Progress 09/01/13 to 08/31/17
Outputs
Target Audience:Scientific communities of hydrology, agriculture, and environmental science; College students in the classroom, including under-represented, minority students; High school students through summer training. Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided? Two MS graduate students were supported by the project and graduated already. A postdoctoral researcher was also partially supported by the project. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?For this reporting period, the results were primarily disseminated by three journal articles and five conference/seminar presentations. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?
Nothing Reported
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
1) Major activities completed including Data were analyzed and presented at three conferences and one invited seminar. Three manuscripts were completed (submitted and under review). Two MS students had successfully defended their theses. To achieve three research objectives, two experiments were designed and completed in two watersheds, namely, the claypan-dominated Goodwater Creek Experimental Watershed (GCEW) and deep loess-dominated Sulphur Creek Watershed (SCW). The two experiments were detailed below in order not only to show what we have accomplished but also to facilitate understanding of our major findings described in the following section. The experimental design at SCW consisted of two rotationally grazed plots with a grass buffer (GB) and an agroforestry buffer (AB). The predominant soil within the treatment plots is the Menfro silt loam. The grazed portion of both plots had common forage species: tall fescue (Schedonorus phoenix (Scop.) Holub), red clover (Trifolium pratense L.), and lespedeza (Lespedeza Michx), and the AB treatment had four rows of poplar trees (Populus tremula L.) at the footslope. A transect of three wells was installed at summit, backslope, and footslope positions in both plots. Wells were named by the buffer type and landscape position as AB summit, AB backslope, AB footslslope, GB summit, GB backslope and GB footslope. The GCEW experimental site consisted of crop rotation (of corn, wheat, soybeans, and sorghum), grassland and woodland. The site is under conservation tillage. The soils within the site comprises of a naturally formed argillic horizon located between 0.15 and 0.3 m below the soil surface. Three groundwater monitoring wells were installed in strategic locations around the resurgent flow area and named as Romine (RN), Romine south (RS) and Romine W (RW). A series of shallow piezometers were also installed across a catena sequence from summit to the footslope and numbers were given 1-7. Out of all the piezometers four piezometers had no water during the study period. The productive piezometers were identified as PZ4, PZ6 and PZ7. 2) Specific objectives met as described below in 3). 3) Significant Results Achieved, including major findings, developments, or conclusions (1) To achieve objective 1 and part of objective 3, an improved understanding of surface water and groundwater interaction in various soils and hydrologic environments was acquired in this study. Tracer-based mixing models were used to address surface-water and groundwater interactions and understand significance of these interaction in controlling water quality in three headwater catchments: Goodwater Creek Experimental Watershed (GCEW) with claypan soil, Sulphur Creek Watershed (SCW) with deep loess soil, and Wet Glaize Creek Watershed (WGCW) with karst system. Two catchments were identified as three end-member systems with contributions from groundwater, interflow, and surface runoff in the claypan and deep loess catchments whereas distinct endmembers were not identified in the karst catchment. On average annual streamflow in the claypan catchment was composed of 46% surface runoff, 38% interflow, and 16% deep groundwater while in the deep loess soil catchment streamflow was 36% shallow groundwater at loess soil, 50% groundwater at watershed scale, and 14% baseflow. The analysis of mass balance indicated that atrazine in stream flow was primarily from interflow and surface runoff and NO3-N in stream water was primarily from deep groundwater in claypan soil whereas in deep loess soil both atrazine and NO3-N were primarily from groundwater. For karst catchment, atrazine concentrations were below the detection limit and NO3-N concentrations were similar across all the sources. This improved understanding of surface water and groundwater interaction controlling contaminant transport in watershed with distinct soils and hydrologic systems could lead to crop management practices that better protect surface water and groundwater in headwaters of Central-Missouri with various soils and crops. (2) One of the significant findings, targeting at objective 2 and part of objective 3, was that landscape position most affected total