2023 Early Hearing Detection & Intervention Conference

March 5-7, 2023 • Cincinnati, OH

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5/24/2018 | 2:45 PM - 3:00 PM | EFFECTS OF FLOODPLAIN RESTORATION ON NITROGEN AND PHOSPHORUS DYNAMICS IN AGRICULTURAL WATERSHEDS | 310 A

EFFECTS OF FLOODPLAIN RESTORATION ON NITROGEN AND PHOSPHORUS DYNAMICS IN AGRICULTURAL WATERSHEDS

Excess nitrogen and phosphorus in receiving waters is associated with high nutrient inputs in watersheds that are unsustainably and intensively managed for agriculture uses. The majority of export occurs during high flows that mobilize dissolved nutrients as well as sediment and associated pollutants. In undeveloped watersheds, floodplains intercept this flood pulse creating optimal conditions for physical and biological retention to occur. Anoxic conditions in saturated soils promote denitrification but can also release phosphorus from sorption sites that are maintained under oxic conditions. We are investigating nitrogen, phosphorus, and carbon dynamics in restored riverine floodplains using the Wabash River as a model system. Hydrodynamic modeling and daily flow frequency analysis shows that part of the floodplain is inundated 10% of the year and the entire floodplain is inundated 2% of the year on average. At the event scale, flood connectivity controls inputs and reducing conditions, which together influence nutrient dynamics. The spatial distribution of flooding is also reflected in structural (e.g. soil nutrient content) and functional (e.g. denitrification) patterns. Covariance between inundation, soil properties and denitrification suggests that connectivity plays a strong role in controlling the distribution of floodplain function.

Biogeochemistry
Denitrification
Phosphorous

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Presenters/Authors

Sara McMillan (), Purdue University, mcmill@purdue.edu;