Academic literature on the topic 'Nutrients spatial variability'

Large rivers in semiarid regions provide valuable resources for municipalities, agriculture, and adjacent ecosystems, yet the limited nature of the resource requires a concerted effort to understand the controls on water quality. To address this issue I continued and adapted biannual geochemical synoptic sampling of the Rio Grande from Del Norte, CO to Elephant Butte Reservoir between August 2003 and 2006 which had started in 2001. During average to drought conditions, river discharge was derived primarily from snowmelt in the headwaters region, total dissolved solutes increased downstream, and wastewater treatment plants were the largest source of nitrogen to the river. Surprisingly, return flows of river water diverted for agriculture had lower average nitrogen concentrations than the original river water, indicating that the agricultural system is a sink for nitrogen. When summer climatic conditions changed to a persistent monsoon regime, both the water and solute sources changed as the river was reconnected to its uplands and floodplain. Stable isotope data indicate that monsoon precipitation represented 10-50% of surface flow and that discharge increases were entirely due to ephemeral flows. An analysis of solute concentrations suggested that 80-100% of the increases in sulfate, chloride, DOC and nitrate were due to ephemeral flows. Ephemeral flows replaced wastewater treatment plants as the largest source of nitrogen to the river.Using data from the synoptic sampling, I developed both a simple chloride mixing model and a dynamic simulation model of nitrate to evaluate the controls on nutrient cycling within the Rio Grande. Results from the chloride mixing model indicate that both abiotic hydrologic processes and biotic processes provide important controls on nutrient concentrations. River characteristics that increase surface water/groundwater exchange are important for determining nutrient retention, a result commonly identified in smaller streams, but never before quantified in a large river. Dynamic simulation modeling indicates that both plant uptake and denitrification remove nitrate within the Middle Rio Grande with denitrification accounting for 55-100% of the nitrate removal downstream of Albuquerque. The results of this dissertation provide a conceptual model for the hydrologic and biologic controls on nutrient concentrations in a heavily managed large semiarid river.

Els boscos són dels ecosistemes terrestres més importants en termes de fotosíntesi i segrest de carboni, perquè n’acumulen i en segresten en grans quantitats, com a biomassa i com a matèria orgànica del sòl. A més, els boscos proporcionen polsos de recursos, a traves de la producció de fruits, que poden comportar efectes en cascada a través de la xarxa tròfica de l’ecosistema. L’objectiu d’aquesta tesi és caracteritzar l’estructura i el funcionament dels boscos i quantificar llurs productivitats ecosistèmiques. La nostra recerca s’ha centrat en entendre els controls del balanç de carboni i de la producció de fruits en ecosistemes forestals. En aquesta tesi, hem intentat discernir entre els efectes de la disponibilitat de nutrients, del clima, de la variabilitat meteorològica interanual i dels impactes antropogènics en la variabilitat espai-temporal de la productivitat forestal. Els resultats indiquen que l’edat del bosc, la disponibilitat d’aigua i la llargada de l’època càlida són els controls més importants dels estocs i fluxos de carboni i les eficiències en l’ús dels recursos. Malgrat això, el balanç del carboni dels boscos ve fortament determinat per la disponibilitat de nutrients del sòl. Els boscos fèrtils segresten el 33 ± 4% del carboni fotosintetitzat, mentre que els boscos infèrtils en segresten només el 6 ± 4%. A més, un cop tingut en compte l’efecte de l’edat, la relació biomassa-producció primària neta de les branques, tiges i arrels gruixudes estava positivament relacionada amb la disponibilitat de nutrients, contràriament al que passava amb les arrels fines. D’altra banda, vam trobar que l’augment de concentració del CO2 atmosfèric ha contribuït a augmentar la producció primària bruta i el segrest de carboni en un 1% anual des de l’any 1995 fins al 2011. Els resultats indiquen que, a Europa i els Estats Units, la reducció en la deposició de sofre ha comportat un augment més gran en la respiració que no pas en la fotosíntesi de l’ecosistema. Els resultats mostren que la producció de fruits en boscos centre-Europeus oscil·la entre els 10 i els 40 g C m-2 any-1 i fa servir entre el 0.5 i el 3% del carboni fotosintetitzat. Els boscos amb elevades concentracions foliars de zinc i fòsfor produeixen més fruits i presenten una irregularitat interanual menor. A més, vam trobar que la producció interanual de fruits estava controlada per la variabilitat de la Oscil·lació de l’Atlàntic Nord, amb una importància major que les condicions atmosfèriques locals predint la producció de fruits. En boscos de Quercus ilex