Fate Of Nutrients Research Articles

Effects of beach slope breaks on nearshore groundwater dynamics

AbstractInteractions between fresh groundwater and seawater affect significantly the nearshore pore water flow, which in turn influences the fate of nutrients and contaminants in coastal aquifers prior to discharge to the marine environment. Field investigations and numerical simulations were carried out to examine the groundwater dynamics in the intertidal zone of a carbonate sandy aquifer on the tropical island of Rarotonga, Cook Islands. The study site was featured by distinct cross‐shore slope breaks on the beach surface. Measured pore water salinities revealed different distributions under the influences of different beach profiles, inland heads, and tidal oscillations. Fresh groundwater was found to discharge around a beach slope break located in the middle area of the intertidal zone. The results indicate a strong interplay between the slope break beach morphology and tidal force in controlling the nearshore groundwater flow and solute transport. The fresh groundwater discharge location was largely determined by the beach morphology in combination with the tidal force. The nearshore groundwater flow can be very sensitive to beach slope breaks, which induce local circulation and flow instabilities. As slope breaks are a common feature of beaches around the world, these results have important, general implications for future studies of nutrients transport and transformations in nearshore aquifers and associated fluxes via submarine groundwater discharge.

Effects of titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanoparticles on the photodissolution of particulate organic matter: Insights from fluorescence spectroscopy and environmental implications

Widely used titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanoparticles are likely to accumulate ultimately in sediments and potentially pose a risk to water ecosystems. This study evaluated the effect of TiO2 nanoparticles on the photodissolution of particulate organic matter (POM) through fluorescence spectroscopy. Excitation-emission matrices and parallel factor analyses revealed that the fluorescent characteristics of produced dissolved organic matter (DOM) during photodissolution of suspended sediment and synthetic particulate organic matter (SPOM) were primarily humic-like. SPOM particles appeared to simulate well the photodissolution of suspended sediment. Quasi-complete increases in fluorescence intensity and chromophoric DOM (CDOM) abundance were reached after 90, 60, and 50 min irradiation for TiO2 concentrations of 0, 2, and 5 mg L−1, respectively. The faster increment of fluorescence intensity and CDOM abundance indicated the photocatalytic dissolution of SPOM, as opposite charges between TiO2 and SPOM at pH = 4 favored the adsorption of TiO2 onto SPOM. For sediments, the CDOM abundance and fluorescence intensity decreased with increasing TiO2 concentration, resulting from the photocatalytic degradation of photoproduced DOM from sediments. These results demonstrated that pH plays an important role in the photocatalytic dissolution of POM by TiO2. Therefore, appropriate pH controls should be implemented when TiO2 are used to treat sediments contaminated with organic pollutants. Finally, with increasing use of TiO2, its accumulation in sediments may affect the fate of carbon, nutrients, and heavy metals in shallow-water ecosystems.

Nitrogen, Sulfur, and Oxygen Isotope Ratios of Animal- and Plant-Based Organic Fertilizers Used in South Korea.

Organic fertilizers are increasingly used in agriculture in Asia and elsewhere. Tracer techniques are desirable to distinguish the fate of nutrients added to agroecosystems with organic fertilizers from those contained in synthetic fertilizers. Therefore, we determined the nitrogen, sulfur, and oxygen isotope ratios of nitrogen- and sulfur-bearing compounds in animal- and plant-based organic fertilizers (ABOF and PBOF, respectively) used in South Korea to evaluate whether they are isotopically distinct. The δN values of total and organic nitrogen for ABOF ranged from +7 to +19‰ and were higher than those of PBOF (generally <+6‰). This suggests that ABOFs have distinct δN values suitable for tracing these fertilizer compounds in the plant-soil-water system, whereas PBOFs have similar δN values to synthetic fertilizers. However, δO values for nitrate (δO) from organic fertilizer samples (<+17.0‰) were consistently lower than those of synthetic nitrate-containing fertilizers. The δS values of total sulfur, organic sulfur compounds (e.g., carbon-bonded sulfur and hydriodic acid-reducible sulfur), and sulfate for ABOFs yielded wide and overlapping ranges of +0.3 to +6.3, +0.9 to +7.2, and -2.6 to +14.2‰, whereas those for PBOFs varied from -3.4 to +7.7, +1.4 to +9.4, and -4.1 to +12.5‰, respectively, making it challenging to distinguish the fate of sulfur compounds from ABOF and PBOF in the environment using sulfur isotopes. We conclude that the δN values of ABOFs and the O values of organic fertilizers are distinct from those of synthetic fertilizers and are a promising tool for tracing the fate of nutrients added by organic fertilizers to agroecosystems.

