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Macrophyte‐driven transient storage and phosphorus uptake in a western Wisconsin stream
Author(s) -
Bohrman Katherine J.,
Strauss Eric A.
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
hydrological processes
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.222
H-Index - 161
eISSN - 1099-1085
pISSN - 0885-6087
DOI - 10.1002/hyp.11411
Subject(s) - macrophyte , environmental science , phosphorus , tracer , biomass (ecology) , hydrology (agriculture) , nutrient , cycling , streams , nutrient cycle , chemistry , ecology , geology , biology , history , computer network , physics , geotechnical engineering , organic chemistry , archaeology , computer science , nuclear physics
Investigations of phosphorus cycling and transport in streams lend insight into potential mechanisms of nutrient sequestration and can help mitigate human impacts. In this study, we examined the relationship between transient storage and phosphorus uptake in a cold‐water stream in western Wisconsin. Hydrological characteristics, nutrient spiralling metrics, macrophyte biomass, and geomorphological properties were quantified in 7 reaches of Spring Coulee Creek using injections of a conservative tracer alone or with added PO 4 3− . Fraction of median travel time due to transient storage ( F med 200 ) was correlated with macrophyte biomass ( r = .794, p = .033), and PO 4 3− uptake velocity was correlated with F med 200 ( r = .756, p = .049). Stepwise linear regression was used to build models for transient storage and uptake velocity. Macrophyte biomass, stream bed slope, and riffle to pool ratio accounted for 99.6% of the variation in transient storage ( p < .001). Transient storage, canopy cover, and slope accounted for 98.0% of the variation in uptake velocity ( p = .002). This study shows that transient storage, primarily resulting from macrophyte beds, can be a significant factor regulating phosphorus uptake in stream ecosystems.