20th Century Atmospheric Deposition and Acidification Trends in Lakes of the Sierra Nevada, California, USA

Heard, Andrea M.; Sickman, James O.; Bennett, Danuta M.; Lucero, D. M.; Mélack, John M.; Curtis, Jason H.

doi:10.1021/es500934s

Cited by 15 publications

(17 citation statements)

References 51 publications

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“…, Heard et al. ). Moat Lake was selected because it has a history of water chemistry sampling, is N‐limited, and is relatively accessible (~1.5 mile hike).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Nitrogen assessment points: development and application to high‐elevation lakes in the Sierra Nevada, California

Heard

Sickman

2016

Ecosphere

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Abstract. Increased nitrogen (N) inputs to oligotrophic high-elevation lakes are contributing to long-term eutrophication, changes in nutrient cycles, and shifts in phytoplankton communities. State of California water quality standards do not adequately protect mountain lake ecosystems from atmospheric deposition, including lakes in national parks and other protected areas. The development of quantitative nutrient assessment points based on measurable ecological effects specific to high-elevation lakes is an important step in long-term protection of these ecosystems. We conducted in situ bioassay experiments during the phytoplankton growing season and modeled the response of phytoplankton to nutrient additions using algal growth models. Phytoplankton responded to nutrient additions (N and N + phosphorus) in five of seven experiments conducted in N-limited lakes. Results were modeled using Michaelis-Menten, Monod, and dose-response curves and used to calculate effective doses (ED) for excess phytoplankton growth. The 10%, 50%, and 90% ED estimates were determined for early and late hydrologic seasons. Results for the 10% ED were 0.33 (early hydrologic season) and 0.89 (late hydrologic season), the 50% ED were 1.0 μmol/L (early hydrologic season) and 4.0 μmol/L (late hydrologic season), and the 90% ED were 3.1 μmol/L (early hydrologic season) and 18 μmol/L (late hydrologic season). We then applied these assessment points to lake chemistry data from the National Park Service's Inventory and Monitoring Program to assess the status of lakes across Yosemite, Sequoia, and Kings Canyon national parks. Mean nitrate concentration during the growing season was 4.58 μmol/L and ranged from <0.04 to 11.8 μmol/L (n = 75). The 10% ED were exceeded by 28% (late hydrologic season) and 37% (early hydrologic season) of lakes, the 50% ED were exceeded by 18% (late hydrologic season) and 29% (early hydrologic season) of lakes, and the 90% ED were exceeded by 0.0% (late hydrologic season) and 21% (early hydrologic season) of lakes. Our results suggest that phytoplankton populations in many Sierra Nevada lakes are affected by N deposition based on exceedance of growth assessment points. The most sensitive lakes are typically found at higher elevations in watersheds with steep, north-facing slopes and minimal vegetation.

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“…, Heard et al. ). Moat Lake was selected because it has a history of water chemistry sampling, is N‐limited, and is relatively accessible (~1.5 mile hike).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Nitrogen assessment points: development and application to high‐elevation lakes in the Sierra Nevada, California

Heard

Sickman

2016

Ecosphere

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“…These characteristics limit a lake's ability to neutralize acid rain and a watershed's ability to sequester nutrients or contaminants. Metals, organochlorines, and other persistent organic pollutants recorded in mountain lake sediment cores chronicle the increase, and subsequent, regulatory decrease, of these substances in society (Fernandez et al, 2000;Camarero et al, 2009;Usenko et al, 2010;Heard et al, 2014). Some of these compounds can be more abundant in mountain lakes than at lower elevations due to cold condensation, a phenomenon where organochlorines that volatilize in warm environments move into mountain areas with air currents and condense at colder temperatures (Blais et al 1998).…”

Section: Sensitivity and Susceptibility Of Mountain Lakes To Atmosphementioning

confidence: 99%

Mountain lakes: Eyes on global environmental change

Moser

Baron

Brahney

et al. 2019

Global and Planetary Change

235

103

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Mountain lakes are often situated in protected natural areas, a feature that leads to their role as sentinels of global environmental change. Despite variations in latitude, mountain lakes share many features, including their location in catchments with steep topographic gradients, cold temperatures, high incident solar and ultraviolet radiation (UVR), and prolonged ice and snow cover. These characteristics, in turn, affect mountain lake ecosystem structure, diversity, and productivity. The lakes themselves are mostly small and shallow, and up until recently, have been characterized as oligotrophic. This paper provides a review and update of the growing body of research that shows that sediments in remote mountain lakes archive regional and global environmental changes, including those linked to climate change, altered biogeochemical cycles, and changes in dust composition and deposition, atmospheric fertilization, and biological manipulations. These archives provide an important record of global environmental change that pre-dates typical monitoring windows. Paleolimnological research at strategically selected lakes has increased our knowledge of interactions among multiple stressors and their synergistic effects on lake systems. Lakes from transects across steep climate (i.e., temperature and effective moisture) gradients in mountain regions show how environmental change alters lakes in close proximity, but at differing climate starting points. Such research in particular highlights the impacts of melting glaciers on mountain lakes. The addition of new proxies, including DNAbased techniques and novel stable isotopic analyses, provides a gateway to addressing novel research questions about global environmental change. Recent advances in remote sensing and continuous, high-frequency, limnological measurements will improve spatial and temporal resolution and help to add records to spatial gaps including tropical and southern latitudes.