nitrogen (TN) and NO3-N concentrations in groundwater and denitrification was the major cause of the very low NO3-N concentrations in groundwater at the footslope compared to the summit position. At SCW both NO3--N and TN concentrations were significantly lower at the footslope than at the summit and backslope (p<0.001). The median concentrations of NO3-N and TN were 0 mg L-1 and 0.24 mg L-1 at the footslope, compared to the median concentrations >1.4 mg L-1 at the summit and backslope. In addition, the NO3--N/Cl? ratio was significantly lower at the footslope than at the summit and backslope, suggesting that denitrification was the main process for the very low NO3-N concentrations at the footslope. Seasonal differences in TN and NO3-N were most apparent in the footslope wells, and the seasonal pattern in concentrations was different between the two plot treatments. Overall, the results showed that landscape position most affected TN and NO3-N concentrations in groundwater and denitrification was the major cause of the very low NO3-N concentrations at the footslope. The presence of trees in the AB treatment further reduced NO3-N concentrations at the footslope. In the same study site, median concentrations of 0.13 mg L-1 PO43-P and 0.17 mg L-1 TP at the footslope compared to median concentrations at the summit and backslope of <0.1 mg L-1 PO43-P and <0.11 mg L-1 TP were significantly greater ( p<0.001) in 2015. However, in 2016 the median concentrations of 0.06 mg L-1 PO43-P and 0.07 mg L-1 TP at the footslope were significantly lower (p<0.001) than the concentrations of <0.1 mg L-1 PO43-P and <0.1 mg L-1 TP at the summit and backslope in 2016 with low rainfall compared to 2015. Median PO43-P and TP concentrations at footslope of AB and GB were not significantly different (p=0.20). Correlation patterns of P with NO3-N and NH4+-N suggested that denitrification in footslope wells in the AB and GB in high precipitation periods may have promoted redox conditions which has increased the release of P to subsurface and groundwater. The results of the study suggest that the weather conditions have influenced on P transportation in a landscape which is triggered by soil characteristics, management and P input load over a period of time. At GCEWexperimental site, median NO3-N concentrations were significantly greater at Romine north (RN>8.15 mg L-1) and Romine west (RW>9.18 mg L-1) (NO3-N, p<0.001; TN, p<0.001) compared to Romine south (RS<0 mg L-1) well. TN concentration also followed the same pattern but with elevated concentrations (RN and RW>8.5 mg L-1, RS<0.17 mg L-1). Significantly greater median PO43-P (0.079 mg L-1, p<0.001) and TP (0.096 mg L-1, p<0.001) concentrations were observed at RS as compared to concentrations at RN and RW (<0.005 mg L-1 PO43-P and < 0.006 mg L-1 TP). Three piezometers showed greater NO3-N, TN, PO43-P and TP in backslope piezometer (PZ6) than summit (PZ4) and footslope (PZ7) piezometers, but with low concentrations. Overall results showed that preferential flow through the soil and hydraulic conductivity of the subsurface strata controlled NO3-N transport in this claypan watershed and the PO43-P concentrations may have mediated by redox conditions of the well. The general groundwater nutrient pattern between two study watersheds showed greater N (NO3-N and TN) and P (PO43-P and TP) concentrations in crop cultivated site with claypan soils (GCEW) than cattle managed site with loess soils (SCW).
Publications
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Submitted
Year Published:
2017
Citation:
Wickramarathne, N., R. P. Udawatta, R. N. Lerch and F. Liu, Topographic controls on groundwater nitrogen dynamics with grass and poplar vegetated riparian buffers under cattle grazing, Journal of Environmental Quality, submitted.
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Under Review
Year Published:
2017
Citation:
Hu, W., F. Liu, C. Baffaut, R. Lerch, and J. Yang, Baseflow separation by various methods in a claypan watershed in central Missouri, in review.
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Submitted
Year Published:
2017
Citation:
Bin Hua, Fengjing Liu, Guocheng Zhu, Baolin Deng, Jingdong Mao, John Yang, Characterization of dissolved organic matter/nitrogen by fluorescence excitation-emission matrix spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy: An implication for source-tracking, Chemosphere, submitted.
- Type:
Theses/Dissertations
Status:
Accepted
Year Published:
2017
Citation:
Niranga M. Wickramarathne, 2017, Groundwater nitrogen and phosphorus dynamics under cattle grazing and row crop management in two contrasting soils in Missouri, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri, pp. 160.
- Type:
Theses/Dissertations
Status:
Accepted
Year Published:
2017
Citation:
Parameshwor Takhachhe, 2017, Understanding the controls of stream water quality in headwater catchments in central Missouri, Lincoln University in Missouri, pp.108.
