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| Titel |
Catchment features controlling nitrogen dynamics in running waters above the tree line (central Italian Alps) |
| VerfasserIn |
R. Balestrini, C. Arese, M. Freppaz, A. Buffagni |
| Medientyp |
Artikel
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| Sprache |
Englisch
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| ISSN |
1027-5606
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| Digitales Dokument |
URL |
| Erschienen |
In: Hydrology and Earth System Sciences ; 17, no. 3 ; Nr. 17, no. 3 (2013-03-07), S.989-1001 |
| Datensatznummer |
250018818
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| Publikation (Nr.) |
 copernicus.org/hess-17-989-2013.pdf |
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| Zusammenfassung |
The study of nitrogen cycling in mountain areas has a long tradition, as it
was applied to better understand and describe ecosystem functioning, as well
as to quantify long-distance effects of human activities on remote
environments. Nonetheless, very few studies, especially in Europe, have
considered catchment features controlling nitrogen dynamics above the tree
line with focus on running waters.
In this study, relationships between some water chemistry descriptors –
including nitrogen species and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) – and
catchment characteristics were evaluated for a range of sites located above
the tree line (1950–2650 m a.s.l.) at Val Masino, in the central Italian
Alps. Land cover categories as well as elevation and slope were assessed at
each site. Water samples were collected during the 2007 and 2008 snow free
periods, with a nearly monthly frequency. In contrast to dissolved organic
nitrogen, nitrate concentrations in running waters showed a spatial pattern
strictly connected to the fractional extension of tundra and talus in each
basin. Exponential models significantly described the relationships between
maximum NO3 and the fraction of vegetated soil cover (negative
relation) and talus (positive relation), explaining almost 90% of nitrate
variation in running waters. Similarly to nitrate but with an opposite
behavior, DOC was positively correlated with vegetated soil cover and
negatively correlated with talus. Therefore, land cover can be considered
one of the most important factors affecting water quality in high-elevation
catchments with contrasting effects on N and C pools. |
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