Watershed-scale vegetation,water quantity,and water quality responses to wildfire in the southern Appalachian mountain region,United States

Wildfires are landscape scale disturbances that can significantly affect hydrologic processes such as runoff generation and sediment and nutrient transport to streams. In Fall 2016, multiple large drought-related wildfires burned forests across the southern Appalachian Mountains. Immediately after the fires, we identified and instrumented eight 28.4–344 ha watersheds (four burned and four unburned) to measure vegetation, soil, water quantity, and water quality responses over the following two years. Within burned watersheds, plots varied in burn severity with up to 100% tree mortality and soil O-horizon loss. Watershed scale high burn severity extent ranged from 5% to 65% of total watershed area. Water quantity and quality responses among burned watersheds were closely related to the high burn severity extent. Total water yield (Q) was up to 39% greater in burned watersheds than unburned reference watersheds. Total suspended solids (TSS) concentration during storm events were up to 168 times greater in samples collected from the most severely burned watershed than from a corresponding unburned reference watershed, suggesting that there was elevated risk of localized erosion and sedimentation of streams. NO₃-N concentration, export, and concentration dependence on streamflow were greater in burned watersheds and increased with increasing high burn severity extent. Mean NO₃-N concentration in the most severely burned watershed increased from 0.087 mg L⁻¹ in the first year to 0.363 mg L⁻¹ (+317%) in the second year. These results suggest that the 2016 wildfires degraded forest condition, increased Q, and had negative effects on water quality particularly during storm events.     

鲁西北平原夏玉米产量与土壤硝态氮淋失

供水量和氮肥施用量是影响农田硝态氮淋失的主要因素。本文通过田间小区试验,研究了水分和氮肥用量对夏玉米产量和土壤硝态氮的影响。试验表明,高水处理（0～50cm平均含水量控制在85%FC,FC为田间持水量032）和低水处理（0～50cm平均含水量控制在70%FC）间产量差异不显著,施肥量（0、100、200、和300kgNha^-1）则具有显著影响,并且在200kgNha^-1左右时达到最高产量;高水条件下土壤水分硝态氮下渗强,运移深度大,所有施肥处理在200cm处的土壤水硝态氮浓度都要高于国家饮用地下水标准10mgNL-1;低水条件下水分下渗弱,运移深度小于高水处理,但是在200cm处,200、300kgNha^-1处理的土壤溶液硝态氮浓度依然高于10mgNL^-1。     

土壤干湿交替促进硒酸盐的还原作用

采集不同类型的新鲜土壤，经处理获得其风干、烘干的样品，重新潮湿后，加入一定量的Na2SeO4溶液，进行了培育实验（incubationexperiments）。实验结果表明，随着土壤干燥程度的增加，硒酸盐还原作用的速度也随之加快。这进一步证实，作为一种地球化学营力的土壤干湿交替，通过对土壤水势（soilwaterpotential）、微生物群落等的影响，间接地促进了硒酸盐还原作用，因而成为硒生物地球化学循环的驱动力之一。     

细菌反硝化法测试硝酸盐氮、氧同位素的研究与应用

为了验证细菌反硝化法对水体中硝酸盐氮、氧同位素组成测定的适用性、重现性及准确性, 在不同时间(2019年7月28日、8月19日、8月26日)利用反硝化细菌分别将海水、湖水和自来水样品中的硝酸盐转化为氧化亚氮（N₂O）, 并进行氮、氧同位素测定。结果表明, 不同时间段3个批次实验的硝酸盐氮同位素校准曲线斜率都接近理论值1, 相关性系数均高于0.999, 说明反硝化细菌在将样品中的硝酸盐全部还原为N₂O的过程中氮同位素分馏效应很小; 同一样品3个批次测定的硝酸盐的氮同位素值基本相同, 表明细菌反硝化法对硝酸盐氮同位素的测定在长时间周期内具有很好的重现性和准确性。3个批次氧同位素校准曲线斜率稳定在0.61～0.63之间, 相关性系数均高于0.99, 单批次内海水、湖水和自来水3类样品中硝酸盐氧同位素比值的标准偏差范围在0.18‰～0.69‰之间, 表明经过氧同位素校准曲线的校正, 可以准确反映样品中硝酸盐氧同位素组成; 同一样品3个批次测定的氧同位素值差异较大, 其变化范围为1.33‰～16.38‰, 可能是由于样品储存过程中硝酸盐与水之间发生的氧同位素交换作用所致。     

