The multi-annual nitrogen budget of a peat-covered catchment — Changing from sink to source?

Worrall, Fred; Clay, Gareth D.; Burt, Tim P.; Rose, Rob. 2012 The multi-annual nitrogen budget of a peat-covered catchment — Changing from sink to source? Science of the Total Environment, 433. 178-188. 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2012.06.032

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Official URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2012.06.032

Abstract/Summary

Only a few studies have considered the N budget of peat soils and this in turn has limited the ability of studies to consider the impact of changes in climate and atmospheric deposition upon the N budget of a peat soil. This study considered the total N budget of an upland peat-covered catchment over the period 1993 to 2009. The study has shown: i)Over the period of study the total N atmospheric deposition declined from 3.5 to 0.7 tonnes N/km2/yr. ii)The total fluvial export of N at soil source varied from 0.41 to 1.85 tonnes N/km2/yr with the fluvial flux being greater than the atmospheric input in 3 years of the study, implying significant internal processing. iii)Measuring the C:N ratio of organic matter pools in the ecosystem shows that gross primary productivity and litter decomposition represent outputs of N from the soil while DOC production and humification represent inputs of N. iv)Overall, the total N budget of the peat ecosystem varies from − 1.0 to + 2.5 tonnes N/km2/yr, i.e.in some years the ecosystem is a net source of N. The time series of the total N budget suggests that the ecosystem is responding to the occurrence of severe droughts with a long-term decline in N storage that could be interpreted as a response to long-term high N deposition rates, even if those rates have now diminished.

Item Type:	Publication - Article
Digital Object Identifier (DOI):	10.1016/j.scitotenv.2012.06.032
Programmes:	CEH Topics & Objectives 2009 - 2012 > Biogeochemistry
UKCEH and CEH Sections/Science Areas:	Parr
ISSN:	0048-9697
Additional Keywords:	peat, atmospheric deposition, fluvial flux, N-saturation
NORA Subject Terms:	Ecology and Environment Agriculture and Soil Science Atmospheric Sciences
Date made live:	17 Jan 2013 09:06 +0 (UTC)
URI:	https://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/21184

Item Type:

Publication - Article

Digital Object Identifier (DOI):

10.1016/j.scitotenv.2012.06.032

Programmes:

CEH Topics & Objectives 2009 - 2012 > Biogeochemistry

UKCEH and CEH Sections/Science Areas:

Parr

ISSN:

0048-9697

Additional Keywords:

peat, atmospheric deposition, fluvial flux, N-saturation