Complexity Digest 2001.16 - 05.02

16-Apr-2001

Control of Nitrogen Export From Watersheds By Headwater Streams, Science Bookmark and Share

Excerpts: Nitrogen (N) loading of terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems is increasing worldwide as a result of human activities such as fertilizer application, N fixation by legume crops, human and animal waste disposal, and fossil fuel combustion. As terrestrial ecosystems become saturated with N, excess N moves with surface runoff and groundwater flow to streams, lakes, rivers, and coastal oceans. (…) Results from this (…) study (…) demonstrate how watershed-derived N is processed in stream channels and how these transformations affect the export of N to downstream ecosystems.