Abstract
An Arizona watershed converted from chaparral to grass, released high concentrations of nitrate to stream water. The nitrate originated from the rooting zone of the decomposing shrubs. High nitrate concentrations (44–373 ppm) were found in soil solutions from 1.5-, 3.0-, and 4.6-m depths on the converted watershed as compared with low nitrate concentrations (0.2–6.2 ppm) found in an adjacent undisturbed area. Soil solution nitrate concentrations at the 0.3-m depth were generally low, especially in the untreated area. High nitrate concentrations were balanced mainly by relative decreases in bicarbonate anions in the soil solutions and in the stream water. Multiple stepwise regression analyses showed improvement in the regression of bicarbonate on nitrate when chloride and sulfate anions were entered as variables.
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Davis, E.A., Debano, L.F. Nitrate increases in soil water following conversion of chaparral to grass. Biogeochemistry 2, 53–65 (1986). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02186965
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02186965