Retention and release of nutrients and dissolved organic carbon in a nutrient-rich stream: a mass balance approach

FEIJOÓ, CLAUDIA; MESSETTA, MARÍA LAURA; HEGOBURU, CECILIA; VÁZQUEZ, ALICIA GÓMEZ; GUERRA-LÓPEZ, JOSÉ; MAS-PLA, JOSEP; RIGACCI, LAURA; GARCÍA, VICTORIA; BUTTURINI, ANDREA

JOURNAL OF HYDROLOGY

ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV

Lugar: Amsterdam; Año: 2018

0022-1694

The relevance of fluvial systems to process nutrients and carbon is widely accepted, but their role as sinks and sources of nutrients and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) is still under discussion especially in non-forested and highly productive streams. In this study, we used a mass balance approach at a reach scale in a Pampean stream to elucidate the major sources of water, nutrientsand DOC as well as to determine net in-stream retention efficiencies of nutrients and DOC under different hydrological conditions. We measured conductivity, conservative ions (chloride and calcium), soluble reactive phosphorus (SRP), nitrate (NO3), nitrite (NO2), ammonium (NH4) and DOC at the end-point of a reach of Las Flores stream (site A), at two upstream tributaries (B1 and B2), and at each potential hydrological contributors to stream flow (groundwater, overland and subsurface flows, and rainfall). In addition, we monitored one storm event where we collected samples during the rising and therecession limb of the hydrograph.