Comparison of trends in stream water quality

A method is described for assessing the strength of evidence for differences in the trends in chemical concentrations in stream water between catchments. A smoothing spline technique is used to model changes in water quality as a result of changes in flow rates, seasonal effects and an underlying trend. The method involves fitting the model twice, once with the underlying trends constrained to be identical for each river and once with the trends unconstrained. Statistical properties are assessed by simulation methods that allow for the autocorrelation in the residuals from the unconstrained fit. The method is applied to data from two streams in the Balquhidder catchments in the Highlands of Scotland and to data from the Dee, Don and Ythan rivers in the north‐east of Scotland. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Microbial nitrogen transformations in sediments and inorganic nitrogen fluxes across the sediment/water interface on the South Island West Coast,New Zealand

In January 1982, sediment microbial N transformations and inorganic N fluxes across the sediment/water interface were studied at nine sites off the South Island West Coast, New Zealand. The sediments showed a great variety in physical, chemical and biological properties. The sediment organic matter had a molar $\text{C}\text{N}$ ratio of 5.9–10.9, and the total $\text{N}\text{P}$ ratio was 1.2–4.0. The denitrification capacity in the top 7.5 cm of sediment was 0.1–77.2 mmol N m^?2 day^?1 and generally declined with increasing sediment depth. The in situ denitrification rate was 0.02–1.84 mmol N m^?2 day^?1 and highest activities were generally found in surface sediments and at 6–7.5 cm depth. Denitrification accounted for 82–100% of total nitrate reduction. Net N mineralization was indirectly estimated at 0.6–2.4 mmol N m^?2 day^?1, and the experimental determination of this N transformation gave 0.6–3.2 mmol N m^?2 day^?1. Denitrification accounted for 3–75% of net N mineralization. The diffusive flux of ammonium and nitrate across the sediment/water interface was 0.1–0.7 and 0.1–0.6 mmol N m^?2 day^?1, respectively.     

Groundwater vulnerability assessment based on modified DRASTIC model: a case study in Changli County,China

Groundwater vulnerability assessment has been regarded as the initial step to understand and evaluate the susceptibility of the subsurface to contamination. As one of the most widely used models, the DRASTIC has been applied worldwide. However, problems associated with the model, such as the subjectivity in rating and weighting schemes, have led to modified versions of this model for better representing the vulnerability of the aquifer. In this study, a modified DRASTIC model was formulated by adjusting the rating and weighting scores based on Wilcoxon rank-sum test and Analytic Hierarchy Process. The modified model was then applied to the evaluation of groundwater vulnerability in Changli County, China in a GIS environment. The validity of the model was verified by analysing the correlation coefficient between the vulnerability index and the nitrate concentration. The results revealed that the modified DRASTIC model presents stronger correlation with the nitrate contamination than the traditional DRASTIC model.     

Comparison of methods for calculating annual solute exports from six forested appalachian watersheds

Six methods were compared for calculating annual stream exports of sulfate, nitrate, calcium, magnesium and aluminum from six small Appalachian watersheds. Approximately 250–400 stream samples and concurrent stream flow measurements were collected during baseflows and storm flows for the 1989 water year at five Pennsylvania watersheds and during the 1989–1992 water years at a West Virginia watershed. Continuous stream flow records were also collected at each watershed. Solute exports were calculated from the complete data set using six different scenarios ranging from instantaneous monthly measurements of stream chemistry and stream flow, to intensive monitoring of storm flow events and multiple regression equations. The results for five of the methods were compared with the regression method because statistically significant models were developed and the regression equations allowed for prediction of solute concentrations during unsampled storm flows. Results indicated that continuous stream flow measurement was critical to producing exports within 10% of regression estimates. For solutes whose concentrations were not correlated strongly with stream flow, weekly grab samples combined with continuous records of stream flow were sufficient to produce export estimates within 10% of the regression method. For solutes whose concentrations were correlated strongly with stream flow, more intensive sampling during storm flows or the use of multiple regression equations were the most appropriate methods, especially for watersheds where stream flows changed most quickly. Concentration–stream flow relationships, stream hydrological response, available resources and required level of accuracy of chemical budgets should be considered when choosing a method for calculating solute exports. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A sensor package for the simultaneous determination of nanomolar concentrations of nitrite, nitrate, and ammonia in seawater by fluorescence detection

