Recent research in Australian waterways has highlighted the importance of nitrogen as the nutrient that limits primary production in some coastal and river systems.

Large quantities of nitrogen can be lost from high rainfall agricultural systems, and especially legume-based annual pastures. Some of this nitrogen finds its way into water bodies where primary productivity may be limited by nitrogen. Enhanced nitrogen loads in streams may therefore lead to nuisance algal blooms and fish kills.

Nitrogen and carbon cycling are tightly linked in aquatic ecosystems and there are significant gaps in our understanding of the transport, uptake, and transformations of both of these elements, especially in riparian zones.

While many of the factors that can potentially influence nitrogen and carbon cycling in streams and riparian zones are broadly known, there is presently no quantitative information on the relative importance of these various processes, and their interactions, in the variety of climatic, hydrologic, and physiographic settings typical of Australian catchments. The lack of understanding of important processes and rates hinders the development and refinement of both surface water quality models and guidelines for riparian zone and stream management.

This study is being conducted across Australia at sites in southern Western Australia (University of Western Australia), south-east Queensland (Griffith University) and eastern Victoria (Monash University). For further detail on this project contact Dr Craig Russell.

Funding body: Land and Water Australia