Nutrient export to groundwater across a land use and historical climate gradient

Abstract

Groundwater inputs to streams are important to intermittent stream function and can be a source of nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorus. The amount of nutrients within groundwater are an important factor for downstream processes, including eutrophication far from the groundwater source. We asked whether land use and precipitation affect nutrient export patterns to groundwater. Soil samples were taken from sites across a variable precipitation gradient in Kansas with three land uses: agriculture, native prairie, and restored prairie. By analyzing the relative concentrations of nitrogen and phosphorus in the water after leaching the soil samples in mesocosms, we can tell how water quality is affected by land use and precipitation patterns, especially in intermittent streams.