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Nitrogen loss from watersheds of interior Alaska underlain with discontinuous permafrost
Author(s) -
Jones Jeremy B.,
Petrone Kevin C.,
Finlay Jacques C.,
Hinzman Larry D.,
Bolton W. Robert
Publication year - 2005
Publication title -
geophysical research letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.007
H-Index - 273
eISSN - 1944-8007
pISSN - 0094-8276
DOI - 10.1029/2004gl021734
Subject(s) - permafrost , nitrogen , environmental science , deposition (geology) , temperate climate , streams , hydrology (agriculture) , reactive nitrogen , geology , geomorphology , oceanography , ecology , sediment , chemistry , computer network , geotechnical engineering , organic chemistry , computer science , biology
We constructed annual nitrogen budgets for four years for three watersheds underlain with discontinuous permafrost in interior Alaska. During all years, nitrogen export in stream flow exceeded input from deposition, with loss rate greatest from the two watersheds with the lowest spatial extents of permafrost. Elevated nitrogen export appears to be common in regions with discontinuous permafrost, based on nitrogen concentration in streams spanning a latitudinal gradient in permafrost coverage. This pattern of nitrogen loss is counter to temperate regions, where watersheds retain nitrogen even with elevated atmospheric deposition, and unexpected, given that terrestrial primary production appears to be nitrogen limited.