Stable isotopic evidence for nitrification and denitrification in a High Arctic glacial ecosystem

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Ansari, A. H., Hodson, A. J., Heaton, T. H. E., Kaiser, Jan ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1553-4043 and Marca-Bell, Alina (2013) Stable isotopic evidence for nitrification and denitrification in a High Arctic glacial ecosystem. Biogeochemistry, 113 (1-3). pp. 341-357. ISSN 0168-2563

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Abstract

Solute chemistry and stable isotope tracers of NO3 - were used to assess bacterial NO3 - production and denitrification in a High Arctic glacial ecosystem during 2009. Changes in the NO3 - concentration and the d18O–NO3 in all the proglacial streams revealed that up to 95 % of total NO3 - was most likely bacterially-derived during low flow conditions towards the end of the summer (day of year 250). However, overlapping ranges of d15N values for snow NH4 +, soil organic matter, cryoconite debris and geological nitrogen in host rocks mean that neither the preferred substrate(s), nor the pathway (i.e. nitrification or simple mineralisation) can be discerned. The most plausible explanation for the bacterial production of NO3 - is nitrification in snowmelt-fed flowpaths through avalanche fans that flank the glacier and along subglacial drainage pathways at the glacier bed. Interestingly, there was no evidence for denitrification in subglacial outflow, which is contrary to earlier research at this site. Instead, increases in the d15N–NO3 of up to 20 ‰ downstream of the glacier margin, suggests that denitrification in the glacier forefield and/or the sediments that flank it was most discernable during 2009. Our observations therefore suggest that poorly understood temporal variations in the mixing ratio of nitrifying and denitrifying flowpaths occur in this glacial ecosystem.

Item Type:	Article
Faculty \ School:	Faculty of Science > School of Environmental Sciences University of East Anglia Research Groups/Centres > Theme - ClimateUEA
UEA Research Groups:	Faculty of Science > Research Groups > Marine and Atmospheric Sciences (former - to 2017) Faculty of Science > Research Groups > Atmospheric Chemistry (former - to 2018) Faculty of Science > Research Groups > Climate, Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences (former - to 2017) Faculty of Science > Research Groups > Centre for Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences
Related URLs:	http://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10....
Depositing User:	Pure Connector
Date Deposited:	06 Jul 2013 08:53
Last Modified:	20 Mar 2023 10:37
URI:	https://ueaeprints.uea.ac.uk/id/eprint/42931
DOI:	10.1007/s10533-012-9761-9

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