QEIB: A Spatially-Explicit Watershed-Scale Analysis of Nutrient Loading to Adirondack Lake Ecosystems

美国北部林区的湖泊在营养浓度和水质方面差异很大，这是因为分水岭中植被的组成和结构的自然变化，以及人类活动造成的投入的变化。大气污染是人类氮负荷的主要来源，而湖岸开发是磷负荷的主要来源。这项研究将使用一种新颖的、空间显式的建模方法来量化纽约阿迪朗达克公园内一组350多个湖泊的分水岭对营养物质浓度的控制。这项研究涉及对每个湖泊的化学成分进行采样，然后使用关于每个流域的地形和植被的数据集来估计不同植被类型的养分输入速率。这项研究还将研究湖岸植被如何改变流域其他部分的输入。阿迪朗达克公园是一个独特的公有和私有土地的混合体，超过一半的湖泊的海岸线是私人财产。阿迪朗达克公园管理局的工作人员认为，这项研究是识别湖泊的关键工具，这些湖泊对土地利用变化导致的营养负荷变化特别敏感。这项研究的结果还将用于为IES生态系统扫盲倡议(ELI)编写教材。这一倡议向教师、学生和公众提供教育宣传，以加深对人类福利如何依赖生态系统服务的理解。

Lakes of the northern forest regions of the U.S. vary widely in nutrient concentrations and water quality because of natural variation in the composition and configuration of vegetation in the watershed, and because of variation in inputs due to human activities. Air pollution is the dominant human source of nitrogen loading, and lakeshore development is a primary source of phosphorus loading. This research will use a novel, spatially-explicit modeling approach to quantify the watershed controls on nutrient concentrations across a set of more than 350 lakes within New York's Adirondack Park. The research involves sampling the chemistry of each of the lakes, and then using datasets on the topography and vegetation of each watershed to estimate the rates of nutrient input from different vegetation types. The research will also examine how lakeshore vegetation modifies inputs from the rest of the watershed. The Adirondack Park is a unique mix of public and private lands, and the shorelines of more than half of the lakes are in private property. Staff from the Adirondack Park Agency view this research as a critical tool in the identification of lakes that are particularly sensitive to changes in nutrient loading as a function of changes in land-use. Results from this research will also be used to develop teaching materials for the IES Ecosystem Literacy Initiative (ELI). This initiative provides educational outreach to teachers, students, and the public to develop an understanding of how human welfare depends on ecosystem services.