Analysis of DOM phototransformation using a looped NMR system integrated with a sunlight simulator

Photochemical transformation plays an important role in functionalizing and degrading dissolved organic matter (DOM), producing one of the most complex mixtures known. In this study, using a flow-based design, nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy is directly interfaced with a sunlight simulator enabling the study of DOM photodegradation in situ with high temporal resolution over 5 days. Samples from Suwannee River (Florida), Nordic Reservoir (Norway), and Pony Lake (Antarctic) are studied. Phototransformation of DOM is dominated by the degradation of aromatics and unsaturated structures (many arising from lignin) into carboxylated and hydroxylated products. To assess longer term changes, the samples were continuously irradiated for 17.5 days, followed by the identification a wide range of compounds and assessment of their fate using off-line 2D-NMR. This study demonstrates the applicability of the looped system to follow degradation in a non-targeted fashion (the mixture as a whole) and target analysis (tracing specific metabolites), which holds great potential to study the fate and transformation of contaminants and nutrients in the presence of DOM. It also demonstrates that components that remain unresolved in 1D NMR can be identified using 2D methods.

Understanding the hydrologic control of N cycle: Effect of water filled pore space on heterotrophic nitrification, denitrification and dissimilatory nitrate reduction to ammonium mechanisms in unsaturated soils

Irrigation practice will be effective if it supplies optimal water and nutrients to crops and act as a filter for contaminants leaching to ground water. There is always a scope for improving the fertilizer use efficiency and scheduling of wastewater irrigation if the fate and transport of nutrients particularly nitrogenous compounds in the soil are well understood. In the present study, nitrogen transport experiments for two different agricultural soils are performed under varying saturation 33, 57, 78% water filled pore space for sandy soil 1 and 52, 81 and 96% for loam soil 2. A HYDRUS 2D model with constructed wetland (CW2D) module could simulate aerobic nitrification and anoxic denitrification well for both soils and estimated the reaction kinetics. A hot spot of Dissimilatory Nitrate Reduction to Ammonium (DNRA) pathway has been observed at 81% moisture content for a loamy sand soil. The presence of high organic content and reductive soil environment (5.53 C/NO3− ratio; ORP=−125mV) results in ammonium accumulation of 16.85mg in the soil. The overall observation from this study is nitrification occurs in a wide range of saturations 33–78% with highest at 57% whereas denitrification is significant at higher water saturations 57–78% for sandy soil texture. For a loamy sand soil, denitrification is dominant at 96% saturation with least nitrification at all saturation studies. The greatest nitrogen losses (>90%) was observed for soil 2 while 30–70% for soil1. The slow dispersive subsurface transport with varying oxygen dynamics enhanced nitrogen losses from soil2 due to lesser soil permeability. This in turn, prevents NO3− leaching and groundwater contamination. This type of modeling study should be used before planning field experiments for designing optimal irrigation and fertigation schedules.

Spatial variability of organic matter molecular composition and elemental geochemistry in surface sediments of a small boreal Swedish lake

Abstract. The composition of sediment organic matter (OM) exerts a strong control on biogeochemical processes in lakes, such as those involved in the fate of carbon, nutrients and trace metals. While between-lake spatial variability of OM quality is increasingly investigated, we explored in this study how the molecular composition of sediment OM varies spatially within a single lake and related this variability to physical parameters and elemental geochemistry. Surface sediment samples (0–10 cm) from 42 locations in Härsvatten – a small boreal forest lake with a complex basin morphometry – were analyzed for OM molecular composition using pyrolysis gas chromatography mass spectrometry for the contents of 23 major and trace elements and biogenic silica. We identified 162 organic compounds belonging to different biochemical classes of OM (e.g., carbohydrates, lignin and lipids). Close relationships were found between the spatial patterns of sediment OM molecular composition and elemental geochemistry. Differences in the source types of OM (i.e., terrestrial, aquatic plant and algal) were linked to the individual basin morphometries and chemical status of the lake. The variability in OM molecular composition was further driven by the degradation status of these different source pools, which appeared to be related to sedimentary physicochemical parameters (e.g., redox conditions) and to the molecular structure of the organic compounds. Given the high spatial variation in OM molecular composition within Härsvatten and its close relationship with elemental geochemistry, the potential for large spatial variability across lakes should be considered when studying biogeochemical processes involved in the cycling of carbon, nutrients and trace elements or when assessing lake budgets.

