Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Nitrate Loading In The Saw Kill Watershed: Small Watershed Nutrient Dynamics, Answering A Community Question, And Assessing Methodological Approaches, Marco Sebastian Spodek

Senior Projects Spring 2017

Biogeochemical cycles mitigate the movement of nutrients through ecosystems at a variety of scales. Within aquatic systems, nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) are especially critical due to their high influence on primary production and decomposition. However, in excess, N and P can pose hazardous ecological effects downstream. Excessive loading of both N and P to waterways can facilitate harmful algal blooms or dead zones in reservoirs and at drainage points. Extensive research over the past half century has shown that the majority of nutrient loading to aquatic systems is the result of anthropogenic land use. While the effects of these …