Preprint Article Version 1 Preserved in Portico This version is not peer-reviewed

Nitrogen and Phosphorous Mass Balances Show Tropical EU-Trophic Reservoirs Behave as Variable but Persistent Sinks of Both Elements: A Case Study Using a Long-Term Series to Assess the Effect of Water Level Fluctuations

Version 1 : Received: 13 May 2022 / Approved: 16 May 2022 / Online: 16 May 2022 (12:25:44 CEST)

A peer-reviewed article of this Preprint also exists.

Barjau-Aguilar, M.; Merino-Ibarra, M.; Ramírez-Zierold, J.A.; Castillo-Sandoval, S.F.; Vilaclara-Fatjó, G.; Guzmán-Arias, A.P.; Macek, M.; Alcántara-Hernández, R.J.; Sánchez-Carrillo, S.; Valdespino-Castillo, P.M.; Sacristán-Ramírez, A.; Quintanilla-Terminel, J.G.; Monroy-Ríos, E.; Díaz-Valenzuela, J.; Lestayo-González, J.A.; Gerardo-Nieto, O.A.; González-De Zayas, R. Nitrogen and Phosphorous Retention in Tropical Eutrophic Reservoirs with Water Level Fluctuations: A Case Study Using Mass Balances on a Long-Term Series. Water 2022, 14, 2144. Barjau-Aguilar, M.; Merino-Ibarra, M.; Ramírez-Zierold, J.A.; Castillo-Sandoval, S.F.; Vilaclara-Fatjó, G.; Guzmán-Arias, A.P.; Macek, M.; Alcántara-Hernández, R.J.; Sánchez-Carrillo, S.; Valdespino-Castillo, P.M.; Sacristán-Ramírez, A.; Quintanilla-Terminel, J.G.; Monroy-Ríos, E.; Díaz-Valenzuela, J.; Lestayo-González, J.A.; Gerardo-Nieto, O.A.; González-De Zayas, R. Nitrogen and Phosphorous Retention in Tropical Eutrophic Reservoirs with Water Level Fluctuations: A Case Study Using Mass Balances on a Long-Term Series. Water 2022, 14, 2144.

Abstract

Nitrogen and phosphorous loading drives eutrophication of aquatic systems. Lakes and reservoirs are often effective N and P sinks, but information is needed on the variability of their biogeochemical dynamics, especially for tropical systems. A long-term N and P mass balance (2003-2018) in a small tropical eutrophic reservoir lake, Valle de Bravo (VB), Mexico, showed it is a net sink of N (-41.7 g N m-2 y-1), and P (-2.7 g P m-2 y-1), mainly through net sedimentation, equivalent to 181% and 68% of their respective loading (23.0 g N m-2 y-1 and 4.2 g P m-2 y-1). N mass balance showed that VB has a high net N atmospheric influx (31.6 g N m-2 y-1), which was 1.3 times the external load, and likely dominated by N2 fixation. During a period of high water level fluctuations (WLF), the net N atmospheric flux decreased by half compared to high level years. WLF can be a useful management tool to improve the trophic status of water bodies by decreasing anoxic conditions and net atmospheric fluxes, possibly through decreasing nitrogen fixation and/or promoting denitrification and other microbial processes that alleviate the N load.

Keywords

Nitrogen sink; sedimentation; nitrogen fixation; management; tropical reservoir; phosphorous sedimentation

Subject

Environmental and Earth Sciences, Environmental Science

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