Much work has been performed to investigate controls on nitrogen (N) uptake in streams, yet the fate of assimilated N is comparatively poorly resolved. Here, we use in-stream fixed N as an isotopic tracer to study the fate of assimilated N in glacial meltwater streams. We characterized d 15 N signatures of Oscillatorean, Chlorophyte, and N-fixing Nostoc mats over the lengths of two streams, and transported particulate organic matter (POM) in one. POM was isotopically most similar to Nostoc, which always had values near the atmospheric standard (d 15 N ffi 0&), suggesting N-fixation. Other mat types were depleted upstream, and became progressively enriched downstream (plateauing at d 15 N ffi 0&), indicating a shift in N source. These results collectively show that Nostoc-derived N is mobilized, mineralized, and increasingly assimilated downstream as more depleted glacier-derived N is exhausted, demonstrating the importance of organic matter processing to balancing elemental budgets, and improving our understanding of nutrient cycling in lotic environments. Additional Supporting Information may be found in the online version of this article.This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Scientific Significance StatementNitrogen (N) pollution is a widespread environmental problem, and considerable effort over the last few decades has been invested in understanding how stream systems store, transform, and export N. However, most of this work has focused on microbial uptake and incorporation of N, rather than what happens to the N downstream. In this study, we traced N originating from N-fixing cyanobacteria through Antarctic glacial meltwater streams to demonstrate that N incorporated into microbial mats is repeatedly recycled and exported downstream, maintaining mat communities as other sources of N are exhausted. Our results demonstrate the potential importance of N-fixation and organic matter cycling in supporting primary production in N-limited streams.