ARE RIVERS JUST BIG STREAMS? A PULSE METHOD TO QUANTIFY NITROGEN DEMAND IN A LARGE RIVER
Open accessAbstract
Given recent focus on large rivers as conduits for excess nutrients to coastal zones, their role in processing and retaining nutrients has been overlooked and understudied. Empirical measurements of nutrient uptake in large rivers are lacking, despite a substantial body of knowledge on nutrient transport and removal in smaller streams. Researchers interested in nutrient transport by rivers (discharge >10000 L/s) are left to extrapolate riverine nutrient demand using a modeling framework or a mass balance approach. To begin to fill this knowledge gap, we present data using a pulse method to measure inorganic nitrogen. (N) transport and removal in the Upper Snake River, Wyoming, USA (seventh order, discharge 12000 L/s). We found that the Upper Snake had surprisingly high biotic demand relative to smaller streams in the same river network for both ammonium (NH4+) and nitrate (NO3-). Placed in the context of a meta-analysis of previously published nutrient uptake studies, these data suggest that large rivers may have similar biotic demand for N as smaller tributaries. We also found that demand for different forms of inorganic N (NH4+ vs. NO3-) scaled differently with stream size. Data from rivers like the Upper Snake and larger are essential for effective water quality management at the scale of river networks. Empirical measurements of solute dynamics in large rivers are needed to understand the role of whole river networks (as opposed to stream reaches) in patterns of nutrient export at regional and continental scales.
The claims and statistics of this paper haven’t been checked yet.
Run the check — free, no account needed. It reads the open-access text and checks the sources it cites.
Integrity signals
Registry
Cites
Statistics
Claims the paper makes
The claims and statistics of this paper haven’t been checked yet.
Run the check — free, no account needed. It reads the open-access text and checks the sources it cites.
Self-check
Percentages, sums and reported differences re-computed from the paper’s own numbers.
The self-check needs the paper’s full text.
Cites
Vannote, R. L., Minshall, G. W., Cummins, K. W., Sedell, J. R., & Cushing, C. E. (1980) · Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences · doi:10.1139/f80-017 · Cited by 9,984 · see citing works
Solórzano, L. (1969) · Limnology and Oceanography · doi:10.4319/lo.1969.14.5.0799 · Cited by 3,484 · see citing works
Surface water-quality modeling
Chapra, S. C. (1997) · Cited by 2,061 · see citing works
Control of Nitrogen Export from Watersheds by Headwater Streams
Peterson, B. J., Wollheim, W. M., Mulholland, P. J., Webster, J. R., Meyer, J. L., Tank, J. L., Martı́, E., Bowden, W. B., Valett, H. M., Hershey, A. E., et al. (2001) · Science · doi:10.1126/science.1056874 · Cited by 1,476 · see citing works
Self-citationHowarth, R. W., Billen, G., Swaney, D. P., Townsend, A. R., Jaworski, N. A., Lajtha, K., Downing, J., Elmgren, R., Caraco, N. F., Jordan, T., et al. (1996) · Springer eBooks · doi:10.1007/978-94-009-1776-7_3 · Cited by 1,421 · see citing works
Howarth, R. W., Billen, G., Swaney, D. P., Townsend, A. R., Jaworski, N. A., Lajtha, K., Downing, J., Elmgren, R., Caraco, N. F., Jordan, T., et al. (1996) · Biogeochemistry · doi:10.1007/bf02179825 · Cited by 1,377 · see citing works
Gulf of Mexico hypoxia, A.K.A. “The Dead Zone.”