i Quercus pubescens vam trobar que l’estrès hídric de la primavera era el factor més rellevant explicant la variabilitat interanual en la producció d’aglans, mentre que la variabilitat en la producció de pol·len no presentava cap efecte. També vam demostrar que la producció de fruits pot ser predita fent sevir índexs de vegetació mitjançant la teledetecció per satèl·lit com l’”enhanced vegetation index” (EVI). Les grans produccions d’aglans en Quercus ilex van ser determinades per unes bones condicions de la vegetació durant els mesos previs a la collita i per unes bones condiciones hídriques primaverals. Finalment, vam demostrar la utilitat de l’índex de disparitat consecutiva (D) i les seves avantatges respecte el coeficient de variació (CV) en avaluar la variabilitat temporal. Vam trobar que D era menys depenent que la mitjana que el CV, a banda de tenir en compte l’autocorrelació de les sèries temporals. Els resultats d’aquesta tesi obren la porta a un bon nombre de noves hipòtesis que mereixen ser testades en un futur proper. A més, aquesta tesi suposa un bon exemple del que les grans bases de dades poden oferir al camp de l’ecologia.<br>Forests are among the most important terrestrial ecosystems in terms of photosynthesis and carbon sequestration because they accumulate and sequester large amounts of carbon, both as living tissues and as soil organic matter. Forests also provide large resource pulses through fruit crops that may present cascading effects through the food web of the ecosystem. The objective of the thesis was to characterize the structure and functioning of forests and to quantify ecosystemic productivity. We focused our research on understanding the main controls of carbon balance and fruit production in forest ecosystems. In this thesis, we try to disentangle the effects of nutrient availability, stand characteristics, climate and weather variability and anthropogenic impacts on spatio-temporal variability in forest productivity. We found that stand age, water availability, and length of the warm period were the main factors controlling forest carbon stocks, fluxes and resource-use efficiencies. Standing biomass and carbon fluxes were strongly correlated to each other at the global scale and both were controlled by climate (mainly water availability and temperature) and stand characteristics such as the age of the stand or leaf type. However, carbon balance of the ecosystem strongly depended on the nutrient availability. We found that, nutrient-rich forests sequester 33 ± 4% of photosynthesized carbon while nutrient-poor forests only sequester 6 ± 4% of it. At the ecosystem level, this effect of nutrient availability was independent of climate, stand age or the management of the stand. In addition, once the effect of stand age was removed the biomass-to-net primary production ratio of woody tissues (branches, stems, and coarse roots) was positively influenced by nutrient availability, but it had a negative effect on the fine root fraction. Regarding temporal variability of carbon fluxes, we found that increasing CO2 has increased gross primary production and carbon sequestration, on average, by 1% annually from 1995 to 2011. We also found that the reduction of sulphur deposition in Europe and the USA involves a higher recovery in ecosystem respiration than in gross primary production. Regarding fruit production, we found that fruit production ranges from 10 to 40 g C m-2 y-1 and uses around 0.5 - 3% of the photosynthesized carbon in European forests. We found that forests with higher foliar zinc and phosphorus concentrations, produced larger fruit crops and presented less irregularity in interannual fruit crop size. Additionally, we found interannual fruit variability to be controlled by the interannual variability of the North Atlantic Oscillation, having a more prominent importance than local weather variables in predicting it. In Quercus ilex and Quercus pubescens stands we found that spring water deficit was the most relevant factor in explaining interannual variability in acorn production and that interannual differences in pollen production did not influence acorn crop size. We demonstrated that fruit production can be predicted using remotely sensed vegetation indices, such as the enhanced vegetation index (EVI). Our results suggested that fruit crop size in Quercus ilex was driven by a combination of two factors, i.e. good vegetation conditions during several months prior to fruit harvest, and wet weather during spring. Finally, we demonstrated the usefulness of the consecutive disparity index (D) and its advantages with respect to the coefficient of variation (CV). We found D to be less dependent on the mean than the CV while also taking into account the autocorrelation of the time series. The results of this thesis open the door to a wide range of new ideas and hypotheses worth to test in the near future. This thesis is also a good example of what the so called “big data” can offer to ecologists and environmental scientists.

