The analyses of soil and water for determinations of nitrogen fate and transfer in agricultural riparian zones

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Riparian wetlands are understood to effectively reduce the transfer of chemicals from agricultural lands, yet nitrate loading in ground water and surface water remains a problem. An improved understanding of when and why riparian wetlands do not attenuate nitrate is needed. At present, knowledge of temporal patterns in the fate and transport of nitrogen is lacking. Pre-event antecedent conditions may play an important role in governing temporal patterns in nitrogen dynamics through their effect on soil nitrogen transformations, runoff pathways, and the interaction of these two variables.  Laboratory instrumentation is required to quantify nutrients in runoff and soil extracts to characterize and quantify such processes. This equipment will make it possible for me to address three objectives: (1) to identify and quantify the hydrologic and biogeochemical controls on nitrogen fate and transport in riparian soils; 2) to characterize hydrologic controls on the fate and transfer of nitrogen in an agricultural riparian wetland in Southern Ontario when hydrochemical inputs to the wetland originate from dual sources (upland, upstream); and (3) to quantify the effects of antecedent hydrologic conditions (AHC) on event-based nitrogen transfer.   The above project (and any other project involving the fate and transfer of chemicals in the environment) requires a means of analyzing both water samples and extracts from soils. The ability to analyze all of my samples within my own lab on a single instrument will significantly improve my research capabilities, particularly because it facilitates temporally-intensive research (e.g. storm-based sampling and analyses). This equipment is robust and versatile in the types of analyses that it is capable of and will be needed for many years to come.