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Dynamics of Dissolved Forms of Carbon and Inorganic Nitrogen in Small Watersheds of the Coastal Atlantic Forest in Southeast Brazil

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Abstract

Based on the fact that streamwater quality reflects landscape conditions, the objectives of this study were: to investigate nitrogen (N), carbon (C), and major ion concentrations in six streams crossing minimally disturbed Atlantic Forest areas, with similar geomorphological characteristics; to determine N and C fluxes in one of these pristine streams (Indaiá); and assess the impact of human activity on the biogeochemistry of two other streams in the same region, crossing urbanized areas. The distribution pattern of carbon and inorganic nitrogen dissolved forms, as well as the major ion and biogenic gas concentrations in the streamwater, was similar in pristine streams, indicating that the C and N dynamics were determined by influence of some factors, such as climate, atmospheric deposition, geology, soil type, and land covering, which were analogous in the forested watersheds. The urban streams were significantly different from the pristine streams, showing low dissolved oxygen concentrations, high respiration rates, and high concentrations of carbon dioxide, dissolved inorganic nitrogen, dissolved inorganic carbon, and major ion. These differences were attributed to anthropogenic impact on water quality, especially domestic sewage discharge. Additionally, in the Indaiá stream, it was possible to observe the importance of rainfall over temporal dynamics of dissolved carbon forms, and also, the obtained specific flux of dissolved inorganic nitrogen was relatively elevated (approximately 11 kg ha−1 year−1). These results reveal the influence of human activity over the biogeochemistry of coastal streams and also indicate the importance N export of Atlantic Forest to the ocean.

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Acknowledgements

This research was supported by the State of São Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP), process number 05/57812-0, and also as part of the Thematic Project Functional Gradient (process number 03/12595-7), within the BIOTA/FAPESP Program–The Biodiversity Virtual Institute (www.biota.org.br).

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  1. Laboratório de Ecologia Isotópica, Centro de Energia Nuclear na Agricultura–CENA, Universidade de São Paulo–USP, Av. Centenário, 303, CEP: 13416-100, Piracicaba, SP, Brazil

    Tatiana M. B. Andrade, Plínio B. Camargo, Marisa C. Piccolo, Simone A. Vieira & Luiz A. Martinelli

  2. Departamento de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Estadual de Santa Cruz–UESC, Ilhéus, BA, Brazil

    Daniela M. L. Silva

  3. Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research–INSTAAR, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, USA

    Luciana F. Alves

  4. Seção de Ecologia, Instituto de Botânica, São Paulo, SP, Brazil

    Luciana F. Alves

  5. Instituto de Biologia, Universidade de Campinas–UNICAMP, Campinas, SP, Brazil

    Carlos A. Joly

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  1. Tatiana M. B. Andrade
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  2. Plínio B. Camargo
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Correspondence to Tatiana M. B. Andrade.

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Andrade, T.M.B., Camargo, P.B., Silva, D.M.L. et al. Dynamics of Dissolved Forms of Carbon and Inorganic Nitrogen in Small Watersheds of the Coastal Atlantic Forest in Southeast Brazil. Water Air Soil Pollut 214, 393–408 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11270-010-0431-z

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