Pre-monsoon (June) and monsoon (August) sampling campaigns were conducted on a gaining and a losing reach in the San Pedro River in 2005 to quantify the effects of variability in hydrologic conditions on carbon and nitrogen cycling in an N-limited semi arid stream. Nutrient concentrations decrease along the gaining reach, while new groundwater inputs, rapid N03-N uptake and net production of organic DOC and DON occurs. In contrast, the losing reach experiences little spatial variability suggesting the presence of a large, well-mixed alluvial aquifer as a single source. However, so/ concentrations and S04:Cl ratios decrease between gaining and losing systems with isotope mixing models indicating uptake of S04 2- and suggesting biological sulfate reduction between reaches. Diurnal cycles of increases in nighttime stage, er and nutrients indicate change in riparian vegetation transpiration demand and bank drainage of relatively N rich water at night. Monsoon stream flow becomes a roughly equal mixture of groundwater and monsoon precipitation with nutrient concentrations exhibiting little spatial variability. However, a decrease in DON concentrations and DON between the two reaches indicates nutrient processing occurs at much larger spatial scales. These data illustrate several examples of how hydro logic variability at different spatial and temporal scales controls nutrient fluxes and transformations.

The need for improving nutrient use efficiency and increase savings demand a better knowledge of soils and production systems. The objective of this study was to evaluate the soil P and K budget and its relationships with their temporal evolution on site-specific management areas. The experiments were carried out in four cropland areas from the Medium Plateau region of the Rio Grande do Sul state, located at the cities of Almirante Tamandaré do Sul, Tio Hugo, Não-Me-Toque and Vitor Graeff. Soil tests were used to verify the spatial variability, budget and temporal evolution of soil P and K levels by the comparison of the years of 2005 and 2009. Regression analysis was performed by the software JMP IN v.3.2.1 to evaluate the relationship between P and K budget and the temporal evolution of soil P and K levels. Cropland areas showed high spatial variability for P and K soil test levels at the beginning of the study, which was decreased by applying precision farming techniques. Relationships between P and K budget and the temporal evolution of soil P and K test levels were positive with the exception of the Vitor Graeff area which showed negative P and K budget. P and K fertilization were 30 and 25% higher in relation to their exportation, respectively. On average, soybean extracted 44 kg P2O5 ha-1 and 63 kg K2O ha-1, while the maize exported 78,5 kg P2O5 ha-1 and 59 kg K2O ha-1. Temporal evolution of soil P and K test levels was high when P and K budget was low and there was a low temporal evolution when the P and K budget was high. On the average of the four cropland areas there were necessary the input of 12,0 kg P2O5 ha-1 to increase 1 mg dm-3 of soil P test levels and the input of 4,1 kg K2O ha-1 to increase 1 mg dm-3 of soil K test levels.<br>A necessidade de aproveitar melhor os insumos e economizá-los na maior medida possível leva à obrigação de conhecer a fundo os solos e sistemas de produção. O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar o balanço nutricional de fósforo (P) e potássio (K) no solo e sua relação com a evolução temporal, em áreas manejadas com auxilio da agricultura de precisão. Os experimentos foram conduzidos no Planalto Médio do Rio Grande do Sul, em quatro áreas situadas nos municípios de Almirante Tamandaré do Sul, Tio Hugo, Não-Me-Toque e Vitor Graeff. Por meio da análise das amostras de solo foi verificada a evolução dos teores de P e K comparando os anos de 2005 a 2009. Análises de regressão realizadas pelo software JMP IN v.3.2.1 foram utilizadas para avaliar a relação entre saldo e evolução de P e K. Determinaram-se a variabilidade espacial, o balanço nutricional e a evolução temporal de P e K no solo. As áreas apresentaram no inicio do estudo uma grande variabilidade espacial, as quais foram reduzidas mediante uso de práticas de agricultura de precisão. As relações entre os saldos e as exportações foram positivas em todos os locais com exceção da área situada em Vitor Graeff onde também se obtiveram saldos negativos. As fertilizações fosfatadas e potássicas foram 30 e 25 % superiores em relação as exportações, respectivamente. A soja extraiu em média 44 kg ha-1 de P2O5 e 63 kg ha-1 de K2O já o milho exportou 78,5 kg ha-1 de P2O5 e 59 kg ha-1 de K2O. A evolução dos teores foi alta quando os saldos eram baixos e, baixa quando o saldo se encontrava em níveis altos. Em média para os quatro locais foram necessários aplicar 12,0 kg ha-1 de P2O5 para elevar 1 mg dm- 3 de P no solo, assim como 4,1 kg ha-1 de K2O para elevar 1 mg dm-3 de K no solo.

