Clean Air Act Amendments, Wilderness Act, and Organic Act have mandates to protect Class 1 Areas Wilderness Act: Areas are “administered… in such a manner.

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Presentation transcript:

Clean Air Act Amendments, Wilderness Act, and Organic Act have mandates to protect Class 1 Areas Wilderness Act: Areas are “administered… in such a manner as will leave them “unimpaired for future use and enjoyment as wilderness” Organic Act: Leave resources “unimpaired for the enjoyment of future generations” Clean Air Act Preserve, protect and enhance air quality... and protect air quality related values (soil, water, flora, fauna, visibility)... in national parks…

Loch Vale Watershed Foundations 22+ years of long-term monitoring Experiments in field and laboratory to test cause and effect Modeling of ecosystem processes and “what-if” scenarios Spatial comparisons in Colorado and across western US Invaluable dataset for answering many different questions! Started with acid rain, now used for nitrogen saturation, mercury deposition, climate change, fundamental hydrology, biogeochemistry, and ecology.

Precipitation Vegetation Soils Bedrock Outflow Sediments Freshwater Biota Loch Vale Watershed Conceptual Model

Ecological Effects of Nitrogen Deposition at Rocky Mountain National Park Jill S. Baron, US Geological Survey M.Hartman, D.S.Ojima, K. Nydick, H.M. Rueth, B.Moraska Lafrancois, A.P. Wolfe, J. Botte, W.D. Bowman

Pathways and Effects of Excess Nitrogen Deposition N Deposition Fertilization Loss of Soil Buffering Changes in Aquatic Species Lake Eutrophication Loss of Lake ANC (acidification) N Saturation Changes in Plant Communities

In the alpine nitrogen favors sedges and grasses over flowering plants Niwot Ridge research shows sedges and grasses grow better with N than flowering plants in both experiments and surveys (Korb and Ranker 2001; Bowman et al. in press)

East-side forests are closer to N saturation East side stands differed significantly from west side forests: - higher needle and soil N, - lower C:N ratios, - higher soil N cycling rates Six pairs of sites were similar in all characteristics except for N deposition amount N. Doesken Baron et al. 2000, Rueth & Baron 2001, Rueth et al. 2003

As soils accumulate N, microbial activity increases Similar patterns in New England, USA McNulty et al Colorado Front Range Baron et al Rueth & Baron 2001

Nitrate in ROMO Clow et al Baron et al Means (ueq/L) East10.5 (5.0) West 6.6 (4.3) n=44, p = 0.02

after Stoddard, 1994 North American watersheds Loch Vale N wet deposition, kg/ha/yr N export, kg/ha/y Watershed Nitrogen Saturation

Andrews Creek fr Thatchtop

Streams  18O (NO3) Winter snow Rainfall Snowmelt Microbial nitrate Spring snow Groundwater Loch Vale nitrate isotopes, 1995

Nitrate concentrations are increasing in Loch Vale streams ANDREWS CREEK Alpine mean =~25 ueq/L THE LOCH OUTLET Subalpine mean =~16 ueq/L

Lake sediments extend records into the past Wolfe et al., 2001, 2003, Das et al Saros et al. 2005, Baron et al. 1986

Diatoms are good indicators of environmental change Diatoms are algae: single-celled aquatic plants Species are very sensitive to water chemistry Glass (silica) cell walls do not decompose Each species has unique cell walls

Asterionella formosa Fragillaria crotonensisAulacoseira spp. Sky Pond Diatom Indicators of Disturbance Increased Abruptly in east-side lakes ca

Experiments with Bioassays (Bottles), Mesocosms (Hula Hoops), and Lakes Lafrancois et al. 2003, 2004, Nydick et al. 2003, 2004a, b

Experiments: Productivity increased with added N and N+P. Communities changed to nutrient-loving algae. Chrysophytes Green Algae N Additions = Eutrophication increased productivity changed algal community Dinobryon sp. Chlamydomonas sp.

