Climate Variability Induced Shifts in Nitrogen Loading from Terrestrial to Aquatic Ecosystems

Nitrogen is one of the critical nutrients regulating terrestrial and aquatic productivity, and is linked to degradation of water quality of freshwater and marine ecosystems worldwide. The landscape patterns of stream nitrogen components, concentrations and loadings and their relationships with climate variability and landuse, were analyzed and quantified in this study. We used stream nitrogen concentration data collected at 2,125 sites and climate data at 301 weather stations during 1976 to 2005 in 30 eco-regions across British Columbia, Canada. While the patterns of stream nitrogen component, concentration, and loading distributions were found to be related to landscape patterns of climate variability, human activities, landuse, natural vegetation, and relief across British Columbia, the climate variability on both temporal a d spatial scales were found to be the dominant driver of variability in loading and concentrations of nitrogen. Elevated air temperature gradient across the landscape of British Columbia resulted in a significant increase in stream nitrogen loading from terrestrial into aquatic ecosystems. Precipitation, nitrogen deposition, population density and urban area also significantly affected the stream nitrogen components, concentrations and loadings. We suggest that climate change, especially shifts in temperature and precipitation, along with increased human activities tend to have important implications for loading of nitrogen from terrestrial to aquatic ecosystems and associated water quality in aquatic ecosystems