Contrasting Dynamics of Nitrate and Kjeldahl Nitrogen in a Stream Draining a Rural Catchment in Galicia (NW Spain)

In this study the temporal variability of nitrogen (N) transport in a small rural agroforestry catchment (16 km²) located in NW Spain is analyzed. Total annual N loss was 20.34 t, and the specific N yield was 8.16 kg ha⁻¹ y⁻¹. This rate is low in relation to rural catchments in other regions with si...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Communications in Soil Science and Plant Analysis 2013, Vol.44 (1-4), p.415-421
Main Authors: Rodríguez-Blanco, M. L, Taboada-Castro, M. M, Taboada-Castro, M. T
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Agroforestry
Agroforestry catchment
Agronomy. Soil science and plant productions
Biological and medical sciences
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
hysteresis
Kjeldahl nitrogen
land use
nitrate
Nitrates
nitrogen
NW Spain
Runoff
runoff events
Soil erosion
Soil sciences
temporal variability
temporal variation
watersheds
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Summary:In this study the temporal variability of nitrogen (N) transport in a small rural agroforestry catchment (16 km²) located in NW Spain is analyzed. Total annual N loss was 20.34 t, and the specific N yield was 8.16 kg ha⁻¹ y⁻¹. This rate is low in relation to rural catchments in other regions with similar size and distribution of land use. Nitrate (N-NO₃), which represents about 78% of the N transported, was mainly mobilized during baseflow (59%), whereas most of the total Kjeldahl nitrogen (TKN) export occurred during runoff events (54%). A significant difference in the transport of N-NO₃ and TKN within the catchment was observed. The relationship between N-NO₃ concentrations and discharge within runoff events was mainly dominated by anticlockwise hysteresis loops, whereas in the case of TKN clockwise hysteresis loops predominated.
ISSN:1532-2416
0010-3624
1532-2416
1532-4133
DOI:10.1080/00103624.2013.742333