Abstract
We present a conceptual approach for evaluating the biological and hydrological controls of nutrient removal in different sized rivers within an entire river network. We emphasize a per unit area biological parameter, the nutrient uptake velocity (νf), which is mathematically independent of river size in benthic dominated systems. Standardization of biological parameters from previous river network models to νf reveals the nature of river size dependant biological activity in these models. We explore how geomorphic, hydraulic, and biological factors control the distribution of nutrient removal in an idealized river network, finding that larger rivers within a basin potentially exert considerable influence over nutrient exports.
Department
Earth Systems Research Center
Publication Date
3-30-2006
Journal Title
Geophysical Research Letters
Publisher
American Geophysical Union (AGU)
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
Document Type
Article
Recommended Citation
Wollheim, W.M., C.J. Vorosmarty, B.J. Peterson, S.P. Seitzinger, and C.S. Hopkinson. 2006. Relationship between river size and nutrient removal. Geophysical Research Letters 33. L06410.
Rights
©2006. American Geophysical Union. All Rights Reserved.
Comments
This is an article published by AGU in Geophysical Research Letters in 2006, available online: https://dx.doi.org/10.1029/2006GL025845