Ecosystem Controls on the Biogeochemical Processing of Watershed-Derived Nitrogen in Tidal Rivers

彼得森-9815598由于沿海流域的开发，从流域到河口的氮素输入正在增加。需要更好地了解氮在河口的去向，以改进对耦合流域和河口的管理。我们建议通过使用氮循环示踪剂来确定分水岭衍生的硝酸盐在河口的命运。这种示踪剂使得测量氮如何在整个生态系统中从猎物到捕食者，从水到沉积物成为可能。我们将通过比较河流流量高和低时氮示踪剂在河口的移动来研究河流流量对氮循环的影响。同样，对有和没有大面积潮滩的河口的氮流进行比较，将显示河口的整体形状如何影响氮循环。来自这些示踪剂实验的氮循环数据将被用于改进和测试预测分水岭衍生氮在河口的去向的模型。

ABSTRACTPeterson- 9815598 Nitrogen inputs from watersheds to estuaries are increasing due to coastal watershed development. A better understanding of the fate of nitrogen in estuaries is needed to improve management of coupled watersheds and estuaries. We propose to determine the fate of watershed-derived nitrate in estuaries by use of a nitrogen cycle tracer. The tracer makes it possible to measure how nitrogen moves throughout the ecosystem from prey to predators and from the water to sediments. We will study how river discharge affects the nitrogen cycle by comparing how the nitrogen tracer moves in estuaries during high and low river discharge. Likewise comparison of nitrogen flow in estuaries with and without extensive tidal flats will show how the overall shape of estuaries affects the nitrogen cycle. The nitrogen cycle data from these tracer experiments will be used to improve and test models that predict the fate of watershed-derived nitrogen in estuaries.