Watershed nitrogen input and export of N to coastal systems along the west coast of the U.S.

West coast proportionate nitrogen export Watershed nitrogen input and export of N to coastal systems along the west coast of the U.S. Dr. Merryl Alber University of Georgia

Dept. of Marine Sciences University of Georgia Athens Georgia 30602-3636 USA

malber@uga.edu https://marsci.uga.edu/directory/people/merryl-alber https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9467-4449 Georgia Coastal Ecosystems LTER Project

Dept. of Marine Sciences University of Georgia Athens Georgia 30602-3636 USA

gcelter@uga.edu https://gce-lter.marsci.uga.edu/ Dr. Merryl Alber University of Georgia

Dept. of Marine Sciences University of Georgia Athens Georgia 30602-3636 USA

malber@uga.edu https://marsci.uga.edu/directory/people/merryl-alber https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9467-4449 Principal investigator 2007-01-01 2009-12-31 Dr. James T. Hollibaugh University of Georgia

Dept. of Marine Sciences University of Georgia Athens Georgia 30602-3636 USA

aquadoc@uga.edu http://www.marsci.uga.edu/directory/james-t-hollibaugh https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8037-160X Affiliated investigator 2007-01-01 2009-12-31 Dr. Sylvia C. Schaefer University of Georgia

Dept. of Marine Sciences University of Georgia Athens GA 30602-3636 USA

sylvia@uga.edu Graduate research assistant 2007-01-01 2009-12-31 2026

Overview S. Schaefer (PhD student, UGA), M. Alber (UGA), and J.T. Hollibaugh (UGA) extended our previous work on east coast N export to the west coast of the U.S. We calculated input of new N to 22 watersheds on the U.S. west coast for 1992 and 2002 and compared it to riverine N export, calculated based on measurements taken at the most downstream USGS water quality gauging station. Downstream riverine N export was correlated with variations in streamflow (export=1.06*streamflow-36.33, R2=0.64), with N inputs explaining an additional 15% of the variance (export=1.17*streamflow+0.07*input-257.18, R2=0.79). When Oregon Coast Range systems with high runoff were excluded this relationship improved further (export=0.74*streamflow+0.06*input-139.79, R2=0.86). The correlations with streamflow on the west coast are likely a result of its large dynamic range in these systems.

Associated GCE LTER research questions Question 1: What are the long-term patterns of environmental forcing to the coastal zone? (more information)

LTER NSF U.S. west coast GCE export input nitrogen streamflow Overall geographic extent of the research project -84.438334 -81.506075 34.385550 31.315563 2007-01-01 2009-12-31

National Science Foundation grant number OCE-0620959

estuary marsh complex Altamaha River basin - Upper Altamaha River watershed basin, encompassing the drainages of the Oconee, Ohoopee, Ocmulgee and Little Ocmulgee Rivers. -84.438334 -81.506075 34.385550 31.315563 Schaefer, S.C., Hollibaugh, J.T. and Alber, M. 2009. Watershed nitrogen input and riverine export on the west coast of the U.S. Biogeochemistry. 93(3):219-233. (DOI: 10.1007/s10533-009-9299-7) http://www.springerlink.com/content/n3813vng61jr4572/