Uncertainty analysis for effluent trading planning using a Bayesian estimation-based simulation-optimization modeling approach

In this study, a Bayesian estimation-based simulation-optimization modeling approach (BESMA) is developed for identifying effluent trading strategies. BESMA incorporates nutrient fate modeling with soil and water assessment tool (SWAT), Bayesian estimation, and probabilistic–possibilistic interval programming with fuzzy random coefficients (PPI-FRC) within a general framework. Based on the water quality protocols provided by SWAT, posterior distributions of parameters can be analyzed through Bayesian estimation; stochastic characteristic of nutrient loading can be investigated which provides the inputs for the decision making. PPI-FRC can address multiple uncertainties in the form of intervals with fuzzy random boundaries and the associated system risk through incorporating the concept of possibility and necessity measures. The possibility and necessity measures are suitable for optimistic and pessimistic decision making, respectively. BESMA is applied to a real case of effluent trading planning in the Xiangxihe watershed, China. A number of decision alternatives can be obtained under different trading ratios and treatment rates. The results can not only facilitate identification of optimal effluent-trading schemes, but also gain insight into the effects of trading ratio and treatment rate on decision making. The results also reveal that decision maker's preference towards risk would affect decision alternatives on trading scheme as well as system benefit. Compared with the conventional optimization methods, it is proved that BESMA is advantageous in (i) dealing with multiple uncertainties associated with randomness and fuzziness in effluent-trading planning within a multi-source, multi-reach and multi-period context; (ii) reflecting uncertainties existing in nutrient transport behaviors to improve the accuracy in water quality prediction; and (iii) supporting pessimistic and optimistic decision making for effluent trading as well as promoting diversity of decision alternatives.

Fate of nutrients in human dominated ecosystems

Jakkur Lake in the city of Bengaluru covers an approximate area of 55 hectares and primarily receives inflows from the Jakkur sewage treatment plant (STP) and an open storm drain. Jakkur STP discharges an average of 10 million litres of treated water daily (MLD) into the lake. The open drain discharges about 0.5 MLD of raw sewage into the lake. In the absence of environmental flows it becomes critical to assess the impact of nutrient flux on the quality of water, and design cost effective treatment solutions to address the issues of lake water quality. As part of this study, we have assessed the impact of these two primary inflows on the overall water quality of Jakkur Lake. The results have shown that nutrient inflows have led to the increase of chlorophyll-a levels, eventually causing hypereutrophication of Jakkur lake. We have also used simple mass balance approach to assess the contributions of in-lake activities (sedimentation and reaction) on removal of nutrients from the lake. We have concluded that the phosphorus load has to be reduced by approximately 96% from the current levels to prevent algal blooms within Jakkur Lake.

Characterization of the Pro-Inflammatory Cytokine IL-1β on Butyrate Oxidation in Colorectal Cancer Cells.

Cancer, in part, is driven, by alterations in cellular metabolism that promote cell survival and cell proliferation. Identifying factors that influence this shift in cellular metabolism in cancer cells is important. Interleukin-1β (IL-1β) is a pro-inflammatory cytokine that has been reported to be elevated in colorectal cancer patients. While much is known toward the effect of dietary nutrients on regulating inflammation and the inflammatory response, which includes cytokines such as IL-1β, far less is understood how cytokines impact nutrient fate to alter cancer cell metabolism. Butyrate, a nutrient derived from the fermentation of dietary fiber in the colon, is the preferential exogenous energetic substrate used by non-cancerous colonocytes, but is used less efficiently by colorectal cancer cells. To test whether IL-1β alters colonocyte energy metabolism, we measured butyrate oxidation in HCT116 colorectal cancer cells with and without IL-1β. We hypothesize that IL-1β will push cancerous colonocytes away from the utilization and oxidation of butyrate. In this study, we demonstrate that pretreatment of colorectal cancer cells with IL-1β diminished butyrate oxidation and NADH levels. This effect was blocked with the interleukin receptor antagonist A (IL-1RA). Moreover, IL-1β suppressed basal mitochondrial respiration and lowered the mitochondrial spare capacity. By using inhibitors to block downstream targets of the interleukin-1 receptor pathway, we show that p38 is required for the IL-1β-mediated decrease in butyrate oxidation. These data provide insight into the metabolic effects induced by IL-1β in colorectal cancer, and identify relevant targets that may be exploited to block the effects of this cytokine. J. Cell. Biochem. 118: 1614-1621, 2017. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

