Respectively, Professor, Department of Forest, Rangeland, and Watershed Stewardship, Graduate Degree Program in Ecology, and Natural Resource Ecology Laboratory, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado 80523; Research Hydrologist, National Council for Air and Stream Improvement, Inc., P.O. Box 458, Corvallis, Oregon 97339; Assistant Professor, Department of Biology, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona 85287; and Ph.D. Candidate, School of the Environment, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina 27706 (E-Mail/Binkley: dan@cnr.colostate.edu).
1752-1688/asset/bannerforeground.gif?v=1&s=bf00ff8247a6868653da8aff91ea33d86466427e)
NITROGEN AND PHOSPHORUS CONCENTRATIONS IN FOREST STREAMS OF THE UNITED STATES†
Article first published online: 8 JUN 2007
DOI: 10.1111/j.1752-1688.2004.tb01586.x
Issue
1752-1688/asset/cover.gif?v=1&s=6d8ba4f05904371bea7c7a5b8a47404bf9279832 "JAWRA Journal of the American Water Resources Association")
JAWRA Journal of the American Water Resources Association
Volume 40, Issue 5, pages 1277–1291, October 2004
Additional Information
How to Cite
Binkley, D., Ice, G. G., Kaye, J. and Williams, C. A. (2004), NITROGEN AND PHOSPHORUS CONCENTRATIONS IN FOREST STREAMS OF THE UNITED STATES. JAWRA Journal of the American Water Resources Association, 40: 1277–1291. doi: 10.1111/j.1752-1688.2004.tb01586.x
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Paper No. 03133 of the Journal of the American Water Resources Association (JAWRA) (Copyright © 2004). Discussions are open until April 1, 2005.
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Respectively, Professor, Department of Forest, Rangeland, and Watershed Stewardship, Graduate Degree Program in Ecology, and Natural Resource Ecology Laboratory, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado 80523; Research Hydrologist, National Council for Air and Stream Improvement, Inc., P.O. Box 458, Corvallis, Oregon 97339; Assistant Professor, Department of Biology, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona 85287; and Ph.D. Candidate, School of the Environment, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina 27706 (E-Mail/Binkley: dan@cnr.colostate.edu).
Publication History
- Issue published online: 8 JUN 2007
- Article first published online: 8 JUN 2007
- Abstract
- References
- Cited By
Keywords:
- forest hydrology;
- stream water quality;
- watershed management;
- nonpoint source pollution;
- synopsis
ABSTRACT: Seventy to eighty percent of the water flowing in rivers in the United States originates as precipitation in forests. This project developed a synoptic picture of the patterns in water chemistry for over 300 streams in small, forested watersheds across the United States. Nitrate (NO3−) concentrations averaged 0.31 mg N/L, with some streams averaging ten times this level. Nitrate concentrations tended to be higher in the northeastern United States in watersheds dominated by hardwood forests (especially hardwoods other than oaks) and in recently harvested watersheds. Concentrations of dissolved organic N (mean 0.32 mg N/L) were similar to those of NO3∼, whereas ammonium (NH4+) concentrations were much lower (mean 0.05 mg N/L). Nitrate dominated the N loads of streams draining hardwood forests, whereas dissolved organic N dominated the streams in coniferous forests. Concentrations of inorganic phosphate were typically much lower (mean 12 mg P/L) than dissolved organic phosphate (mean 84 mg P/L). The frequencies of chemical concentrations in streams in small, forested watersheds showed more streams with higher NO3− concentrations than the streams used in national monitoring programs of larger, mostly forested watersheds. At a local scale, no trend in nitrate concentration with stream order or basin size was consistent across studies.