A new approach to generalizing riparian water and air quality function across regions

• Published in: Environmental monitoring and assessment Vol. 191; no. 5; pp. 282 - 12
• Main Authors: Hassanzadeh, Yasaman T., Vidon, Philippe G., Gold, Arthur J., Pradhanang, Soni M., Addy, Kelly
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Cham Springer International Publishing 01.05.2019; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Air Pollution - analysis; Air quality; Atmospheric Protection/Air Quality Control/Air Pollution; Carbon dioxide; Carbon Dioxide - analysis; Carbon dioxide flux; Climate; Confining; Deep water; Depth; Earth and Environmental Science; Ecology; Ecotoxicology; Environment; Environmental Management; Environmental monitoring; Environmental Monitoring - methods; Environmental restoration; Environmental science; Fluxes; Geomorphology; Greenhouse effect; Greenhouse gases; Groundwater; Groundwater table; Hydrogeomorphology; Mathematical models; Methane; Methane - analysis; Monitoring/Environmental Analysis; Multivariate statistical analysis; Nitrate removal; Nitrates - analysis; Nitrogen; Nitrogen - analysis; Nitrogen removal; Nitrous oxide; Nutrient removal; Peat; Perturbations; Phosphates; Phosphorus; Phosphorus removal; Precipitation; Removal; Restoration; Riparian waters; Sensitivity; Soil; Statistical analysis; Statistical methods; Temperature; Temperature dependence; Tradeoffs; Warm climates; Water - analysis; Water depth; Water quality; Water table; Watersheds; Weather; Nitrate; Riparian; Greenhouse gases; Phosphate; RZ-TRADEOFF
• ISSN: 0167-6369; 1573-2959
• DOI: 10.1007/s10661-019-7443-y

There is growing interest in generalizing the impact of hydrogeomorphology and weather variables on riparian functions. Here, we used RZ-TRADEOFF to estimate nitrogen, phosphorus, water table (WT) depth, and greenhouse gas (GHG: N 2 O, CO 2 , CH 4 ) functions for 80 riparian zones typical of the North American Midwest, Northeast (including Southern Ontario, Canada), and Mid-Atlantic. Sensitivity to weather perturbations was calculated for temperature and precipitation-dependent functions (CO 2 , phosphate concentration, and water table), and multivariate statistical analysis on model outputs was conducted to determine trade-offs between riparian functions. Mean model estimates were 93.10 cm for WT depth, 8.45 mg N L −1 for field edge nitrate concentration, 51.57% for nitrate removal, 0.45 mg PO 4 3−  L −1 for field edge phosphate concentration, 1.5% for subsurface phosphate removal, 91.24% for total overland phosphorus removal, 0.51 mg N m −2  day −1 for N 2 O flux, 5.5 g C m −2  day −1 for CO 2 fluxes, and − 0.41 mg C m −2  day −1 and 621.51 mg C m −2  day −1 for CH 4 fluxes in non-peat sites and peat sites, respectively. Sites in colder climates were most sensitive to weather perturbations for CO 2 , sites with deep water tables estimates had the highest sensitivity for WT, and sites in warm climates and/or with deep confining layers had the lowest sensitivity for phosphate concentration. Slope, confining layer depth, and temperature were the primary characteristics influencing similarities and trade-offs between sites. This research contributes to understanding how to optimize riparian restoration and protection in watersheds based on both water (nitrogen, phosphorus) and air quality (GHG) goals.