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento CientÃfico e TecnolÃgico<br>O objetivo desse estudo foi avaliar os teores e estoques de carbono orgÃnico nas formas: total (COT), particulada (COP), associada (COA) e solÃvel em Ãgua (CSA), P disponÃvel, K e Na trocÃveis, assim como a possÃvel redistribuiÃÃo destes elementos e das partÃculas do solo pela erosÃo hÃdrica em sistemas agroflorestais, comparativamente ao sistema de cultivo tradicional e intensivo. O estudo foi desenvolvido em Ãrea experimental localizada na Fazenda Crioula, pertencente ao Centro Nacional de Pesquisa de Caprinos da EMBRAPA, no municÃpio de Sobral-CE. A partir de projeto desenvolvido desde 1997 foram selecionadas as seguintes Ãreas: Agrissilvipastoril (AGP), Silvipastoril (SILV), Tradicional 1 (TR1), Tradicional 2 (TR2), Cultivo Intensivo em Pousio (CIP), VegetaÃÃo Natural 1 (VG1) e VegetaÃÃo Natural 2 (VG2). A Ãrea estudada foi georeferenciada, nos transectos as amostras foram coletadas a profundidade de 0-5 cm a cada 20, 10 ou 5 m de acordo com o relevo. Os teores de COT foram determinados por oxidaÃÃo Ãmida, o CSA por centrifugaÃÃo seguida de oxidaÃÃo Ãmida, o fÃsforo (P) disponÃvel, K+ e Na+ trocÃveis por extraÃÃo com Mehlich I e colorimetria. Determinou-se tambÃm a densidade e a textura do solo, onde na fraÃÃo areia o COP foi quantificado por oxidaÃÃo Ãmida enquanto que o COA foi obtido por diferenÃa entre o COT e o COP. Os resultados foram avaliados atravÃs de medidas descritivas e tÃcnicas geoestatÃsticas. As Ãreas sob manejo agroflorestal apresentaram teores e estoques de carbono e nutrientes superiores, mesmo em condiÃÃes de relevo favorÃveis a perdas por processo erosivo. A fraÃÃo areia foi comumente alterada pela aÃÃo dos agentes erosivos nos sistemas conservadores, enquanto que nos sistemas mais intensivos a argila foi mais afetada devido à erosÃo està promovendo perdas do horizonte Bt nestas Ãreas. As estimativas de perdas e incrementos de solo e nutrientes confirmaram a eficiÃncia do SAFâs em reduzir os efeitos da erosÃo enquanto que as Ãreas tradicionais promoveram maiores perdas de nutrientes e solo. AlÃm disso, observou-se o predomÃnio de uma maior variabilidade espacial nos SAFâs, quando comparado as Ãreas manejadas de forma convencional que apresentaram um aspecto uniforme devido à maior aÃÃo dos agentes erosivos.<br>The objective of this study was to evaluate the content and stocks of: organic carbon in the form total (TOC), particulate (COP), associated (COA) and soluble in water (CSA), available P, K and Na exchangeable, as well as possible redistribution of these elements and soil particles by water erosion in agroforestry systems, compared to the traditional system of cultivation and intensive. The study was developed in an experimental area located at the Crioula Farm, CNPC â EMBRAPA, in Sobral County, CE. The following systems were evaluated: Agrisilvipastoril (AGP), Silvipastoril (SILV), Traditional 1(TR1), Traditional 2(TR2), Fallow Intense Cropping (CIP), Natural Vegetation 1 (VG1) and Natural Vegetation 2 (VG2). The studied field was georeferenced in transects and soil samples were collected to a depth of 0-5 cm every 20, 10 or 5 m, according to the condition of terrain. The TOC content was determined by wet oxidation, the CSA for centrifugation followed by wet oxidation, phosphorus (P) available, K and Na exchangeable was extracted by Mehlich-1 and determined colorimetrially. Was determined also the soil density and texture, where it was determined in the sand fraction COP by wet oxidation while the COA was obtained by the difference between the TOC and COP. The results were analyzed using descriptive statistic and geostatistic technique. The areas under management and agroforestry showed content of carbon stocks and superior nutrients, even under conditions favorable for significant losses for the erosion process. The sand fraction was commonly altered by the action of agents in erosive systems conservatives, while more intensive systems in the clay was most affected due to erosion is causing great losses of Bt horizon in these areas. Estimates of losses and gains of soil nutrients and confirmed the efficiency of the SAF's to reduce the effects of erosion while the traditional areas promoted stronger loss of nutrients and soil. Moreover, there is predominance bigger spatial variability in the SAF's, compared the areas managed in a way that presented a conventional uniform appearance due to greater erosive action of the agents.

