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

据了解，河岸湿地可以有效地减少农田的化学物质转移，但地下水和地表水中的硝酸盐负荷仍然是一个问题。需要更好地理解河岸湿地何时以及为什么不能削弱硝酸盐。目前，关于氮的去向和运输的时间模式的知识还很缺乏。前置条件可能通过对土壤氮素转化、径流途径的影响以及这两个变量的相互作用，在控制氮素动态的时间模式中发挥重要作用。实验室仪器需要量化径流和土壤提取物中的养分，以表征和量化这些过程。这一设备将使我有可能实现三个目标：(1)确定和量化对河岸土壤中氮素去向和迁移的水文和生物地球化学控制；(2)表征对安大略省南部农业河岸湿地中氮素去向和迁移的水文控制，当湿地的水化学输入来自双源(高地，上游)时；(3)量化先前水文条件(AHC)对基于事件的氮素转移的影响。在一台仪器上分析我自己实验室内的所有样本的能力将显著提高我的研究能力，特别是因为它促进了时间密集型研究(例如基于风暴的采样和分析)。这种设备在分析类型上是坚固耐用的，它能够并将在未来许多年需要这些类型的分析。

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.