TY - JOUR
T1 - Human influences on nitrogen removal in lakes
AU - Finlay, Jacques C.
AU - Small, Gaston E.
AU - Sterner, Robert W.
PY - 2013
Y1 - 2013
N2 - Human activities have increased the availability of reactive nitrogen in many ecosystems, leading to negative impacts on human health, biodiversity, and water quality. Freshwater ecosystems, including lakes, streams, and wetlands, are a large global sink for reactive nitrogen, but factors that determine the efficacy of freshwater nitrogen removal rates are poorly known. Using a global lake data set, we show that the availability of phosphorus, a limiting nutrient, affects both annual nitrogen removal rate and efficiency. This result indicates that increased phosphorus inputs from human activities have stimulated nitrogen removal processes in many lakes. Recent management-driven reductions in phosphorus availability promote water column accumulation and export of nitrogen from large lakes, an unintended consequence of single-element management that argues for greater control of nitrogen as well as phosphorus sources.
AB - Human activities have increased the availability of reactive nitrogen in many ecosystems, leading to negative impacts on human health, biodiversity, and water quality. Freshwater ecosystems, including lakes, streams, and wetlands, are a large global sink for reactive nitrogen, but factors that determine the efficacy of freshwater nitrogen removal rates are poorly known. Using a global lake data set, we show that the availability of phosphorus, a limiting nutrient, affects both annual nitrogen removal rate and efficiency. This result indicates that increased phosphorus inputs from human activities have stimulated nitrogen removal processes in many lakes. Recent management-driven reductions in phosphorus availability promote water column accumulation and export of nitrogen from large lakes, an unintended consequence of single-element management that argues for greater control of nitrogen as well as phosphorus sources.
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U2 - 10.1126/science.1242575
DO - 10.1126/science.1242575
M3 - Article
C2 - 24115440
AN - SCOPUS:84885579405
SN - 0036-8075
VL - 342
SP - 247
EP - 250
JO - Science
JF - Science
IS - 6155
ER -