A Hydrological Framework for Biogeochemical Studies Helmut Elsenbeer 1 and Jorge Marcos de Moraes 2...

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A Hydrological Framework for Biogeochemical Studies

Helmut Elsenbeer1 and Jorge Marcos de Moraes2

 1Institute of Geoecology, University of Potsdam, Germany

2CENA/Universidade de São Paulo, Piracicaba, Brazil

The archetypal nutrient cycling scenery

The link between hydrological pathways and nutrient flow

The risk of ignoring hydrology in biogeochemical studies

Hydrological flowpaths as we know them

Get to know your catchment: tools for a rapid hydrologic appraisal

Overview

The Archetypal Scenery:Ecosystem Fluxes and Stores of Nitrogen (N) and Potassium (K)

Precipitation

Streamflow

Litter fallThroughfall

Forest floor

Shallow soil water

Deep soil water

N K

N K

The Archetypal Scenery:Ecosystem Fluxes of Dissolved Nitrogen (N) and Potassium (K)

Precipitation

Streamflow

Throughfall

Forest floor

Shallow soil water

Deep soil water

N K

N K

Litter fall

Precipitation

Deep percolation

Lateral, near-surface flowpaths

Possible Hydrological Flowpaths

Precipitation

Lateral, near-surface flowpaths

Precipitation

Streamflow

Throughfall

Shallow soil water

Deep soil water

The Archetypal Scenery Meets Hydrology

Deep percolation

Near-Surface Lateral Flow

NO3-, DOC, K >> Si, Ca, Na

Deep Lateral Flow

Si, Ca, Na >> NO3-, DOC, K

Flowpaths and Water Chemistry

0 20 40 60 80 100 120

Precipitation

Throughfall

Soil water, 30 cm

Soil water, 60 cm

Soil water, 90 cm

Riparian zone

Groundwater

Baseflow

K (µmol/L))

The Watershed Chemistry of PotassiumIgnoring Hydrologic Pathways (Assuming Verticality)

Precipitation

Throughfall

0 20 40 60 80 100 120

Soil water, 30 cm

Soil water, 60 cm

Soil water, 90 cm

Riparian zone

Groundwater

Baseflow

K (µmol/L))

Overland flow

Return flow

Pipeflow

The Watershed Chemistry of PotassiumTaking into Account Hydrologic Pathways

K/S

iO2

(mo

lar

rati

o)

1 2 3 4 5

Dis

char

ge

(L/s

)

0

2

4

6

0.0

0.4

0.8

1.2

1.6

2.0

2.4DischargeChemograph

Overland flow

Return flow

Stormflow Hydrograph and Chemograph

Time (h)

1 2 3 4 5

Time (h)

0

2

4

6

10

20

30

40

50

DischargeChemograph

Overland flow

Return flow

Ca

(µm

ol/

L)

Stormflow Hydrograph and ChemographD

isch

arg

e (L

/s)

Soil water

Discharge

Solute Signal

Overland flow

Through-flow

Sources Stream response Flowpaths

Throughfall

Groundwater

Interpreting the Solute Signal: Where do the Nutrients Come From?

Central Amazônia

PanamaPeruvian AmazonQueenslandRondônia

PanamaRondônia

PeninsularMalaysia

Central Amazônia

Lateral Hydrological Flowpaths in Rainforest Ecosystems

Paragominas

Flowpathhydrographs

Hydrochemistry

InfiltrabilityPermeability changes

with depth

Soil water orgroundwater

energy status

Rainfall intensities,amount, and frequency

Saturation deficitSoil moisture status

Level 1

Level 2

Level 3

Level 4

A Hierarchical Approach to Understanding Hydrochemical Flowpaths

Level 1

Level 2

Level 3

Level 4

Flowpathhydrographs

InfiltrabilityPermeability changes

with depth

Soil water orgroundwater

energy status

Rainfall intensities,amount, and frequency

Saturation deficitSoil moisture status

Hydrochemistry

Top Level Information on Shaky Ground

Level 1

Level 2

Level 3

Level 4

InfiltrabilityPermeability changes

with depth

Rainfall intensities,amount, and frequency

Hydrochemistry

Flowpathhydrographs

Saturation deficitSoil moisture status

Soil water orgroundwater

energy status

Bottom Level InformationSolid Basis for Bottom-Up Inference

Level 2

Level 3

Level 4

Flowpathhydrographs

Saturation deficitSoil moisture status

Soil water orgroundwater

energy status

Hydrochemistry

InfiltrabilityPermeability changes

with depth

Rainfall intensities,amount, and frequency

Level 1

Mid-Level InformationWeak Explanatory Basis

Precipitation

Deep percolation

Lateral, near-surface flowpaths

Possible Hydrological Flowpaths

Overland flow

Water-level recorder

ISCO sampler

Venturi flume

Flowpathhydrographs

Hydrochemistry

InfiltrabilityPermeability changes

with depth

Soil water orgroundwater

energy status

Rainfall intensities,amount, and frequency

Saturation deficitSoil moisture status

Level 1

Level 2

Level 3

Level 4

A Hierarchical Approach to Understanding Hydrochemical Flowpaths

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