En Bretagne, les « marées vertes » sont récurrentes depuis le début des années 70 et occupent une place importante dans le débat public en terme sanitaire, politique et économique. Lors de cette thèse, une large revue bibliographique a été réalisée sur l’export d’azote et une méthodologie innovante a été mise en place afin d’étudier la variabilité spatio-temporelle de l’export de nutriments dans 2 bassins versants à algues vertes à une échelle intra-annuelle et pendant des évènements extrêmes (évènements pluvieux, période touristique de basses eaux,…). Les bassins versants sélectionnés pour les expérimentations de terrain sont l’Ic et le Frémur (Côtes d’Armor). 3 types d’expérimentations ont été réalisées sur ces bassins versants : 1) Des campagnes de prélèvements ponctuels par temps sec et par temps de pluie (32 stations, 27 campagnes) ; 2) des prélèvements automatiques en crue (3 stations, 8 crues) ; et 3) la mesure haute fréquence (2 stations, en continu). Les paramètres hydrologiques et physico-chimiques classiques, les matières en suspension, les spectres UV et toutes les formes de macronutriments (carbone, azote, phosphore) ont été analysés lors de ces expérimentations. Les résultats obtenus confirment pour une part un certain nombre de résultats de la littérature. D’autre part, il met en lumière la relation carbone/nitrates, jusqu’à présent peu étudiée à différentes échelles spatio-temporelles et pendant des évènements pluvieux, qui semble pourtant primordiale dans la compréhension des phénomènes d’export de nitrates à l’échelle de l’année. Enfin, l’analyse de toutes les formes de nutriments révèle l’importance des formes particulaires issues de l’érosion des sols. Ces résultats soulèvent de nombreuses questions de recherche qui mériteraient un approfondissement afin d’améliorer la connaissance des transferts de nutriments dans les bassins versants et prioriser les actions de remédiations. Les perspectives de ce travail sont à la fois scientifiques et pratiques. Au niveau scientifique, les efforts de recherche sur la relation carbone/nitrate et l’identification de la fraction de carbone organique assimilable par les organismes dénitrifiants doivent être poursuivis. De même, l’amélioration des connaissances sur l’export de nutriments en crue passe par l’identification précise des sources de nutriments particulaires pendant les crues printanières. Au niveau pratique, il doit contribuer à l’amélioration des pratiques agricoles, à la reconnaissance de l’intérêt des zones humides naturelles et à l’amélioration des types de traitement utilisés par les stations d’épuration. Les résultats obtenus lors de cette étude devraient notamment être mis en relation avec la dynamique des nutriments observée dans l’estran pendant la période de développement des algues vertes. Enfin, un effort d’amélioration de l’accès à certains type de données sur les bassins versants est nécessaire afin d’améliorer la compréhension des transferts de nutriments<br>In Brittany (Western France), "green tides" are recurrent since the early 70s and have an important place in public debate in health, political and economic terms. In this thesis, a wide bibliographic review was performed on the export of nitrogen, and an innovative methodology has been set up to study the spatial and temporal variability of nutrient export in two coastal watersheds on an intra-annual basis and during extreme events (rainfall events, tourist periods of low water, ...). Watersheds selected for the field experiments are Ic and Frémur (Côtes d'Armor). 