Premium
Presence and Behavior of Colloidal Nitrogen and Phosphorus in a Sierra Nevada Watershed Soil
Author(s) -
Rhea S. A.,
Miller W. W.,
Blank R. R.,
Palmquist D. E.
Publication year - 1996
Publication title -
journal of environmental quality
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.888
H-Index - 171
eISSN - 1537-2537
pISSN - 0047-2425
DOI - 10.2134/jeq1996.00472425002500060041x
Subject(s) - nutrient , watershed , colloid , soil water , phosphorus , environmental chemistry , environmental science , nitrogen , dissolution , chemistry , hydrology (agriculture) , ecology , soil science , geology , biology , geotechnical engineering , organic chemistry , machine learning , computer science
Soil colloids can play a significant role in the profile migration of organic and inorganic nutrient species. We investigated the presence of colloidal N and P in a Lake Tahoe basin ecosystem following 6 yr of drought. Artificial rainfall was used to determine the release and mobility of colloidal N and P in soils of the Incline Creek, Nevada, watershed. Colloidal, rather than inorganic nutrient species, were the dominant forms present in soil water extracts. Concentrations of colloidal N increased following rainfall simulation, whereas concentrations of colloidal P decreased, and both appeared to be influenced by the presence and dissolution of hydrophobic organic coatings. Colloidal N and P must be considered a potential source of mobile nutrients in soils of the Sierra Nevada.