Rabalais, N. N., Turner, R. E., & Wiseman, W. J. (2002) · Annual Review of Ecology and Systematics · doi:10.1146/annurev.ecolsys.33.010802.150513 · Cited by 1,330 · see citing works
Stream denitrification across biomes and its response to anthropogenic nitrate loading
Mulholland, P. J., Helton, A. M., Poole, G. C., Hall, R. O., Hamilton, S. K., Peterson, B. J., Tank, J. L., Ashkenas, L. R., Cooper, L. W., Dahm, C. N., et al. (2008) · Nature · doi:10.1038/nature06686 · Cited by 1,312 · see citing works
Self-citationEffect of stream channel size on the delivery of nitrogen to the Gulf of Mexico
Alexander, R. B., Smith, R. A., & Schwarz, G. E. (2000) · Nature · doi:10.1038/35001562 · Cited by 1,116 · see citing works
Burgin, A. J., & Hamilton, S. K. (2007) · Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment · doi:10.1890/1540-9295(2007)5[89:hwotro]2.0.co;2 · Cited by 1,112 · see citing works
An Ecosystem Perspective of Alluvial Rivers: Connectivity and the Hyporheic Corridor
Stanford, J. A., & WARD, J. V. (1993) · Journal of the North American Benthological Society · doi:10.2307/1467685 · Cited by 819 · see citing works
The interaction between ammonium and nitrate uptake in phytoplankton
Dortch, Q. (1990) · Marine Ecology Progress Series · doi:10.3354/meps061183 · Cited by 764 · see citing works
Stream ecosystem function in urbanizing landscapes
Meyer, J. L., Paul, M. J., & Taulbee, W. K. (2005) · Journal of the North American Benthological Society · doi:10.1899/04-021.1 · Cited by 747 · see citing works
Concepts and Methods for Assessing Solute Dynamics in Stream Ecosystems
Workshop, S. S. (1990) · Journal of the North American Benthological Society · doi:10.2307/1467445 · Cited by 726 · see citing works
Measuring Nutrient Spiralling in Streams
Newbold, J. D., Elwood, J. W., O’Neill, R. V., & Winkle, W. V. (1981) · Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences · doi:10.1139/f81-114 · Cited by 709 · see citing works
The Role of Headwater Streams in Downstream Water Quality1
Alexander, R. B., Boyer, E. W., Smith, R. A., Schwarz, G. E., & Moore, R. B. (2007) · JAWRA Journal of the American Water Resources Association · doi:10.1111/j.1752-1688.2007.00005.x · Cited by 656 · see citing works
Developments in Stream Ecosystem Theory
Minshall, G. W., Cummins, K. W., Petersen, R. C., Cushing, C. E., Bruns, D. A., Sedell, J. R., & Vannote, R. L. (1985) · Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences · doi:10.1139/f85-130 · Cited by 585 · see citing works
Runkel, R. L. (1998) · doi:10.3133/wri984018 · Cited by 515 · see citing works
Nutrient spiraling in streams and river networks
Ensign, S. H., & Doyle, M. W. (2006) · Journal of Geophysical Research Atmospheres · doi:10.1029/2005jg000114 · Cited by 515 · see citing works
Seitzinger, S. P., Styles, R. V., Boyer, E. W., Alexander, R. B., Billen, G., Howarth, R. W., Mayer, B., & van Breemen, N. (2002) · Biogeochemistry · doi:10.1023/a:1015745629794 · Cited by 483 · see citing works
Effects of Watershed Perturbation on Stream Potassium and Calcium Dynamics
Webster, J. R., & Patten, B. C. (1979) · Ecological Monographs · doi:10.2307/1942572 · Cited by 372 · see citing works
Ecosystem metabolism controls nitrogen uptake in streams in Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming
Hall, R. J. O., & Tank, J. L. (2003) · Limnology and Oceanography · doi:10.4319/lo.2003.48.3.1120 · Cited by 338 · see citing works
Self-citationHuman influence on river nitrogen
Peierls, B. L., Caraco, N. F., Pace, M. L., & Cole, J. J. (1991) · Nature · doi:10.1038/350386b0 · Cited by 327 · see citing works
Nitrogen Retention, Removal, and Saturation in Lotic Ecosystems
Bernot, M. J., & Dodds, W. K. (2005) · Ecosystems · doi:10.1007/s10021-003-0143-y · Cited by 309 · see citing works
Exotic snails dominate nitrogen and carbon cycling in a highly productive stream
Hall, R. O., Tank, J. L., & Dybdahl, M. F. (2003) · Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment · doi:10.1890/1540-9295(2003)001[0407:esdnac]2.0.co;2 · Cited by 290 · see citing works
Self-citationRegulation of nitrate assimilation by ammonium in soils and in isolated soil microorganisms
Rice, C. W., & Tiedje, J. M. (1989) · Soil Biology and Biochemistry · doi:10.1016/0038-0717(89)90135-1 · Cited by 278 · see citing works
N uptake as a function of concentration in streams
Dodds, W. K., López, A. J., Bowden, W. B., Gregory, S. V., Grimm, N. B., Hamilton, S. K., Hershey, A. E., Martı́, E., McDowell, W. H., Meyer, J. L., et al. (2002) · Journal of the North American Benthological Society · doi:10.2307/1468410 · Cited by 272 · see citing works
Self-citationRelating nutrient uptake with transient storage in forested mountain streams
