How do chronic nutrient loading and the duration of nutrient pulses affect nutrient uptake in headwater streams?

Weigelhofer, Gabriele; Ramião, José Pedro; Puritscher, Annette; Hein, Thomas

doi:10.1007/s10533-018-0518-y

Cited by 16 publications

(20 citation statements)

References 47 publications

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“…For example, EPC 0 can change following storm events or changes in sediment sources due to new sediments depositing on the streambed (Emelko et al., 2016; McDowell et al., 2019). Excessive DRP loading could overwhelm the capacity of the sediment P buffer, weakening the P uptake potential in the stream (Marti et al., 2004; Meyer, 1979; Weigelhofer et al., 2018b). In a way, sediment EPC 0 integrates past biogeochemical changes in the stream network, including the history of sediment exposure to DRP (Hamilton, 2012; Jarvie et al., 2005), which may influence current, in‐stream P cycling.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Sediment phosphorus buffering in streams at baseflow: A meta‐analysis

et al. 2021

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Phosphorus (P) pollution of surface waters remains a challenge for protecting and improving water quality. Central to the challenge is understanding what regulates P concentrations in streams. This quantitative review synthesizes the literature on a major control of P concentrations in streams at baseflow-the sediment P bufferto better understand streamwater-sediment P interactions. We conducted a global meta-analysis of sediment equilibrium phosphate concentrations at net zero sorption (EPC 0), which is the dissolved reactive P (DRP) concentration toward which sediments buffer solution DRP. Our analysis of 45 studies and >900 paired observations of DRP and EPC 0 showed that sediments often have potential to remove or release P to the streamwater (83% of observations), meaning that "equilibrium" between sediment and streamwater is rare. This potential for P exchange is moderated by sediment and stream characteristics, including sorption affinity, stream pH, exchangeable P concentration, and particle sizes. The potential for sediments to modify streamwater DRP concentrations is often not realized owing to other factors (e.g., hydrologic interactions). Sediment surface chemistry, hyporheic exchange, and biota can also influence the potential exchange of P between sediments and the streamwater. Methodological choices significantly influenced EPC 0 determination and thus the estimated potential for P exchange; we therefore discuss how to measure and report EPC 0 to best suit research objectives and aid in interstudy comparison. Our results enhance understanding of the sediment P buffer and inform how EPC 0 can be effectively applied to improve management of aquatic P pollution and eutrophication.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Sediment phosphorus buffering in streams at baseflow: A meta‐analysis

et al. 2021

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“…We then should conclude that our streams did not experience saturation during the enrichments. Likewise, a significant number of studies conducting both plateau and slug additions reported uptake curves (i.e., U-C) deviating from M-M saturation models or reflecting only the linear "unsaturated" range of the M-M curve (e.g., Dodds et al, 2002;O'Brien et al, 2007;Trentman et al, 2015;Weigelhofer et al, 2018).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Analysis of pulses additions can also take advantage of the entire range of concentrations observed during the enrichment to estimate nutrient uptake. Determining nutrient retention under multiple enrichment levels is particularly important to systems exposed to variable loads (Weigelhofer et al, 2018), where nutrient uptake is likely to be controlled by the biofilm kinetics (Dodds et al, 2002). Moreover, slug additions can be used to estimate nutrient uptake during nonsteady-state hydrological conditions (Ribot et al, 2019;Runkel et al, 1998;Wollheim et al, 2017).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Comparing spiraling‐ and transport‐based approaches to estimate in‐stream nutrient uptake length from pulse additions

et al. 2021

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The distance that a nutrient travels as a solute before its removal from the stream water column is known as the uptake length (S W ), which is a functional indicator of environmental quality and integrity. Among nutrient enrichment methods, instantaneous nutrient addition (e.g., slug or pulse) have been proposed as an alternative to plateau and labeled nutrient approaches. Two approaches have been commonly used to estimate S W and its associated metrics (i.e., areal uptake rate, U; and uptake velocity, V f ) from pulse additions: the spiraling approach, based on the longitudinal variation in nutrient concentrations, and the transport modeling approach, based on the advective and dispersive transport of solutes. However, little is known in how the choice of such analytical methods impacts the estimation of stream uptake parameters and the conclusions we draw from them. Here, we estimated the S W and V f of ammonium-nitrogen (NH 4 -N) and soluble reactive phosphorus (SRP) from 16 pulsed additions conducted in four low-order streams in southeastern Brazil. We compared metrics estimated by the Tracer Additions for Spiraling Curve Characterization (TASCC) and the One-Dimensional Transport with Inflow and Storage (OTIS) methods, based on the spiraling-and transport-based approaches, respectively. The TASCC:OTIS S W ratio averaged 0.71 for NH 4 -N and 1.01 for SRP, whereas the mean of TASCC:OTIS V f ratio was 2.04 for NH 4 -N and 1.03 for SRP. The results showed that both S W and V f estimates differed significantly between methods for NH 4 -N, but no statistical differences were observed in SRP estimates. In our study, we highlighted the significant effects of transient storage and variable nutrient concentration on pulsed enrichments. Such information should be considered when choosing which method is appropriate to use for a particular site. Differences between modeling approaches must be addressed when comparing methods to expand our knowledge on broad temporal and spatial patterns of in-stream nutrient uptake.

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“…The EPC 0 is a common tool to assess P sorption interactions between sediments and the water column in streams, as it estimates the phosphorus buffering capacity of benthic sediments [44,69]. EPC 0 is sensitive to hydrological events [37,44], fresh sediment inputs [70,71], and excessive SRP loads due to point source and diffuse pollution [70]. Furthermore, EPC 0 can incorporate information on past biogeochemical changes in the stream network, affecting in-stream P cycling [44].…”

Section: Effects Of the Two-stage Ditch And The Floodplain On Sediment Processesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effects of Two-Stage Ditch and Natural Floodplains on Sediment Processes Driven by Different Hydrological Conditions

Baldan

Pucher

Akbari

et al. 2021

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The two-stage ditch is a river restoration technique that aims at improving the sediment regime and lateral channel connectivity by recreating a small floodplain alongside a stream reach. This study aimed to analyze the efficiency of a two-stage ditch in improving the stream sediment structure and functions under different hydrological conditions (baseflow, post-bankfull, post-flood). Stream sediments were collected in channel sections adjacent to the two-stage ditch, adjacent to a natural floodplain along channelized reaches without inundation areas. Grain sizes, organic matter content and phosphorous (P) fractions were analyzed along with functional parameters (benthic respiration rate and P adsorption capacity, EPC0). The reach at the two-stage ditch showed no changes in sediment texture and stocks, while the floodplain reach showed higher fines and organic matter content under all hydrological conditions. The sediments in degraded reaches were more likely to be P sources, while they were more in equilibrium with the water column next to the natural floodplains and the two-stage ditch. Only functional parameters allowed for assessing the restoration effects on improving the sediment stability and functionality. Due to its sensitivity, the use of P adsorption capacity is recommended in future studies aiming at evaluating the response of river sediments to restoration measures under different hydrological conditions.

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How do chronic nutrient loading and the duration of nutrient pulses affect nutrient uptake in headwater streams?

Cited by 16 publications

References 47 publications

Sediment phosphorus buffering in streams at baseflow: A meta‐analysis

Sediment phosphorus buffering in streams at baseflow: A meta‐analysis

Comparing spiraling‐ and transport‐based approaches to estimate in‐stream nutrient uptake length from pulse additions

Effects of Two-Stage Ditch and Natural Floodplains on Sediment Processes Driven by Different Hydrological Conditions

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