FATE OF HEAVY METALS AND NUTRIENTS IN WASTE STABILIZATION PONDS IN ARID ZONES

An existing system of natural waste stabilization ponds (WSPs) in El-Qusiyyah city, Upper Egypt was monitored through one year to evaluate the fate of heavy metals and nutrients included in wastewater. The plant treats domestic wastewater with design daily flow rate of 40,000 m^3 and stills hydraulically under-loaded. It comprises two parallel lines each consists of anaerobic, facultative, and four maturation ponds in series. Variations of some physicochemical parameters (T,pH,DO,〖BOD〗_5,and TSS) along the ponds system were observed and evaluated. Evaporated water from ponds and its impacts were assessed. Concentration changes of four heavy metal ions (〖Al〗^(3+),〖Zn〗^(2+),〖Cr〗^(6+),and 〖Cu〗^(2+)) and various forms of nutrients (nitrogen and phosphorous) along the treatment line were observed. The treatment plant was found to be working well regarding to the investigated physicochemical parameters. General decrease in heavy metals and nutrients concentration along the wastewater stream in the plant was observed. The overall removal efficiency for 〖Al〗^(3+),〖Zn〗^(2+),〖Cr〗^(6+),and 〖Cu〗^(2+) was found to be 80.62%, 69.69%, 72.99%, and 71.53%, respectively. The system showed moderate overall removal efficiencies for total nitrogen and phosphorous as 68.56% and 39.37%, respectively. Based on national and international standards, the results of heavy metals and nutrients out of the treatment plant showed the effluent suitability for agricultural irrigation regarding to the studied parameters.

The fate of marine-derived nutrients: tracing δ13C and δ15N through oligotrophic freshwater and linked riparian ecosystems following salmon carcass analog additions

The oligotrophic condition of salmon-bearing catchments in the Columbia River Basin is a potential limiting factor for the recovery of Pacific salmon (Oncorhynchus spp.). To address this issue, nutrient supplementation programs attempt to mitigate for reduced marine-derived nutrients (MDN). We examined the assimilation of MDN in the biota of tributaries of the Salmon River Basin, Idaho, USA, following the addition of salmon carcass analogs (SCA). We measured carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) stable isotopes from biofilm, macroinvertebrate, salmonid fish, and riparian vegetation samples and found significant 15N enrichment and substantial assimilation of SCA material in all aquatic trophic levels and in riparian vegetation. Our results suggest that SCA are incorporated primarily through indirect pathways and provide a source of MDN to multiple trophic levels in freshwater and linked riparian ecosystems.

Nutrient Dynamics of the Delta: Effects on Primary Producers

doi: https://doi.org/10.15447/sfews.2016v14iss4art4 Increasing clarity of Delta waters, the emergence of harmful algal blooms, the proliferation of aquatic water weeds, and the altered food web of the Delta have brought nutrient dynamics to the forefront. This paper focuses on the sources of nutrients, the transformation and uptake of nutrients, and the links of nutrients to primary producers. The largest loads of nutrients to the Delta come from the Sacramento River with the San Joaquin River seasonally important, especially in the summer. Nutrient concentrations reflect riverine inputs in winter and internal biological processes during periods of lower flow with internal nitrogen losses within the Delta estimated at approximately 30% annually. Light regime, grazing pressure, and nutrient availability influence rates of primary production at different times and locations within the Delta. The roles of the chemical form of dissolved inorganic nitrogen in growth rates of primary producers in the Delta and the structure of the open-water algal community are currently topics of much interest and considerable debate. Harmful algal blooms have been noted since the late 1990s, and the extent of invasive aquatic macrophytes (both submerged and free-floating forms) has increased especially during years of drought. Elevated nutrient loads must be considered in terms of their ability to support this excess biomass. Modern sensor technology and networks are now deployed that make high-frequency measurements of nitrate, ammonium, and phosphate. Data from such instruments allow a much more detailed assessment of the spatial and temporal dynamics of nutrients. Four fruitful directions for future research include utilizing continuous sensor data to estimate rates of primary production and ecosystem respiration, linking hydrodynamic models of the Delta with the transport and fate of dissolved nutrients, studying nutrient dynamics in various habitat types, and exploring the use of stable isotopes to trace the movement and fate of effluent-derived nutrients.

