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ARS Home » Plains Area » Temple, Texas » Grassland Soil and Water Research Laboratory » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #355422
Research Project: Resilient Management Systems and Decision Support Tools to Optimize Agricultural Production and Watershed Responses from Field to National Scale

Location: Grassland Soil and Water Research Laboratory

Title: Carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus stoichiometric response to hydrologic extremes in a tributary to Lake Erie, USA

Author
item Smith, Douglas
item JARVIE, H - Centre For Ecology And Hydrology

Submitted to: Agricultural and Environmental Letters
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 11/5/2018
Publication Date: 12/13/2018
Publication URL: https://handle.nal.usda.gov/10113/6471224
Citation: Smith, D.R., Jarvie, H.P. 2018. Carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus stoichiometric response to hydrologic extremes in a tributary to Lake Erie, USA. Agricultural and Environmental Letters. 3:180043. https://doi.org/10.2134/ael2018.08.0043.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.2134/ael2018.08.0043

Interpretive Summary: Human activities, such as urbanization or agriculture, can result in impaired water quality. We evaluated how hydrologic extremes (the very lowest and highest flows) affect carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus stoichiometry in a tile drained agricultural watershed that serves as a tributary to Lake Erie. Water samples collected between 2003 and 2008 from three sites along one agricultural drainage ditch and one site on a stream that receives the water from the drainage ditch were analyzed for carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus. The nutrient concentrations were compared against the Redfield Ratio, which is documented to be the ideal for ratio of carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus to result in algal proliferation. Nitrogen was depleted relative to carbon and phosphorus at two sites, and phosphorus was depleted relative to nitrogen and carbon at the third site. Tile drainage nitrogen losses during high flows shifted stoichiometry toward the Redfield ratio. Stoichiometry in the third order stream was near the Redfield Ratio at both hydrologic extremes likely from wastewater treatment plant effluent. This study demonstrates the clear role of hydrology in shifting stream water nutrient stoichiometry.

Technical Abstract: Human activities can result in impaired water quality. We evaluated how hydrologic extremes (5th and 95th percentile of flow) affect carbon (C), nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) stoichiometry in a tile drained agricultural watershed that serves as a tributary to Lake Erie. Water samples collected between 2003 and 2008 from three sites along one agricultural drainage ditch and one site on a stream that receives the water from the drainage ditch were analyzed for C, N and P. The C/N/P concentrations were transformed to compare against the Redfield Ratio (106 C/16 N/1 P), ideal for algal proliferation. Nitrogen was depleted relative to C and P at two sites, and P was depleted relative to N and C at the third site. Tile drainage N losses during high flows shifted stoichiometry toward the Redfield ratio. Stoichiometry in the third order stream was near the Redfield Ratio at both hydrologic extremes likely from wastewater treatment plant effluent. This study demonstrates the clear role of hydrology in shifting stream water nutrient stoichiometry.