Hall, R. J. O., Bernhardt, E. S., & Likens, G. E. (2002) · Limnology and Oceanography · doi:10.4319/lo.2002.47.1.0255 · Cited by 262 · see citing works
Self-citationRelationship between river size and nutrient removal
Wollheim, W. M., Vörösmarty, C. J., Peterson, B. J., et al. (2006) · Geophysical Research Letters · doi:10.1029/2006gl025845 · Cited by 255 · see citing works
Mulholland, P. J., Tank, J. L., Webster, J. R., Bowden, W. B., Dodds, W. K., Gregory, S. V., Grimm, N. B., Hamilton, S. K., Johnson, S. L., Martı́, E., et al. (2002) · Journal of the North American Benthological Society · doi:10.2307/1468429 · Cited by 224 · see citing works
Self-citationNutrient uptake in streams draining agricultural catchments of the midwestern United States
BERNOT, M. J., TANK, J. L., ROYER, T. V., & DAVID, M. B. (2006) · Freshwater Biology · doi:10.1111/j.1365-2427.2006.01508.x · Cited by 220 · see citing works
Self-citationMulholland, P. J., Valett, H. M., Webster, J. R., Thomas, S. A., Cooper, L. W., Hamilton, S. K., & Peterson, B. J. (2004) · Limnology and Oceanography · doi:10.4319/lo.2004.49.3.0809 · Cited by 196 · see citing works
Influence of stream size on ammonium and suspended particulate nitrogen processing
Wollheim, W. M., Peterson, B. J., Deegan, L. A., et al. (2001) · Limnology and Oceanography · doi:10.4319/lo.2001.46.1.0001 · Cited by 167 · see citing works
Bernhardt, E. S., Hall, R. O., & Likens, G. E. (2002) · Ecosystems · doi:10.1007/s10021-002-0179-4 · Cited by 156 · see citing works
Self-citationRegulation of Nitrate Assimilation and Nitrate Respiration in Aerobacter aerogenes
Riet, J. V. '., Stouthamer, A. H., & Planta, R. J. (1968) · Journal of Bacteriology · doi:10.1128/jb.96.5.1455-1464.1968 · Cited by 153 · see citing works
Nitrogen and phosphorus uptake in two Idaho (USA) headwater wilderness streams
Davis, J. C., & Minshall, G. W. (1999) · Oecologia · doi:10.1007/s004420050783 · Cited by 148 · see citing works
NITROGEN SATURATION IN STREAM ECOSYSTEMS
Earl, S. R., Valett, H. M., & Webster, J. R. (2006) · Ecology · doi:10.1890/0012-9658(2006)87[3140:nsise]2.0.co;2 · Cited by 147 · see citing works
Dodds, W. K. (2006) · Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment · doi:10.1890/1540-9295(2006)004[0211:natdzt]2.0.co;2 · Cited by 143 · see citing works
Estimation of stream nutrient uptake from nutrient addition experiments
Payn, R. A., Webster, J. R., Mulholland, P. J., Valett, H. M., & Dodds, W. K. (2005) · Limnology and Oceanography Methods · doi:10.4319/lom.2005.3.174 · Cited by 137 · see citing works
Coupling Nutrient Uptake and Energy Flow in Headwater Streams
Fellows, C. S., Valett, H. M., Dahm, C. N., et al. (2006) · Ecosystems · doi:10.1007/s10021-006-0005-5 · Cited by 122 · see citing works
Fernald, A. G., Wigington, P. J., & Landers, D. H. (2001) · Water Resources Research · doi:10.1029/2000wr900338 · Cited by 117 · see citing works
Controls on spatial and temporal variation of nutrient uptake in three Michigan headwater streams
Hoellein, T. J., Tank, J. L., Rosi, E. J., et al. (2007) · Limnology and Oceanography · doi:10.4319/lo.2007.52.5.1964 · Cited by 113 · see citing works
Self-citationHydrogeomorphic controls on phosphorus retention in streams
Doyle, M. W., Stanley, E. H., & Harbor, J. (2003) · Water Resources Research · doi:10.1029/2003wr002038 · Cited by 112 · see citing works
Toward a transport‐based analysis of nutrient spiraling and uptake in streams
Runkel, R. L. (2007) · Limnology and Oceanography Methods · doi:10.4319/lom.2007.5.50 · Cited by 110 · see citing works
Monteiro, P. M. S., van der Plas, A., Mohrholz, V., Mabille, E., Pascall, A., & Joubert, W. R. (2006) · Geophysical Research Letters · doi:10.1029/2006gl026234 · Cited by 106 · see citing works
Hildebrand, M. (2005) · Journal of Phycology · doi:10.1111/j.1529-8817.2005.04108.x · Cited by 88 · see citing works
Hauer, F. R., & Lorang, M. S. (2004) · Aquatic Sciences · doi:10.1007/s00027-004-0724-7 · Cited by 87 · see citing works
Ammonium inhibition of nitrate uptake by the diatom, Phaeodactylum tricornutum
Cresswell, R. C., & Syrett, P. J. (1979) · Plant Science Letters · doi:10.1016/s0304-4211(79)90263-3 · Cited by 83 · see citing works
Lohman, K., & Priscu, J. C. (1992) · Journal of Phycology · doi:10.1111/j.0022-3646.1992.00443.x · Cited by 61 · see citing works
Nitrogen dynamics in grassland streams along a gradient of agricultural development
Simon, K. S., Niyogi, D., Frew, R. D., et al. (2007) · Limnology and Oceanography · doi:10.4319/lo.2007.52.3.1246 · Cited by 24 · see citing works
Flagged first, then by citations
Research works printed but not linked: 4
- APHA. 1998. Standard methods for the examination of water and wastewater. 20th edition. American Public Health Association, Washington, DC.