A fluorescence-based chemistry has been developed for the detection of nitrite and nitrate (as excess nitrite following reduction of nitrate to nitrite). Detection limits are 4.6 and 6.9 nM, respectively. The technique capitalizes on the triple bond between the two nitrogen atoms within the diazonium ion formed via the well-known reaction between an acidified nitrite sample and an aromatic primary amine. Fluorescence of π-electrons within this bond allows this reaction to be probed with standard fluorescence spectroscopy. Reverse Flow Injection Analysis (rFIA) is used to correct for background fluorescence from leachates and naturally occurring dissolved organic matter (DOM). Comparisons of samples analyzed for nitrite with this technique and with a highly-sensitive chemiluminescent method [Braman, R.S., Hendrix, S.A., 1989. Nanogram nitrite and nitrate determination in environmental and biological materials by vanadium (III) reduction with chemiluminescence detection. Analytical Chemistry, 61 (24) 2716–2718] showed excellent agreement between the two methods (slope=0.9996 and r²=0.9956). These fluorescent nitrite and nitrate + nitrite chemistries were coupled in a sensor package with a modified version of a fluorescent ammonia chemistry [Jones, R.D., 1991. An improved fluorescence method for the determination of nanomolar concentrations of ammonia in natural waters, Limnology and Oceanography. 36(4) 814–819], which also has a nanomolar detection limit. The throughput rate of the fully automated three-channel instrumentation is 18 samples per hour. A field experiment demonstrated the capability of the nutrient sensor package to determine horizontal gradients in nitrate, nitrite, and ammonia in oligotrophic surface waters.     

Nutrients in an oligotrophic boundary current: Evidence of a new role for the Leeuwin Current

New observations along the continental shelf of Western Australia provide a novel explanation for the established ∼60 years relationship between Leeuwin Current (LC) strength and greater winter nitrate concentrations at 32°S plus the inter-annual variation in the magnitude of the annual, shelf-scale, phytoplankton bloom. The potential source of dissolved nitrogen to support the annual shelf scale phytoplankton bloom was identified as thin layers of an unprecedented areal extent, nitrate concentration and shallow nature that were observed off the northwest of Australia. We propose that the dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN) in these layers enters the LC at depth and then enters the euphotic zone via by three mechanisms: instability that results in a warm core eddy, cooling that deepens the surface mixed layer and shallowing of the thin layer. During the onset of the annual phytoplankton bloom along the west coast of Australia from 22°S to 34°S the poleward flowing LC was clearly evident as a surface intensified ocean boundary current transporting warmer, lower-salinity, greater-silicate waters in a shallow mixed layer rapidly southward. Between 24 and 26°S the core of the LC was present as a 50–100 m deep layer over one or more thin layers, 15–50 m thick, with high nitrate and low dissolved oxygen (DO). These layers were of lower salinity, cooler water with markedly reduced DO, high nitrate concentrations and distinct nitrate:silicate (NO₃:Si(OH)₄) nutrient ratios. As the LC flowed south it cooled and deepened thereby entraining the thin layers of high nitrate water into the euphotic zone. The LC also formed large (greater than 100 km diameter) warm core eddies with a deep surface mixed layer that also entrained nitrate from these thin layers. In some locations as far south as 32°S the LC was still present with the thin layer of high nitrate intact but now within the euphotic zone. Thus, the available evidence suggests the LC arises under conditions that favour rapid and shallow nitrification. This nitrification fuels a shelf-scale bloom on a downwelling favourable coast. Depending upon the rate of nitrification the source of the particular organic matter may be local or delivered from the tropics via horizontal advection in a subsurface layer of the LC.