Journal article
Letting Wet Spots be Wet: Restoring Natural Bioreactors in the Dissected Glacial Landscape
Environmental management (New York), Vol.52(6), pp.1440-1452
12/01/2013
DOI: 10.1007/s00267-013-0142-5
PMID: 23979524
Abstract
In this paper, we argue that there is tremendous potential for nitrate-N reductions to occur throughout the Corn Belt region of the USA if we simply let naturally occurring wet spots on the landscape be wet. Geologic and hydrologic data gathered in the Walnut Creek watershed located in south-central Iowa provides compelling evidence that substantial nutrient-processing capacity exists in this dissected glacial landscape. Self-similarity of stratigraphy, sedimentology and hydrology observed at all spatial scales in the watershed suggests that Holocene alluvial fill deposits provide a natural bioreactor for denitrification of upland groundwater nitrate-N; the occurrence of such deposits can be mapped to identify potential nitrogen sinks across the landscape. This approach to identifying potential nitrogen sinks is geology focused and extends potential locations for nutrient processing upstream into the headwater catchments of individual fields.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- Letting Wet Spots be Wet: Restoring Natural Bioreactors in the Dissected Glacial Landscape
- Creators
- Keith E. Schilling - Indiana Geological and Water SurveyEileen McLellan - Environmental Defense FundE. Arthur Bettis - University of Iowa
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Publication Details
- Environmental management (New York), Vol.52(6), pp.1440-1452
- Publisher
- Springer Nature
- DOI
- 10.1007/s00267-013-0142-5
- PMID
- 23979524
- ISSN
- 0364-152X
- eISSN
- 1432-1009
- Number of pages
- 13
- Language
- English
- Date published
- 12/01/2013
- Academic Unit
- Earth and Environmental Sciences; IIHR--Hydroscience and Engineering
- Record Identifier
- 9984383903802771
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