- Dodds, W. K., J. M. O'Brien, J. N. Murdock, J. Fischer, N. R. Franssen, J. J. Eichmiller, A. S. Makinster, D. Gudder, M. J. McCarthy, J. L. Tank, and J. Beaulieu. In Review. Nitrogen cycling and metabolism in the thalweg of a prairie river. Can. J. Fish. and Aq. Sciences.
- Grimm, N.B. and S.G. Fisher. 1986. Nutrient limitation in a Sonoran Desert stream. Journal of the North American Benthological Society 5: 2-15.
- Rabalais N. N., R. E. Turner, and W. J. Wiseman Jr. 2002. Gulf of Mexico hypoxia, aka "the dead zone". Annual Review of Ecology and Systematics 33:235-63.
Cited by
Sorted by citations
Subalusky, A. L., Dutton, C. L., Rosi, E. J., & Post, D. M. (2017) · Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences · doi:10.1073/pnas.1614778114 · Cited by 206 · see citing works
Self-citationBiogeochemical transformation of a nutrient subsidy: salmon, streams, and nitrification
Levi, P. S., Tank, J. L., Tiegs, S. D., Chaloner, D. T., & Lamberti, G. A. (2013) · Biogeochemistry · doi:10.1007/s10533-012-9794-0 · Cited by 31 · see citing works
Self-citationMcDowell, R. W., Cox, N., & Snelder, T. H. (2017) · Journal of Environmental Quality · doi:10.2134/jeq2017.05.0212 · Cited by 31 · see citing works
- Authors
- Tank, J. L., Rosi-Marshall, E. J., Baker, M. A., & Hall, R. O.
- Affiliations
- University of Notre Dame (US)
- Utah State University (US)
- University of Wyoming (US)
- Corresponding author
- Tank, Jennifer L.
- Venue
- Ecology
- Publisher
- Wiley
- Published
- 2008-10
- Volume
- 89
- Issue
- 10
- Pages
- 2935-2945
- ISSN
- 0012-9658 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2017019925
- Cited by
- 198
- References
- 50
- Citations by year
- 2026: 1 · 2025: 4 · 2024: 6 · 2023: 10 · 2022: 9 · 2021: 18 · 2020: 15 · 2019: 14 · 2018: 10 · 2017: 18 · 2016: 16 · 2015: 16 · 2014: 9 · 2013: 13 · 2012: 14
- FWCI
- 6.08
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- bronze
- doi.org
- Locations
- Ecology (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Digital Commons - USU (Utah State University) (submittedVersion)
- Funders
- National Science Foundation (0111410, 0409534)
- Loyola University Chicago
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Environmental Chemistry › Soil and Water Nutrient Dynamics
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Ecology › Hydrology and Sediment Transport Processes
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Environmental Chemistry › Aquatic Ecosystems and Phytoplankton Dynamics
- Keywords
- large rivers, nutrient uptake, inorganic nitrogen, ammonium, nitrate, pulse method, nutrient requirements, nutrient transport, nutrient retention, river networks, nutrient export, water quality management
- MeSH terms
- Quaternary Ammonium Compounds, Environmental Monitoring, Eutrophication, Nitrates, Nitrogen, Time Factors, Water, Wyoming, Ecosystem, Rivers
About these checks
Registry, retraction, Cites and statistics results are computed, not judged, with one exception: a printed reference that no index lists is read once by a model before it counts as a citation error. Claims are extracted by a model and kept only when their quote appears verbatim in the text; each cited source is then checked, with a model’s help, for whether it says what the claim relies on. Those verdicts can be wrong — read the claim’s quote and the cited source before relying on one.
Statistics and arithmetic are recomputed, not judged.
Confidence bands are shown only for fields calibrated on our annotated test set. None is calibrated yet, so no band is shown.
What counts as a claim ›How we measure confidence ›How we check this ›
Are you an author, or do you see a problem with this page? Request a review
