title: Letting wet spots be wet: restoring natural bioreactors in the dissected glacial landscape.
abstract: In this paper, we argue that there is tremendous potential for nitrate-N reductions to occur throughout the Corn Belt region of the USA if we simply let naturally occurring wet spots on the landscape be wet. Geologic and hydrologic data gathered in the Walnut Creek watershed located in south-central Iowa provides compelling evidence that substantial nutrient-processing capacity exists in this dissected glacial landscape. Self-similarity of stratigraphy, sedimentology and hydrology observed at all spatial scales in the watershed suggests that Holocene alluvial fill deposits provide a natural bioreactor for denitrification of upland groundwater nitrate-N; the occurrence of such deposits can be mapped to identify potential nitrogen sinks across the landscape. This approach to identifying potential nitrogen sinks is geology focused and extends potential locations for nutrient processing upstream into the headwater catchments of individual fields.
authors: Iowa Geological and Water Survey, 109 Trowbridge Hall, Iowa City, IA, 52242-1319, USA, keith.schilling@dnr.iowa.gov.
authors: Keith E
authors: KE
authors: Schilling
authors: Eileen
authors: E
authors: McLellan
authors: E Arthur
authors: EA
authors: Bettis
mesh_terms: D000383:Agriculture / Q000379:methods*; D019149:Bioreactors / Q000382:microbiology*; D002244:Carbon / Q000032:analysis; D019015:Geologic Sediments / Q000737:chemistry / Q000382:microbiology*; D060587:Groundwater / Q000032:analysis; D046448:Ice Cover; D007484:Iowa; D009566:Nitrates / Q000378:metabolism; D009584:Nitrogen / Q000032:analysis; D045483:Rivers; D014872:Water Movements; D060753:Water Quality; D053833:Wetlands
chemical_list: D009566:Nitrates; D002244:Carbon; D009584:Nitrogen
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