Using ion-exchange resins to monitor nitrate fluxes in remote semiarid stream beds
Por:
Vizuete-Jaramillo, Efrain, Grahmann, Kathrin, Mora Palomino, Lucy, Mendez-Barroso, Luis, Robles-Morua, Agustin
Publicada:
1 may 2022
Resumen:
Monitoring in remote areas can represent a real challenge in
environmental studies. Numerous techniques have been developed over the
last decades to monitor nutrients and other elements in different
systems. However, not all of them are suitable for field applications,
particularly when the locations are difficult to access or its
accessibility depends on seasonal climate conditions. This study was
aimed to test the applicability and efficiency of resin samplers and
resin bags to monitor nitrates fluxes (NO3-N) in two small semi-arid
catchments in Northwestern Mexico. Resin samplers were installed in the
hyporheic zone below the river bed in order to monitor the vertical
fluxes of NO3-N and remained there for 5 months (during the summer
rains). Resin bags were anchored in rock outcrops upstream of the resin
samplers before the onset of the summer rainfall season and replaced
every 2 weeks during 4 months to capture pulses of NO3-N in ephemeral
streams. NO3-N pulses in the stream are a potential source of NO3-N that
can infiltrate into the soil. Results of the resin samplers found a
difference of up to 12 kg ha(-1) season(-1) between the two catchments.
The resin bags showed a higher accumulation of NO3-N in the catchment
with lower vegetation cover (160.3 mg L-1 season(-1)) compared to the
one with higher vegetation (67.8 mg L-1 season(-1)). Measured nitrate
fluxes at both sites responded to rainfall pulses recorded during the
monitoring period. Resin samplers and resin bags can be used together,
to assess nutrient fluxes on the surface and in the soil and can be
tested in any type of ecosystem. In this particular case, these methods
demonstrated an efficient way of determining spatio-temporal nitrate
fluxes in semi-arid ecosystems in remote areas that are difficult to
access, monitor, and collect data.
Filiaciones:
Departamento de Ciencias del Agua Y del Medio Ambiente, Instituto Tecnológico de Sonora (ITSON), Cd. Obregón, Mexico
Working Group “Resource-Efficient Cropping Systems”, Research Area 2 “Landuse and Goverance”, Leibniz Centre for Agricultural Landscape Research (ZALF), Müncheberg, Germany
Departamento de Ciencias Ambientales Y del Suelo, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), D.F., México, Mexico
Laboratorio Nacional de Geoquímica Y Mineralogía (LANGEM), D.F., México, Mexico
Laboratorio Nacional de Resiliencia Costera (LANSREC), Yucatán, Sisal, Mexico
Inst Tecnol Sonora ITSON, Dept Ciencias Agua & Medio Ambiente, Obregon, Mexico
Leibniz Ctr Agr Landscape Res ZALF, Res Area Landuse & Goverance 2, Working Grp Resource Efficient Cropping Syst, Muncheberg, Germany
Univ Nacl Autonoma Mexico, Dept Ciencias Ambientales & Suelo, Mexico City, DF, Mexico
Lab Nacl Geoquim & Mineral LANGEM, Mexico City, DF, Mexico
Lab Nacl Resiliencia Costera LANSREC, Sisal, Yucatan, Mexico
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