Rainfall reduction impacts rhizosphere biogeochemistry in eucalypts grown in a deep Ferralsol in Brazil

Comparing root functioning under contrasting rainfall regimes can help assessing the capacity of plant species to cope with more intense and frequent drought predicted under climate change context. While the awareness of the need to study the whole root system is growing, most of the studies of root functioning through rhizosphere analyses have been restricted to the topsoil. Our study aimed to assess whether the depth in the soil and the rainfall amount affect root functioning, and notably the fate of nutrients within the rhizosphere. We compared pH and nutrient availability within the rhizosphere and bulk soil along a 4-m deep soil profile in a 5-year-old eucalypt (Eucalyptus grandis) plantation under undisturbed and reduced rainfall treatments. The exchangeable K concentration and the pH of the bulk soil were not influenced by the reduced rainfall treatment. By contrast, the H3O+ concentration in the rhizosphere was significantly greater than that of the bulk soil, only in the reduced rainfall plot. The concentrations of exchangeable K in the rhizosphere were significantly larger than those of the bulk soil in both treatments but this difference was higher in the reduced rainfall plot, notably below the depth of 2 m. Both exchangeable K and H3O+ concentration significantly increased within the rhizosphere in the reduced rainfall treatment at soil depth down to 4 m. The amount of K brought to the roots by mass flow was estimated and could not explain the observed increase in exchangeable K concentration within the rhizosphere. A more likely explanation was root-induced weathering of K-bearing minerals, partly related to enhanced rhizosphere acidification. Our results demonstrate that root functioning can be considerably altered as a response to drought down to large depths.

Impacts of Surface Site Coordination on Arsenate Adsorption: Macroscopic Uptake and Binding Mechanisms on Aluminum Hydroxide Surfaces.

Aluminum hydroxides play important roles in regulating the fate and transport of contaminants and nutrients in soils and aquatic systems. Like many metal oxides, these minerals display surface functional groups in a series of coordination states, each of which may differ in its affinity for adsorbates. The distribution of functional group types varies among distinct surfaces of aluminum hydroxides, and we thus hypothesize that the adsorption behavior and mechanisms will show a dependence on particle morphology. To test this hypothesis, we investigate arsenate adsorption on two aluminum hydroxide polymorphs with distinct particle morphologies, gibbsite [γ-Al(OH)3] and bayerite [α-Al(OH)3], at pH 4 and 7. Synthetic gibbsite platelets expose large (001) basal surfaces predicted to be terminated by doubly coordinated functional groups (>Al2OH). In contrast, synthetic bayerite microrods display mainly edge surfaces (parallel to the c axis) containing abundant singly coordinated functional groups (>AlOH2). Macroscopic adsorption studies show that gibbsite adsorbs less arsenate per unit surface area than bayerite at both pH values and suggest that two surface complexes form on each material. Similar electrokinetic behavior is displayed at the same relative coverages of arsenate, suggesting that similar reactive surface groups (>AlOH2) control the surface charging on both particles. EXAFS spectroscopy shows that there is no variation in arsenate surface speciation on a given mineral with surface coverage or pH. Whereas bidentate binuclear inner-sphere species are the dominant complexes present, the EXAFS result suggest that outer-sphere species also occur on both minerals, with a greater abundance on gibbsite. This binding mode likely involves adsorption to >Al2OH sites, which have a slow ligand exchange rate that inhibits inner-sphere binding. These results demonstrate that adsorption mechanisms and capacity, even when normalized for specific surface area, vary with metal oxide particle morphology because of the distribution of distinct functional groups.

Response of Chattonella marina (Raphidophyceae) and marine plankton to yellow clay and thiazolidinedione derivative TD49 in a mesocosm enclosure

