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- EP41B-01: Fluxes and Weathering Depth of Rock-Derived Nitrogen Are Linked to Precipitation and Denudation Rates at Northwestern California Sites in Schist Bedrock
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NOLA CC
Author(s):Generic 'disconnected' Message
Iris Holzer, University of California, Santa Barbara (First Author, Presenting Author)
Benjamin Houlton, Cornell University
Nitrogen is an essential nutrient for organisms, but questions remain concerning its sources in the environment. In this study, we investigate one often-overlooked source of nitrogen: nitrogen trapped in certain types of rocks. This nitrogen can be released as rocks break down, allowing the nutrient to move into soils and surrounding ecosystems. We looked at five sites in Northwest California, four with large amounts of nitrogen in the rock below the soil and one with very low rock nitrogen. These sites differ in the amount of precipitation they receive and also how rapidly they are experiencing rock breakdown and erosion of the landscape (“denudation rates”). We found that wetter sites with faster rock breakdown and erosion release more nitrogen deeper in the bedrock, while drier sites with slower rock breakdown and erosion release more nitrogen at shallower soil depths. Additionally, wetter sites with more rapid rock breakdown and erosion export more nitrogen from rocks into the surrounding ecosystems. This suggests an important relationship between precipitation, rock breakdown and erosion, and the release of nitrogen from rocks into soils and ecosystems.
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