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Nitrogen saturation in stream ecosystems.

Stevan R Earl1, H Maurice Valett, Jackson R Webster

  • 1Department of Biological Sciences, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, Virginia 24061-0406, USA. Stevan.Earl@asu.edu

Ecology
|January 26, 2007
PubMed
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Nitrogen saturation in streams was assessed using nutrient spiraling and Michaelis-Menten kinetics. Results show nitrogen saturation decreases stream nitrogen uptake efficiency, especially when phosphorus is limited.

Area of Science:

  • Environmental Science
  • Ecology
  • Biogeochemistry

Background:

  • Nitrogen (N) saturation is a key concept for terrestrial ecosystems, but its application to lotic (stream) ecosystems is less understood.
  • Nutrient spiraling and Michaelis-Menten kinetics provide frameworks for studying nutrient dynamics in streams.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To extend the concept of nitrogen saturation to lotic ecosystems.
  • To develop a conceptual model characterizing stream proximity to nitrogen saturation.
  • To investigate the relationship between nitrogen loading, uptake kinetics, and nutrient limitation in streams.

Main Methods:

  • Coupling Michaelis-Menten kinetics with nutrient spiraling concepts.
  • Conducting short-term nitrogen (15NO3-N) releases in streams with varying background nitrogen concentrations.

Related Experiment Videos

  • Measuring nitrogen uptake and uptake velocity to assess saturation levels.

    • Main Results:

    • Nitrogen uptake increased with nitrogen addition in four of six streams, indicating they were not saturated.
    • Nitrogen uptake generally followed Michaelis-Menten kinetics, but some streams showed deviations suggesting other limiting factors.
    • Phosphorus limitation was indicated in high-nitrogen streams by the ratio of dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN) to soluble reactive phosphorus (SRP).
    • Uptake velocity (efficiency) declined nonlinearly with increased nitrogen amendment and was highest in low-nitrogen streams.

    Conclusions:

    • Nitrogen saturation significantly alters stream nitrogen dynamics, leading to decreased nitrogen uptake efficiency.
    • The ratio of DIN to SRP is a better predictor of nitrogen saturation than background nitrogen concentration alone.
    • Streams play a role in landscape nitrogen uptake, but saturation effects can reduce this capacity.