Publications [#225347] of Emily S. Bernhardt
search .Papers Published
- Craig, LS; Palmer, MA; Richardson, DC; Filoso, S; Bernhardt, ES; Bledsoe, BP; Doyle, MW; Groffman, PM; Hassett, BA; Kaushal, SS; Mayer, PM; Smith, SM; Wilcock, PR, Stream restoration strategies for reducing river nitrogen loads,
Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment, vol. 6 no. 10
(December, 2008),
pp. 529-538, WILEY [doi] .
(last updated on 2023/01/01)Abstract:
Despite decades of work on implementing best management practices to reduce the movement of excess nitrogen (N) to aquatic ecosystems, the amount of N in streams and rivers remains high in many watersheds. Stream restoration has become increasingly popular, yet efforts to quantify N-removal benefits are only just beginning. Natural resource managers are asking scientists to provide advice for reducing the downstream flux of N. Here, we propose a framework for prioritizing restoration sites that involves identifying where potential N loads are large due to sizeable sources and efficient delivery to streams, and when the majority of N is exported. Small streams (1st-3rd order) with considerable loads delivered during low to moderate flows offer the greatest opportunities for N removal. We suggest approaches that increase in-stream carbon availability, contact between the water and benthos, and connections between streams and adjacent terrestrial environments. Because of uncertainties concerning the magnitude of N reduction possible, potential approaches should be tested in various landscape contexts; until more is known, stream restoration alone is not appropriate for compensatory mitigation and should be seen as complementary to land-based best management practices. © The Ecological Society of America.