9815868
Program Officer
Mark R. Walbridge
Project Start
Project End
Budget Start
1999-06-01
Budget End
2004-03-31
Support Year
Fiscal Year
1998
Total Cost
$926,426
Indirect Cost
City
Blacksburg
State
VA
Country
United States
Zip Code
24061