Nitrous oxide emission from denitrification in stream and river networks

J.J. Beaulieu; J.L. Tank; S.K. Hamilton; W.M. Wollheim; R.O. Hall; P.J. Mulholland; B.J. Peterson; L.R. Ashkenas; L.W. Cooper; C.N. Dahm; W.K. Dodds; N.B. Grimm; Sherri Johnson; W.H. McDowell; G.C. Poole; H.M. Valett; C.P. Arango; M.J. Bernot; A.J. Burgin; C.L. Crenshaw; A.M. Helton; L.T. Johnson; J.M. O'Brien; J.D. Potter; R.W. Sheibley; D.J. Sobota; S.M. Thomas

Treesearch

Nitrous oxide emission from denitrification in stream and river networks

Formally Refereed

Authors:

J.J. Beaulieu, J.L. Tank, S.K. Hamilton, W.M. Wollheim, R.O. Hall, P.J. Mulholland, B.J. Peterson, L.R. Ashkenas, L.W. Cooper, C.N. Dahm, W.K. Dodds, N.B. Grimm, Sherri Johnson, W.H. McDowell, G.C. Poole, H.M. Valett, C.P. Arango, M.J. Bernot, A.J. Burgin, C.L. Crenshaw, A.M. Helton, L.T. Johnson, J.M. O'Brien, J.D. Potter, R.W. Sheibley, D.J. Sobota, S.M. Thomas

Year:

2011

Type:

Full Proceedings

Station:

Pacific Northwest Research Station

Source:

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. 108(1): 214-219

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Abstract

Nitrous oxide (N₂0) is a potent greenhouse gas that contributes to climate change and stratospheric ozone destruction. Anthropogenic nitrogen (N) loading to river networks is a potentially important source of N₂0 via microbial denitrification that converts N to N₂0 and dinitrogen (N₂). The fraction of denitrified N that escapes as N₂0 rather than N₂0 (i.e., the N₂ yield) is an important determinant of how much N₂0 is produced by river networks, but little is known about the N₂0 yield in flowing waters. Here, we present the results of whole-stream ¹⁵N-tracer additions conducted in 72 headwater streams draining multiple land-use types across the United States. We found that stream denitrification produces N₂0 at rates that Increase with stream water nitrate concentrations, but that

Keywords

aquatic ecosystems, biogeochemistry, nutrients, nitrogen, isotopes, stream channel networks, ecosystem modeling

Citation

Beaulieu, J.J.; Tank, J.L.; Hamilton, S.K.; Wollheim, W.M.; Hall, R.O.; Mulholland, P.J.; Peterson, B.J.; Ashkenas, L.R.; Cooper, L.W.; Dahm, C.N.; Dodds, W.K.; Grimm, N.B.; Johnson, S.L.; McDowell, W.H.; Poole, G.C.; Valett, H.M.; Arango, C.P.; Bernot, M.J.; Burgin, A.J.; Crenshaw, C.L.; Helton, A.M.; Johnson, L.T.; O'Brien, J.M.; Potter, J.D.; Sheibley, R.W.; Sobota, D.J.; Thomas, S.M. 2011. Nitrous oxide emission from denitrification in stream and river networks. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. 108(1): 214-219.