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Spatial and Temporal Variability in Sediment Denitrification Within an Agriculturally Influenced Reservoir

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Abstract

Reservoirs are intrinsically linked to the rivers that feed them, creating a river–reservoir continuum in which water and sediment inputs are a function of the surrounding watershed land use. We examined the spatial and temporal variability of sediment denitrification rates by sampling longitudinally along an agriculturally influenced river–reservoir continuum monthly for 13 months. Sediment denitrification rates ranged from 0 to 63 μg N2O g ash free dry mass of sediments (AFDM)−1 h−1 or 0–2.7 μg N2O g dry mass of sediments (DM)−1 h−1 at reservoir sites, vs. 0–12 μg N2O gAFDM−1 h−1 or 0–0.27 μg N2O gDM−1 h−1 at riverine sites. Temporally, highest denitrification activity traveled through the reservoir from upper reservoir sites to the dam, following the load of high nitrate (NO −3 -N) water associated with spring runoff. Annual mean sediment denitrification rates at different reservoir sites were consistently higher than at riverine sites, yet significant relationships among theses sites differed when denitrification rates were expressed per gDM vs. per gAFDM. There was a significant positive relationship between sediment denitrification rates and NO −3 -N concentration up to a threshold of 0.88 mg NO −3 -N l−1, above which it appeared NO −3 -N was no longer limiting. Denitrification assays were amended seasonally with NO −3 -N and an organic carbon source (glucose) to determine nutrient limitation of sediment denitrification. While organic carbon never limited sediment denitrification, all sites were significantly limited by NO −3 -N during fall and winter when ambient NO −3 -N was low.

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Abbreviations

AFDM:

ash free dry mass

ANOVA:

analysis of variance

APHA:

American Public Health Association

C:

carbon

chl a:

chlorophyll a

CV:

coefficient of variation

DM:

dry mass

DOC:

dissolved organic carbon

Figure:

figure

g:

gram

He:

helium

h:

hour

km:

kilometers

l:

liter

LSMeans:

least-squared means

LSV:

Lake Shelbyville, Illinois

m:

meter

mg:

milligram

ml:

milliliter

mM:

millimolar

N:

nitrogen

N + C:

nitrogen plus carbon

N2:

di-nitrogen gas

N2O:

nitrous oxide

NH4+:

ammonium

NO −3 :

nitrate

O2:

oxygen

SE:

standard error

TDN:

total dissolved nitrogen

TN:

total nitrogen

USEPA:

United States Environmental Protection Agency

USGS:

United Stated Geologic Survey

μg:

microgram

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biological Sciences, University of Notre Dame, 192 Galvin Life Sciences, 46556, Notre Dame, IN

    Lareina G. Wall, Jennifer L. Tank & Melody J. Bernot

  2. Department of Biological Sciences, Kent State University, 256 Cunningham Hall, 44242, Kent, OH

    Todd V. Royer

Authors
  1. Lareina G. Wall
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  2. Jennifer L. Tank
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  3. Todd V. Royer
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  4. Melody J. Bernot
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Correspondence to Jennifer L. Tank.

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Wall, L.G., Tank, J.L., Royer, T.V. et al. Spatial and Temporal Variability in Sediment Denitrification Within an Agriculturally Influenced Reservoir. Biogeochemistry 76, 85–111 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10533-005-2199-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10533-005-2199-6

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