Poster Details
WIND AND WATER TRANSPORT OF CARBON AND NUTRIENTS FOLLOWING WILDFIRE AT THE REYNOLDS CREEK CRITICAL ZONE OBSERVATORY
Wildfire is increasing in the western United States under changing climate regimes and resulting in large episodic nutrient and carbon export as wind and water. We monitored wind and water exports of nutrients and carbon in Murphy Creek following the 2015 Soda fire in the Reynolds Creek Critical Zone Observatory, ID. Immediately following the fire, aeolian mass flux of both sediment and organic material increased by two to three-fold within and proximal to the burned area; average dust flux rates were 11.0 ± 4.9 g/m2/year (mean ± SD) across the watershed for 2016-2017. Water exports far exceeded aeolian losses but greatly facilitated by wind deposition in swales followed by water evacuation. Surface water export as particulate organic carbon (POC) in the first two years after fire was 1000 g C/m2/yr as POC compared 1-4 g/m2/yr for other subcatchments). Dissolved C forms varied with discharge and snowmelt but were not substantially elevated following fire. In contrast, total dissolved nitrogen (TDN) increased substantially following fire and declined during the growing season and stream drying. Wind and water exports in the 2 years following fire represent up to 1000 years of material export.
Kayla Glossner (Co-Presenter/Co-Author), Idaho State University, gloskayl@isu.edu;
Ruth MacNeille (Co-Presenter/Co-Author), Idaho State University, macnruth@isu.edu;
Sarah Godsey (Co-Presenter/Co-Author), Idaho State University, godsey@isu.edu;
Jennifer Pierce (Co-Presenter/Co-Author), Boise State University, jenpierce@boisestate.edu;
Clay Roehner (Co-Presenter/Co-Author), Boise State University, clayroehner@u.boisestate.edu;
Fred Pierson (Co-Presenter/Co-Author), USDA ARS Northwest Watershed Research Center, fred.pierson@ars.usda.gov ;
Kathleen Lohse (Primary Presenter/Author), Idaho State University, klohse@isu.edu;