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Abstract
The spatial distribution of land use and associated nutrient inputs may influence the efficacy of in-stream nutrient removal; however, the effect of source location on N removal and watershed N export has not been quantified. We present the skewness index, a metric to quantify the spatial distribution of land use within watersheds. Using this index and a river network nitrogen removal model, we quantified the effect of varying the location of developed land use within two watersheds on nutrient removal and export. The quantity and location of developed land use as well as runoff affected nitrogen removal and export. Because river network nitrogen removal is bypassed when sources are skewed toward the watershed mouth, varying the location of land use alone can double aquatic nitrogen removal. Nutrient sources skewed toward the distant headwaters maximized in-stream removal which in turn can reduce watershed export.
Department
New Hampshire Agricultural Experiment Station; New Hampshire EPSCoR
Publication Date
8-21-2015
Journal Title
Geophysical Research Letters
Publisher
American Geophysical Union (AGU)
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
Scientific Contribution Number
2579
Document Type
Article
Rights
©2015. The Authors.
Recommended Citation
Mineau, M. M., W. M. Wollheim, and R. J. Stewart (2015), An index to characterize the spatial distribution of land use within watersheds and implications for river network nutrient removal and export, Geophys. Res. Lett., 42, 6688–6695, https://dx.doi.org/10.1002/2015GL064965
Comments
This is an article published by AGU in Geophysical Research Letters in 2015, available online: https://dx.doi.org/10.1002/2015GL064965