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ARS Home » Plains Area » Las Cruces, New Mexico » Range Management Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #256303
Title: Cross-site comparisons of precipitation and surface water chemistry

Author
item DRISCOLL, CHARLES - Syracuse University
item GROFFMAN, PETER - Institute Of Ecosystem Studies
item BLAIR, JOHN - Kansas State University
item LUGO, ARIEL - Us Forest Service (FS)
item LANEY, CHRISTINE - New Mexico State University
item Peters, Debra

Submitted to: Book Chapter
Publication Type: Book / Chapter
Publication Acceptance Date: 10/15/2011
Publication Date: 11/20/2013
Citation: Driscoll, C.T., Groffman, P.M., Blair, J.M., Lugo, A.E., Laney, C.M., Peters, D.C. 2013. Cross-site comparisons of precipitation and surface water chemistry. In: Peters, D.P.C., Laney, C.M., Lugo, A.E., et al., editors. Long-Term Trends in Ecological Systems: A Basis for Understanding Responses to Global Change. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Technical Bulletin Number 1931. p. 46-50.

Interpretive Summary: This chapter tests two hypotheses related to patterns in biogeochemistry across sites: (1) patterns in atmospheric deposition over the past 20 years are different for the eastern and western parts of the U.S., and (2) changes in atmospheric deposition are related to changes in human population density for some sites. The multi-site, long-term data in biogeochemistry and human population strongly support the hypotheses. The results illustrate that the effects of human activities on biogeochemistry vary regionally and across the continent, and demonstrate that cross-site comparisons of long-term data can provide new insights into the spatial patterns of transport and cycling of elements and compounds.

Technical Abstract: Measurements of pools and fluxes of transport or cycling of elements and compounds through the biotic and abiotic components provide critical information about the function of ecosystems. Because the time for a molecule to be completely transported through an ecosystem may be decades to millennia, long-term data provide one of the few means to estimate how ecosystems use and respond to changes in inputs of nutrients and toxic substances. This chapter tests two hypotheses related to patterns in biogeochemistry across sites: (1) patterns in atmospheric deposition over the past 20 years are different for the eastern and western parts of the U.S., and (2) changes in atmospheric deposition are related to changes in human population density for some sites. Long-term data, collected at multiple sites across the US, in chemical measurements in wet deposition, e.g., sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxide, and ammonia emission data, and in human population size support both hypotheses. The results illustrate that the effects of human activities on biogeochemistry vary regionally and across the continent, and demonstrate that cross-site comparisons of long-term data can provide new insights into the spatial patterns of transport and cycling of elements and compounds.