Diurnal and seasonal variation in nitrate-nitrogen concentrations of groundwater in a saturated buffer zone

Miller, Joseph B.; Peterson, Eric W.; Budikova, Dagmar

doi:10.1007/s10040-018-1907-y

Cited by 9 publications

(10 citation statements)

References 44 publications

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“…This is because the switchgrass in the SBZ have well-developed root system (Schimel, 1986) that absorbs NO3 --N for growth during the growing season. The lower concentrations of NO3 --N within the vadose zone underlying the plots with plants (Table 2 and Figure 10) occurs in response to plant growth during the growing season, which is consistent with the removal of NO3 --N by plants (Miller et al, 2018;Taye, 2016). In addition, when the plants die and the organic matter (decays) is released it provides a source of carbon for the denitrifying bacteria lowering NO3 --N in the soil.…”

Section: Barren Plotsupporting

confidence: 70%

“…Tile drainage can be diverted into the buffer as surface flow or subsurface flow to restore the connection between the tile and the soils (Jaynes and Isenhart, 2014) rather than discharging directly into streams. Tile-drainage diversion into SBZ can result in the reduction of nitrate loading (Miller et al, 2018;Tomer et al, 2017) by temporary or permanent removal (Hill, 1996). To achieve nutrient removal capabilities within SBZs that has been established in tiledrained landscapes, the hydrology between the uplands drained by tiles and the buffer has to be reconnected (Jaynes and Isenhart, 2014).…”

Section: Sbz and How They Workmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Through uptake, plants serve as an N-sink when alive. During assimilation, the plants absorb some portion of the nitrate from diverted tile, and the remaining nitrate is used by micro-organisms found in the soil or within the subsurface (Miller et al, 2018). The micro-organisms create organic nitrogen ( Figure 2) and converts the dissolved organic nitrogen (DON) to ammonium ion (NH4 + ) through ammonification.…”

Section: Sbz and How They Workmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The observed NO3 --N concentration in the SBZ were of a magnitude lower than an active farm because no fertilizers were applied on the SBZ following the transition to switchgrass prairie over six years ago. The switchgrass has been observed to assimilate nitrate (Miller et al, 2018), suggesting that plants have been serving as a nitrate sink.…”

Section: Barren Plotmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Nitrate Transport in the Unsaturated Zone

Bosompemaa¹,

Peterson²,

Perry³

et al. 2019

Geological Society of America Abstracts With Programs

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Section: Barren Plotsupporting

confidence: 70%

Section: Sbz and How They Workmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Sbz and How They Workmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Barren Plotmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

Nitrate Transport in the Unsaturated Zone

Bosompemaa¹,

Peterson²,

Perry³

et al. 2019

Geological Society of America Abstracts With Programs

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“…Seasonal changes in solar radiation influence the growth of aquatic plants and algae by controlling photosynthesis [7,43,66]. While photosynthesis creates a complex set of interactions, the highest rates of plant and algal NO 3 -assimilation are reported during periods of greater sunlight [88,89]. The absence of a correlation between ∆NO 3 -N values and visible light at all depths suggest that photosynthesis is not a direct factor controlling NO 3 -N removal (Figure 7).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Transport and Fate of Nitrate in the Streambed of a Low-Gradient Stream

Peterson

Hayden

2018

Hydrology

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The transport and fate of nitrate (NO 3 − ) to in the top 15 cm of a streambed has been well-documented, but an understanding of greater depths is limited. This work examines the transport and fate of nitrate (NO 3 − ) at depths of 30 cm, 60 cm, 90 cm, and 150 cm below the stream-streambed interface. Concentrations of nitrate as nitrogen (NO 3 -N) and chloride (Cl − ) were measured in the waters from the streambed, the stream water, and the groundwater. Mixing models predicted values of ∆NO 3 -N, the difference between measured NO 3 -N and theoretical NO 3 -N. At a 30-cm depth, the mean ∆NO 3 -N value was −0.25 mg/L, indicating a deficit of NO 3 -N and the removal of NO 3 -N from the system. At deeper levels, the values of ∆NO 3 -N began to approach zero, reaching a mean value of −0.07 mg/L at 150 cm. The reduction of NO 3 -N does not appear to be controlled by vegetation, as it was not correlated to either temperature or visible light. Larger negative ∆NO 3 -N values (more removal) occur when stream NO 3 -N concentrations are higher and organic matter is present.Hydrology 2018, 5, 55 2 of 17 Spatial variability in the distribution and composition of microbial communities, the concentrations of dissolved oxygen (DO), the concentration of organic matter (OM), and the concentration and species of nitrogen within the streambed control the rate of N removal [35,[39][40][41][42][43]. Longer residence time of the waters in the streambed correlate to enhanced reduction of NO 3 -N concentrations [44]. Seasonal variation of NO 3 -N concentrations in midwestern streams has been observed [45,46]; the variations are attributed to precipitation, fertilizer application, rate of stream water discharge, and the concentration of dissolved organic carbon in pore water within the streambed [3,4,6]. Concentrations of NO 3 -N tend to be higher during early spring following the application of fertilizers and when more frequent and higher magnitude precipitation events increase runoff. Nitrate concentrations are typically lowest during summer, when there is a limited source of NO 3 -N and there is increased uptake from growing plants [38,45]. The rate of denitrification, which is lowest during the winter months (November to March) and highest in early spring and summer (April to July), influences the seasonal variation of NO 3 -N concentrations in streams [4,47]. Moreover, the decrease in winter denitrification rates is attributed to a decrease in temperature and in microbial activity. Elevated denitrification rates during spring and summer are correlated to increased NO 3 -N entering the system and to increased amounts of decaying foliage entering the stream, providing OM for the denitrifying microbes.Nitrate removal in stream ecosystems is thought to occur disproportionately in zones with long residence times that facilitate the contact of reactive solutes with high biotic capacity for biogeochemical processing [42,48]. Despite studies indicating that significant microbial processes occur up to several meters below the streambed, the...

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