Conclusions On the east side of the Front Range changes have been observed in: –Alpine tundra –Forests –Soils –Lakes and streams –Lake biota Experiments support nitrogen as the cause

What Happens Next? Nitrate is a strong acid anion. Nitrogen saturation leads to acidification. Hundreds of studies funded by NAPAP and its European counterpart show strong biological responses to acidification.

Reversal? Changes in species Increased productivity Increased microbial activity Increased soil N Nitrogen saturation Depletion of base cations, mobilization of aluminum Forest dieback Episodic/chronic acidification of waters Declines in species richness and abundance Loss of fish Eutrophication Acidification Increased N and acid deposition

Nitrogen emissions, transport, and deposition NPS, USDA-FS, EPA, NSF, Universities Colorado DPHE & local partners Don Campbell Dave Clow Alisa Mast George Ingersoll Leora Nanus

Global N budget ~1860

Global N Budget present

Nitrogen in atmospheric deposition Source >>>Emissions >>>Wet Deposition Combustion: Vehicles Energy development Energy production NO x (Nitrogen oxides-gases) NO 3 - (Nitrate- dissolved + particulate) Agriculture Livestock production Crop production NH 3 (Ammonia gas) NH 4 + (Ammonium- dissolved + particulate)

Total NO x emissions -- includes mobile and non-point sources

Nitrate Ion Concentrations National Atmospheric Deposition Program / National Trends Network

Nitrate Ion Concentrations

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Percent change in NO 3 - in wetfall Lehmann et al., Environmental Pollution 2005

Downward pointing arrows denote trends toward decreasing nitrate (NO 3 ) concentrations and improving air quality. Similarly, the up arrows correspond to trends toward higher nitrate concentrations and hence worsening air quality.

Total NH 3 emissions -- includes mobile and non-point sources

Ammonium Ion Concentrations National Atmospheric Deposition Program / National Trends Network

Ammonium Ion Concentrations

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Ammonium Ion Concentrations National Atmospheric Deposition Program / National Trends Network

Ammonium Ion Concentrations

Percent change in NH4+ in wetfall Lehmann et al., Environmental Pollution 2005

Annual VWM Inorganic N conc. in wetfall  10-year mean DIN concentration (NO 3 + NH 4 )  NADP sites in Colorado and Wyoming > 2400m elevationWyo.Zirkel SW Co. W Co. Front Range

- from NADP/NTN database NO 3 NH 4

Snowpack chemistry - G.P. Ingersoll and others, USGS Major ionsMajor ions NutrientsNutrients Trace metalsTrace metals 34 S, 15 N isotopes 34 S, 15 N isotopes

Nitrate in Rocky Mountain snowpack (average, ) - G.P. Ingersoll and others, USGS

UT WY MT ID CO Taos SV Kg/ha/yr Kg/ha/yr No trend UT WY MT ID CO Taos SV. No trend Kg/ha/yr Kg/ha/yr Regional deposition trends in Snowpack Chemistry, Ingersoll, in prep. NitrateAmmonium

NOx Hwy 24% NH3 Hwy 3% NOx Offroad 18% NOx Point/Area 34% Crop NH3 Crop NOx 11% Livestock 10% South Platte Basin Emissions: Mostly Mobile (45%) and Stationary (34%) Sources Baron et al. 2004

Sources of nitrogen emissions in Colorado

NH 3 emissions from livestock in S. Platte basin are nearly 1000x greater than NH 3 emissions from wildlife in Rocky Mt. NP Baron, unpublished data

Source attribution using naturally occurring, stable isotopes of nitrogen compounds.  Provide capability to distinguish between major source types of emissions.  15 N, 18 O, 17 O in NO 3 15 N in NH 4 +  Recent advances in methodology expand possibilities. Campbell and Kendall, unpub. data Annual Snowpack Emily and Kendall, in prep.

Nitrogen deposition in Rocky Overall nitrogen deposition is increasing. NO 3 (combustion sources) makes up >50%. NH 4 (agricultural sources) is increasing rapidly. Local and regional sources contribute to both. Local sources may contribute more during spring and summer. Next steps? - Integrated modeling and monitoring studies of air quality + deposition, incorporating natural tracers to identify source categories.