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Progress 09/01/15 to 08/31/16
Outputs
Target Audience:Scientific communities of hydrology, agriculture, and environmental science; College students in the classroom, including under-represented, minority students; High school students through summer training. Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided? Two MS graduate students were supported by the project. A postdoctoral researcher was also partially supported by the project. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?For this reporting period, the results were primarily disseminated by three journal articles and three conference presentations. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?The major task for the next reporting period is to analyze data, present at conferences, and publish our results in peer-reviewed journals.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
1) Major activities completed including Collection of sample continued throughout the year at both Goodwater Creek Experimental Watershed and Sulphur Creek Watershed. Samples were collected weekly from streams, piezometers and groundwater from representative wells. All samples were analyzed for pH, electric conductivity, dissolved oxygen, major ions, and stable isotopes. A subset of samples was analyzed for nitrate, phosphate, total nitrogen, total phosphorus, and atrazine. Data were analyzed and presented at three conferences, American Geophysical Union Assembly (December, 2015), Missouri Natural Resources Conferences (February, 2016), and Missouri Academy of Science (April 2016). Attended PD's conference on September 18, 2016 at Virginia Beach and presented research results. 2) Specific Objectives Met Three research objectives are to understand: (1) the difference in the hydrologic regime between claypan and deep loess watersheds; (2) the fate and transport of nitrogen from fertilizers in these watersheds with various row crops; and (3) the role that hydrology plays in nitrogen cycling. These three objectives were basically met (see below for detail). We need to continue analyzing the data, synthesize the results, and then publish peer-reviewed journal articles. 3) Significant Results Achieved, including major findings, developments, or conclusions (both positive and negative) Groundwater samples were collected weekly from wells at both claypan and deep-loess watersheds and analyzed for nitrate (NO3-N), total N (TN), orthophosphate (PO4-P), and total P (TP). The time series data of different analytic concentrations for 45 sampling events showed a considerable amount of N and P contamination in all wells. At the deep-loess watershed, higher concentration of NO3-N and TN was found in the wells at summit compared to wells located at the foot slope where denitrification was likely removing the NO3-N. The PO4- P and TP concentrations in the wells at the deep-loess watershed showed the opposite result compared to NO3-N and TN. In the claypan watershed, concentrations of NO3-N and TN were comparatively higher than those found at the deep-loess watershed while concentrations of PO4- P and TP were lower. Results showed that row crop production at the claypan site has had a major impact on groundwater N concentrations, while cattle grazing at the deep-loess site has significantly impacted groundwater P concentrations. Another study examines the spatial variability of water quality among three headwater watersheds dominated by claypan soil, deep loess soil and karst hydrologic system, respectively. The results indicated that streamflow was dominated by both storm runoff and groundwater in the claypan watershed and mainly by groundwater in the deep loess watershed. Streamflow behaved chemostatically with flow variation and almost chemically indistinguishable between surface water and groundwater in the karst watershed. As a result, nitrate concentrations in stream water were primarily from groundwater in both claypan and deep loess watersheds. However, herbicide concentrations in stream water were mainly transported by storm runoff from top soils in all watersheds.
Publications
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Accepted
Year Published:
2016
Citation:
Liu, F., M. Conklin, and G. Shaw (2016), Insights into concentration-discharge and endmember mixing analyses in the mid Merced River basin, Special Issue on Concentration-Discharge Relations in the Critical Zone, Water Resources Research, in press.
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2016
Citation:
Al-Qudah, M. O., F. Liu, R. N. Lerch, N. Kitchen, and J. Yang (2016), Controls on nitrate-N concentrations in groundwater in a Missourian claypan watershed, Earth and Space Science, 3: 90-105, doi: 10.1002/2015EA000117.
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2015
Citation:
Wang, Q., B. Hua, J. Yang, F. Liu, G. Zhu, and B. Deng (2015), Dialysis pretreatment for dissolved organic nitrogen analysis in freshwaters, Journal of Chemistry, DOI: 10.1080/17550874.2015.1123318.
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Progress 09/01/14 to 08/31/15
Outputs
Target Audience:Scientific communities of hydrology, agriculture, and environmental science; College students in the classroom, including under-represented, minority students; High school students through summer training. Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided? Two MS graduate students were recruited and supported by the project. A postdoctoral researcher was also just hired and partially supported by the project. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?For this reporting period, the results were primarily disseminated at American Geophysical Union Assembly (December 2014 in San Francisco, CA). What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Continue sampling from stream water and groundwater, analyzing data and publish, and attend conferences.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
1) Major activities completed including Collection of sample continued throughout the year at both Goodwater Creek Experimental Watershed and Sulphur Creek Watershed. Samples were collected weekly from streams, piezometers and groundwater from representative wells. All samples were analyzed for pH, electric conductivity, dissolved oxygen, major ions, and stable isotopes. A subset of samples was analyzed for nitrate, phosphate, total nitrogen, total phosphorus, and atrazine. Two transects of wells were drilled at Sulphur Creek Watershed to monitor groundwater quality. Each transect consists of five wells at varying depth (10-40 ft) from the summit to near riparian zone in a hill slope. 2) Specific Objectives Met Part of the research objectives 1 and 2 was met: to understand the difference in the fate of contaminant transport. The data we have already collected indicate that both hydrology and contaminant concentrations are very different at claypan-dominated Goodwater Creek Experimental Watershed and loess-dominated Sulphur Creek Watershed. 3) Significant Results Achieved, including major findings, developments, or conclusions (both positive and negative) Our preliminary data indicate that both nitrogen and phosphorus concentrations in groundwater vary from claypan-dominated Goodwater Creek Experimental Watershed to loess-dominated Sulphur Creek Watershed and also differ consistently from location to location within each watershed. The concentrations of nitrate and total nitrogen were considerably higher at Goodwater Creek Experimental Watershed, dominated by claypan soils and row crops, than at Sulphur Creek Watershed, dominated by loess and grazing posture. However, the concentrations of phosphate and total phosphorus were higher at Sulphur Creek than at Goodwater Creek Experimental Watershed. Groundwater samples collected at the landscape summit from deeper wells had much higher nitrate and total nitrogen concentrations than those located near the riparian zone at Sulphur Creek Watershed. Nitrate and total nitrogen concentrations were close to analytical detection limit at one well at Goodwater Creek Experimental Watershed, while these at the other wells just 20 feet away were 30-40 ppm, consistently throughout the observed period. This result suggests that denitrification has been occurring at some locations at the watershed.
