Hydrologic connectivity increases denitrification in the hyporheic zone and restored floodplains of an agricultural stream

Roley, Sarah S.; Tank, Jennifer L.; Williams, Maureen A.

doi:10.1029/2012jg001950

Cited by 83 publications

(76 citation statements)

References 101 publications

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“…Thus, restored streams and floodplains may have high rates of N retention and removal because conditions can be favorable for both coupled nitrification-denitrification and assimilation [39][40][41]. As the mechanisms controlling N and P retention are different, the inclusion of macrophytes in stream and river restoration designs may be beneficial for retention of both N and P. This is because roots can oxygenate soil for coupled nitrification-denitrification and P immobilization [42,43].…”

Section: Stream Processes Driving Nutrient Cyclingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Nutrient Retention in Restored Streams and Rivers: A Global Review and Synthesis

Johnson

Kaushal

Mayer

et al. 2016

Water

129

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Excess nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) from human activities have contributed to degradation of coastal waters globally. A growing body of work suggests that hydrologically restoring streams and rivers in agricultural and urban watersheds has potential to increase N and P retention, but rates and mechanisms have not yet been analyzed and compared across studies. We conducted a review of nutrient retention within hydrologically reconnected streams and rivers, including 79 studies. We developed a typology characterizing different forms of stream and river restoration, and we also analyzed nutrient retention across this typology. The studies we reviewed used a variety of methods to analyze nutrient cycling. We performed a further intensive meta-analysis on nutrient spiraling studies because this method was the most consistent and comparable between studies. A meta-analysis of 240 experimental additions of ammonium (NH 4 + ), nitrate (NO 3´) , and soluble reactive phosphorus (SRP) was synthesized from 15 nutrient spiraling studies. Our results showed statistically significant relationships between nutrient uptake in restored streams and specific watershed attributes. Nitrate uptake metrics were significantly related to watershed surface area, impervious surface cover, and average reach width (p < 0.05). Ammonium uptake metrics were significantly related to discharge, velocity, and transient storage (p < 0.05). SRP uptake metrics were significantly related to watershed area, discharge, SRP concentrations, and chl a concentrations (p < 0.05). Given that most studies were conducted during baseflow, more research is necessary to characterize nutrient uptake during high flow. Furthermore, long-term studies are needed to understand changes in nutrient dynamics as projects evolve over time. Overall analysis suggests the size of the stream restoration (surface area), hydrologic connectivity, and hydrologic residence time are key drivers influencing nutrient retention at broader watershed scales and along the urban watershed continuum.

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Section: Stream Processes Driving Nutrient Cyclingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Nutrient Retention in Restored Streams and Rivers: A Global Review and Synthesis

Johnson

Kaushal

Mayer

et al. 2016

Water

129

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“…Floods could create ideal hydro-biogeochemical conditions for denitrification. For example, residence time in the riparian zone increases when the hydraulic head gradient between the aquifer and stream surface reverses injecting NO 3 -rich stream water into lowoxygen riparian groundwater rich in labile organic (Gu et al 2008(Gu et al , 2012Ocampo et al 2006;Roley et al 2012). Furthermore, loading of biogenic N 2 gas from groundwater to streams may increase during floods as rates of groundwater discharge increase.…”

Section: Controls Of N 2 and N 2 O Productionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Balancing watershed nitrogen budgets: accounting for biogenic gases in streams

et al. 2016

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Denitrification is critical for removal of reactive nitrogen (Nr) from ecosystems. However, measuring realistic, scalable rates and understanding the role of denitrification and other dissimilatory processes in watershed nitrogen (N) budgets remains a significant challenge in biogeochemistry. In this study, we focused on the stream reach and network scale in three Mid-Atlantic coastal plain watersheds. We applied open channel methods to measure biogenic N 2 and N 2 O gas fluxes derived from both in-stream and terrestrial nitrogen processing. A large portion of biogenic N 2 flux through streams (33-100 %, mean = 74 %) was a result of groundwater delivery of biogenic N 2 with the remaining portion due to instream N 2 production. In contrast, N 2 O was largely produced in-stream, with groundwater delivery contributing on average 12 % of the total biogenic N 2 O flux. We scaled these measurements across one stream network and compared them to hydrologic Nr export and net anthropogenic N inputs (NANI) to a 4.8 km 2 watershed. The N budget revealed that, during the study period, the biogenic N 2 flux through streams was comparable to the difference between NANI and hydrologic Nr export (i.e. the ''missing'' N). This study provides a methodological and conceptual framework for incorporating terrestrial and in-stream derived biogenic N gas fluxes into watershed N budgets and supports the hypothesis that denitrification is the primary fate of NANI that is not exported in streamflow.

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“…Retaining vegetated benches increases the surface area of ditches and retention time during high flows. In Ohio and Indiana, denitrification rates have been found to be greater in sediments on naturally formed ditch benches than in sediments from side slopes of maintained trapezoidal ditches (Powell and Bouchard 2010), and having benches may influence in-stream denitrification rates (Roley et al 2012a(Roley et al , 2012b. Managing flow regimes in ditches can reduce N and moderate downstream P losses through greater capacity for sorption Strock et al 2007Strock et al , 2010Smith 2009).…”

Section: Figurementioning

confidence: 99%

“…A simulation study found that if 1% of a watershed was converted to benches within ditches, the increased storage could remove up to 20% of NO 3 -N loading in the system (Kallio 2010). There is extensive research on quantifying N removal rates and sediment dynamics in several ditches in Indiana, Michigan, and Ohio (Roley et al 2012a(Roley et al , 2012bRoley et al 2014;Davis et al 2015). At a constructed two-stage ditch in the Tippecanoe River watershed in Indiana, monitoring began one year prior to two-stage construction in both an upstream control and a downstream treatment reach and has continued for several years postconstruction.…”

Section: Figurementioning

confidence: 99%

Assessment of beyond-the-field nutrient management practices for agricultural crop systems with subsurface drainage

Kalcic¹,

Crumpton²,

Liu³

et al. 2018

Journal of Soil and Water Conservation

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This paper reviews the characteristics, benefits, and drawbacks of agricultural ditches and wetlands, as well as strategies for applying agricultural best management practices (BMPs) at the watershed scale for improving water quality. This synthesis focuses on the Great Lakes Region and the Mississippi River Basin in the United States, and specifically crop production systems in watersheds with subsurface drainage. The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) has developed conservation practice standards for open channels and wetlands, which mitigate nutrient and sediment loading to surface water bodies from agricultural lands. Practices that use agricultural ditches to improve water quality, such as the two-stage ditch, have emerged in the last two decades and are starting to see a greater application in the region. Using wetlands as water treatment systems has a long history in a range of settings and over the past several decades is seeing more widespread application in agriculture. Water quality and watershed models are increasingly used to develop watershed strategies for reducing nutrient exports with agricultural BMPs. Models are also helpful in evaluating combinations of practices from the farm scale to the watershed scale. Application and limitations of several models commonly used in these regions of the United States are discussed. Finally, successful conservation strategies at the watershed scale must consider the human dimensions of watershed management, and we summarize the literature in this region on farmer perceptions and adoption of practices.

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Hydrologic connectivity increases denitrification in the hyporheic zone and restored floodplains of an agricultural stream

Cited by 83 publications

References 101 publications

Nutrient Retention in Restored Streams and Rivers: A Global Review and Synthesis

Nutrient Retention in Restored Streams and Rivers: A Global Review and Synthesis

Balancing watershed nitrogen budgets: accounting for biogenic gases in streams

Assessment of beyond-the-field nutrient management practices for agricultural crop systems with subsurface drainage

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