We examined the effects of the algicide thiazolidinedione (TD49) and yellow clay on Chattonella marina and assessed their ecological risk for the entire planktonic community. Mesocosm (1000 L) exposure experiments were employed to investigate time-course responses over 9 days. The growth of C. marina was controlled at ≥0.4 μM TD49 but not inhibited in yellow clay treatments. Although the algicidal activity of the 0.4-μM TD49 + 0.4 kg t−1 yellow clay treatment for C. marina was high (72.5 % at 24 h), target alga regrowth occurred. In all treatments, inorganic nutrients such as nitrate + nitrite and phosphate decreased following commencement of the experiment but were >1 μM (limitation concentration) at days 5 and 6, even though consumption pattern of those nutrients was influenced by the TD49 concentration. Depletion of silicate in initial stages played an important role in controlling the shift from diatoms including Chaetoceros and Skeletonema spp. to cryptophytes. Zooplankton were not affected by even the highest the yellow clay treatments and TD concentration of <0.8 μM, but their abundance significantly reduced after day 1 at 0.8 μM TD49. Zooplankton nauplii gradually increased to the end of the experimental period, implying that TD49 may have a limited effect on zooplankton communities. The initial dosing concentration of each substance and the fate of nutrients following algicide application were critical in determining the timing of shifts in the phytoplankton and zooplankton species composition, as well as the algicidal effect on the target alga.

Nutrient and pollutant metals within earthworm residues are immobilized in soil during decomposition

Earthworms are known to bioaccumulate metals, making them a potential vector for metal transport in soils. However, the fate of metals within soil upon death of earthworms has not been characterized. We compared the fate of nutrient (Ca, Mg, Mn) and potentially toxic (Cu, Zn, Pb) metals during decomposition of Amynthas agrestis and Lumbricus rubellus in soil columns. Cumulative leachate pools, exchangeable pools (0.1 M KCl + 0.01 M acetic acid extracted), and stable pools (16 M HNO3 + 12 M HCl extracted) were quantified in the soil columns after 7, 21, and 60 days of decomposition. Soil columns containing A. agrestis and L. rubellus had significantly higher cumulative leachate pools of Ca, Mn, Cu, and Pb than Control soil columns. Exchangeable and stable pools of Cu, Pb, and Zn were greater for A. agrestis and L. rubellus soil columns than Control soil columns. However, we estimated that >98% of metals from earthworm residues were immobilized in the soil in an exchangeable or stable form over the 60 days using a mass balance approach. Micro-XRF images of longitudinal thin sections of soil columns after 60 days containing A. agrestis confirm metals immobilization in earthworm residues. Our research demonstrates that nutrient and toxic metals are stabilized in soil within earthworm residues.

Microbial crop residue decomposition dynamics in organic and conventionally managed soils

Agricultural practices can influence soil microbial communities, which are the primary regulators of soil carbon and nutrient cycling processes. Differences in microbial community composition have the potential to affect the fate of carbon and nutrients during decomposition and may therefore influence the retention of C and provisioning of crop nutrients in agroecosystems. Long term management-induced shifts in microbial communities and resource availability may interact to affect the microbial utilization of fresh inputs of crop residues in the short term, with lasting impacts on soil C accrual and fertility. The objective of this study was to investigate whether long-term organic and conventional management resulted in differences in microbial residue decomposition. Soils under conventional and organic management planted with annual crops or with a mix of annual crops and three years of perennial alfalfa were collected from a long-term (19 y) field study in Saskatchewan, Canada and were incubated in the laboratory with and without 13C-labelled barley residues for 98d. We measured extracellular enzyme activities (EEAs) and the incorporation of crop residue-derived C within major microbial groups (fungi, actinobacteria, and Gram positive and negative bacteria) during decomposition. Total PLFA biomass and EEAs were highest in soils from the conventional-annual system, similar between the conventional and organic perennial systems, and similar or lowest in the organic-annual system. Crop residue additions alleviated these differences; that is, in residue-amended soils total PLFA biomass, EEAs, and the abundance of the fungal biomarker increased in the organic systems compared to the unamended soils to become similar to the conventional systems. In contrast, residue additions induced small or no changes in biomass and EEAs in the conventional-annual soils. Using 13C-PLFA-SIP we showed that the general pattern of microbial succession during decomposition was similar among soils, but that fungi and especially actinobacteria were relatively more dominant in organic compared to conventionally managed soils during early and later stages of decomposition, respectively. Thus, shifts in the decomposer community composition were greater in soils originating from organic management, possibly as a result of larger changes in resource availability during the incubation that advanced the rate of microbial succession. This may reinforce long term differences in SOC quality and nutrient availability between management regimes. Organically-managed cropping systems are particularly reliant on biological cycling of organic nutrients to support crop growth. This work reinforces the importance of adequate crop residue returns for maintaining soil function, particularly where external organic amendments are not applied to balance nutrients exported as crop products.

