Abstract
The transport and processing of nutrients and organic matter in streams are important functions that influence the condition of watersheds and downstream ecosystems. In this study, we investigated the effects of streambed sediment removal on biogeochemical cycling in Fawn River, a gravel-bottomed river in Indiana, U.S.A. We measured stream metabolism as well as nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) retention in both restored and unrestored reaches of Fawn River to examine how sediment removal affected multiple biogeochemical functions at the reach scale. We also assessed the properties of restored and unrestored streambed sediments to elucidate potential mechanisms driving observed reach-scale differences. We found that sediment removal led to lower rates of primary productivity and ecosystem respiration in the restored reach, likely due to macrophyte removal and potentially due to changes to sediment organic matter quality. We found minimal differences in N and P retention, suggesting that these processes are controlled at larger spatial or temporal scales than were examined in this study. Denitrification enzyme activity was lower in sediments from the restored reach compared to the unrestored reach, suggesting that restoration may have decreased N removal. Our results indicate that most near-term changes in biogeochemical function following restoration could be attributed to macrophyte removal, although effects from sediment removal may emerge over longer timescales.
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Acknowledgements
We thank Sara Burns, Daniel Warner, Kassia Groszewski, Cora Lewis, Sirese Jacobson, Laura Johnson, and Andrew Madison for assistance with field and laboratory work. Funding was provided by the Fawn River Restoration and Conservation Charitable Trust. The views expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the views or policies of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
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Morgan, J.A., Royer, T.V. & White, J.R. Fine Sediment Removal Influences Biogeochemical Processes in a Gravel-bottomed Stream. Environmental Management 64, 258–271 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00267-019-01187-2
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00267-019-01187-2