3 types of experiments were performed on these watersheds: 1) Campaigns of grab samples by dry and wet weather (32 stations, 27 campaigns); 2) automatic sampling during floods (3 stations, 8 floods); and 3) high frequency measurement (2 stations, continuous). Conventional hydrological and physicochemical parameters, suspended solids, UV spectra and all forms of macronutrients (carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus) were analyzed during these experiments. The results confirm in part a number of results of the literature. Furthermore, it highlights the relationship carbon / nitrates far little studied at different spatial and temporal scales and during rainfall events, which however seems to be crucial in understanding of nitrate export. Finally, the analysis of all forms of nutrients reveals the importance of particulate forms from soil erosion. These results raise many research questions that merit further development in order to improve knowledge on nutrient transfers in watersheds and prioritize remediation actions. The prospects of this work are both scientific and practical. At the scientific level, research efforts on the relationship carbon / nitrate and identification of the assimilable fraction of organic carbon by denitrifying organisms must be continued. Similarly, the knowledge on nutrient export must be improved through the precise identification of particulate nutrient sources during the spring floods. On a practical level, it should contribute to the improvement of agricultural practices, the recognition of the interest of natural wetlands and improvement of the types of treatment used by treatment plants. The results obtained in this study should in particular be linked to the dynamics of nutrients in the foreshore observed during the development of green algae. Finally, an effort to improve access to certain types of data on watersheds is needed to improve understanding of nutrient transfers

Benthic microalgal community composition on an ephemerally submerged sandflat at East Beach, Galveston Island, Texas was studied to determine the spatial and temporal variability of total biomass and community composition and its responses to experimental manipulations of two environmental factors (salinity and nutrients). Four field studies were conducted between August 2004 and February 2005. The community consisted of two major algal groups, diatoms, and cyanobacteria with two less abundant groups, green algae, and phototrophic bacteria. Spatial variability showed that patch sizes of 12 - 25 m were detected over larger scales with smaller scale (cm) patches of approximately 28 - 201 cm^-2 contained within the larger patches. The second study examined the spatio-temporal variability of BMA over a 21-month period in a 1,000 m^2 area. Sampling location and date explained a significant amount of the variability in the abundances of algal groups, which were positively correlated with the water content of the sediments and negatively correlated with temperature (sediment and water). All of the algal groups showed a seasonal pattern with higher abundances measured in the winter months and lower abundances found during the summer. BMA biomass (100 mg Chl a m^-2 or greater) maxima occurred at temperatures less than 22 degrees C and sediment water content greater than 15% (g water g sediment^-1). BMA response to different salinities and nutrient (N+P) amended sediments was assessed in four bioassays conducted over a 6-month period (Aug. 2004, Oct. 2004, Dec. 2004, and Feb. 2005). In the salinity study, the treatments that were either 100% or partially diluted with deionized water had the lowest BMA biomass over all. Chlorophyll a and fucoxanthin were significantly affected by salinity with higher abundances found in salinities that averaged 15 with a preference for salinities greater than 22. Chlorophyll b was affected by salinity with higher abundances measured in the treatments with lowest salinity (DL and DI); and was affected by the time of year. This would suggest that this algal group prefers an environment with salinity less than 2 but can easily adapt to environments with higher salinities. BMA abundances were not significantly affected by the nutrient amended sediment, but were significantly affected by stations with higher water content, and during the cooler months (Dec. 2004 and Feb. 2005).