A meta-analysis and statistical modelling of nitrates in groundwater at the African scale

Abstract. Contamination of groundwater with nitrate poses a major health risk to millions of people around Africa. Assessing the space–time distribution of this contamination, as well as understanding the factors that explain this contamination, is important for managing sustainable drinking water at the regional scale. This study aims to assess the variables that contribute to nitrate pollution in groundwater at the African scale by statistical modelling. We compiled a literature database of nitrate concentration in groundwater (around 250 studies) and combined it with digital maps of physical attributes such as soil, geology, climate, hydrogeology, and anthropogenic data for statistical model development. The maximum, medium, and minimum observed nitrate concentrations were analysed. In total, 13 explanatory variables were screened to explain observed nitrate pollution in groundwater. For the mean nitrate concentration, four variables are retained in the statistical explanatory model: (1) depth to groundwater (shallow groundwater, typically &lt; 50 m); (2) recharge rate; (3) aquifer type; and (4) population density. The first three variables represent intrinsic vulnerability of groundwater systems to pollution, while the latter variable is a proxy for anthropogenic pollution pressure. The model explains 65 % of the variation of mean nitrate contamination in groundwater at the African scale. Using the same proxy information, we could develop a statistical model for the maximum nitrate concentrations that explains 42 % of the nitrate variation. For the maximum concentrations, other environmental attributes such as soil type, slope, rainfall, climate class, and region type improve the prediction of maximum nitrate concentrations at the African scale. As to minimal nitrate concentrations, in the absence of normal distribution assumptions of the data set, we do not develop a statistical model for these data. The data-based statistical model presented here represents an important step towards developing tools that will allow us to accurately predict nitrate distribution at the African scale and thus may support groundwater monitoring and water management that aims to protect groundwater systems. Yet they should be further refined and validated when more detailed and harmonized data become available and/or combined with more conceptual descriptions of the fate of nutrients in the hydrosystem.

Longitudinal dispersion in open channel flow with suspended canopies.

Suspended canopies can cause flow disturbances such as reducing velocities within the canopy, and increasing flow beneath the canopy. Flow modifications by canopies dramatically affect the fate and transport of sediment, nutrients, contaminants, dissolved oxygen, and fauna in aquatic systems. A three-zone model is presented here to predict the longitudinal dispersion coefficient by simplifying Chikwendu's N-zone model. To validate the model, both flow field and tracer experiments were conducted using a straight rectangular Plexiglas flume, with rigid circular rods as the modeled suspended canopies. The result shows that velocities increased above the flume bed and maximized at a point between the canopies and flume bed. Above that point, streamwise velocities decreased into and within the canopies. Reynolds shear stresses were largest at the canopy interface and smallest (zero) at the velocity maximum point. Good agreement between the modeled results and experimental data shows that the model can effectively predict the longitudinal dispersion coefficient in open channels with suspended canopies.

Connectivity between estuaries influences nutrient transport, cycling and water quality

Water quality in coastal and estuarine systems is dictated by nutrient supply and circulation. However, convoluted coastlines, intermittent river discharge, complex currents, and variable nutrient inputs and transformations, confound interpretation of sparse water quality observations. In high use regions with competing human activities, this system complexity precludes identification of factors causing poor water quality, which can lead to conflict between users. High resolution 3D hydrodynamic and biogeochemical models can simulate the dynamics of a region and demonstrate nutrient pathways in convoluted systems. Here, we use a 3D coupled hydrodynamic, sediment and biogeochemical model to investigate the fine-scale (<100m; <1day resolution) nutrient dynamics of temperate coastal waters in southeast Tasmania, Australia. The fate and transport of anthropogenic nutrients between the Huon estuary, the D'Entrecasteaux Channel and the Derwent estuary is of concern and we use the model to explore the regional contribution and connectivity of marine, catchment and anthropogenic nutrient loads. Model skill in the year 2009 is assessed against water quality observations throughout the region and nutrient budgets are evaluated for each sub-region. Results show seasonal variation in estuarine flow with persistent anthropogenic nutrient sources augmenting phytoplankton production, and reducing water quality in summer months. Nutrient-enriched Huon Estuary and D'Entrecasteaux Channel waters are flushed north to the mouth of the Derwent Estuary and then south into the open ocean, with greatest flux in winter. This demonstrates that water quality in the Derwent is not compromised by nutrient influx from the adjacent waters. By using fine-scale 3D biogeochemical models, such as demonstrated here, we can quantify nutrient transport pathways in coastal waters and resolve conflicts between users to support integrated marine management.