Publications
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2015
Citation:
Zhou, Z., B. Hua, X. Cao, J. Yang, D. C. Olk, B. Deng, F. Liu, R. Li, and J. Mao (2015), Chemical composition of dissolved organic matter from various sources as characterized by solid-state NMR, Aquatic Sciences, 77(4), 595-607, DOI 10.1007/s00027-015-0405-8.
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2014
Citation:
Shaw, G., M. H. Conklin, G. Nimz, and F. Liu (2014), Groundwater and surface water flow to the Merced River, Yosemite Valley, California: 36Cl and Cl- evidence, Water Resources Research, 10.1002/2013WR014222.
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Accepted
Year Published:
2016
Citation:
Deng, D., L. Zhang, A. Mustapha, D. Xu, T. Wuliji, M. Farley, J. Yang, B. Hua, F. Liu, and G. Zheng (2014), Differentiating enteric Escherichia coli from environmental bacteria through the putative glucosyltransferase gene (ycjM), Water Research, 61, 224-231. Deng D., N. Zhang, D. Xu, M. Reed, F. Liu, and G. Zheng, Polymorphism of glucosyltransferase gene (ycjM) in Escherichia coli and its use for tracking human fecal pollution in water, Science of the Total Environment, accepted.
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Accepted
Year Published:
2016
Citation:
Wang, Q., B. Hua, J. Yang, F. Liu, G. Zhu, and B. Deng, Dialysis pretreatment for dissolved organic nitrogen analysis in freshwaters, Journal of Chemistry, Accepted.
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Submitted
Year Published:
2016
Citation:
Deng, D., D. Xu, M. Reed, F. Liu, and G. Zheng, Using the host-specific genetic marker of glucosyltransferase gene (ycjM) in Escherichia coli to track human fecal pollution in water, Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology, submitted.
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Submitted
Year Published:
2016
Citation:
Liu, F., M. H. Conklin, M. Conrad, and G. Shaw, Controls on isotopic composition in stream water and groundwater in the mid Merced River, Sierra Nevada, California, Journal of Geophysical Research Atmospheric, re-submitted.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2014
Citation:
Liu, F., R. N. Lerch, J. Yang, and C. Baffaut, Mechanism of Nitrate-N Transport from Surface Water to Groundwater in a Missourian Claypan Watershed, Assembly of American Geophysical Union, Paper H31B-0608, December 15-19, 2014, San Francisco, CA.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2014
Citation:
Peters, G., R., F. Liu, N. Lerch, O. Al-Qudah, B. Hua, J. Yang, and H. Lee, Sources of Water and Contaminants in Stream Water in a Missouri Claypan Watershed, Assembly of American Geophysical Union, Paper H11A-0851, December 15-19, 2014, San Francisco, CA.
- Type:
Theses/Dissertations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2014
Citation:
Peters, G., Processes of Stream and Spring Flow Generation and the Controls on Contaminant Transport in Goodwater Creek Experimental Watershed, Master of Science in Environmental Science, Department of Agriculture and Environmental Science, Lincoln University, Jefferson City, MO, April 30, 2015.
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Progress 09/01/13 to 08/31/14
Outputs
Target Audience: Scientific communities of hydrology, agriculture, and environmental science; College students in the classroom, including under-represented, minority students. Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided? A minority graduate student was recruited in fall 2014 and is being supported by the project in a Master degree program. A postdoctoral researcher is being recruited. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest? For this reporting period, the results were primarily disseminated to students in the classroom. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?
Nothing Reported
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Major activities completed including Sample collection started weekly from stream water, quarterly from groundwater wells, and from seep flow (shallow subsurface flow) and precipitation whenever available at the Goodwater Creek Watershed. Sampling sites and groundwater wells were planned and prepared for the Sulphur Creek Watershed. An array of groundwater wells were successfully drilled at Sulphur Creek Watershed for monitoring groundwater flow and quality. Samples were analyzed for major and trace elements, including nitrate and total nitrogen.
Publications
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