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“…A recent analysis of 14 metropolitan areas in the U.S. concluded that 60-80% of the impacts of urban emissions occur outside of the urban zone (Heo et al, 2017). Emissions reductions of SO 2 and NO x have caused deposition of SO 4 2− and NO 3 − to decline considerably across most of the U.S. (Vet et al, 2014), even in remote mountain regions (Heard et al, 2014), while increased production of NH 3 from agriculture and vehicles has caused an increase in chemically-reduced forms of N deposition (Thiruvengadam et al, 2016). Moreover, while the effects of N deposition on aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems are well known, these broad patterns are complicated by growing evidence that reduced forms of N cause more severe ecosystem responses than oxidized N forms (Dias et al, 2014;Glibert, 2010;Kleijn et al, 2008;Mur et al, 2017;Stevens et al, 2011;Van den Berg et al, 2005Verhoeven et al, 2011).…”

Section: Environmental and Ecological Implications Of Urban And On-romentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Air pollution is also an important issue for the many local, state and national parks and other public and private recreational areas that are in regions where air quality, regional haze, visibility impairment and N deposition impacts are strongly affected by urban and on-road emissions. Particulate forms of N also allow for long-range transport of atmospheric N, thus contributing to N deposition effects in wildland areas located downwind of emission sources (Heard et al, 2014;Hertel et al, 2013).…”

Section: Environmental and Ecological Implications Of Urban And On-romentioning

confidence: 99%

On-road emissions of ammonia: An underappreciated source of atmospheric nitrogen deposition

Fenn

Bytnerowicz

Schilling

et al. 2018

Science of The Total Environment

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H I G H L I G H T S• This study documents the increasing importance of on-road emissions of NH 3.• NO x emissions control mechanisms frequently result in NH 3 production and emissions.• NH 3 is an important driver of N deposition in urban-affected areas and near roadways.• NH 4 -N:NO 3 -N ratios in urban deposition are indicative of elevated NH 3 emissions.• On-road NH 3 emissions exceed agricultural emissions where 40% of the U.S. resides. We provide updated spatial distribution and inventory data for on-road NH 3 emissions for the continental United States (U.S.) On-road NH 3 emissions were determined from on-road CO 2 emissions data and empirical NH 3 :CO 2 vehicle emissions ratios. Emissions of NH 3 from on-road sources in urbanized regions are typically 0.1-1.3 t km −2 yr −1 while NH 3 emissions in agricultural regions generally range from 0.4-5.5 t km G R A P H I C A L A B S T R A C T a b s t r a c t a r t i c l e i n f o, with a few hotspots as high as 5.5-11.2 t km −2 yr −1. Counties with higher vehicle NH 3 emissions than from agriculture include 40% of the U.S. population. The amount of wet inorganic N deposition as NH 4 + from the National Atmospheric Deposition Program (NADP) network ranged from 37 to 83% with a mean of 58.7%. Only 4% of the NADP sites across the U.S. had b45% of the N deposition as NH 4 + based on data from 2014 to 2016, illustrating the near-universal elevated proportions of NH 4 + in deposition across the U.S. Case studies of on-road NH 3 emissions in relation to N deposition include four urban sites in Oregon and Washington where the average NH 4 -N:NO 3 -N ratio in bulk deposition was 2.3. At urban sites in the greater Los Angeles Basin, bulk deposition of NH 4 -N and NO 3 -N were equivalent, while NH 4 -N:NO 3 -N in throughfall under shrubs ranged from 0.6 to 1.7. The NH 4 -N:NO 3 -N ratio at 7-10 sites in the Lake Tahoe Basin averaged 1.4 and 1.6 in bulk deposition and throughfall, and deposition of NH 4 -N was strongly correlated with summertime NH 3 concentrations. On-road

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20th Century Atmospheric Deposition and Acidification Trends in Lakes of the Sierra Nevada, California, USA

Cited by 15 publications

References 51 publications

Nitrogen assessment points: development and application to high‐elevation lakes in the Sierra Nevada, California

Nitrogen assessment points: development and application to high‐elevation lakes in the Sierra Nevada, California

Mountain lakes: Eyes on global environmental change

On-road emissions of ammonia: An underappreciated source of atmospheric nitrogen deposition

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