Tomales Bay, California: A Case for Carbon-Controlled Nitrogen Cycling
Smith SV, Hollibaugh JT, Dollar SJ, Vink S. 1989. Tomales Bay, California: A Case for Carbon-Controlled Nitrogen Cycling. Limnology and Oceanography. 34(1):37-52
Data collected over the summer-autumn dry season in Tomales Bay, California, demonstrate that system to be exporting dissolved P and importing dissolved fixed N. A simple explanation for the observed pattern is net system heterotrophy by about 8%, with < 2% of the system primary production of organic C being oxidized by denitrification. The loss of fixed N to denitrification consumes the dissolved inorganic N (DIN) liberated through the 8% excess organic oxidation over organic production. There is a small hydrographic loss of dissolved organic N (DON). The DIN deficit for primary production is therefore caused by the system C metabolism. Thus, C metabolism has profound effect on the N cycle, even through this denitrification rate is trivial to the C cycle.
- Type
- Journal Article
- Authors
- Smith, S; Hollibaugh, J; Dollar, S; Vink, S
- Units
- PORE
- Keywords
- California, composition of water, Ecosystems, effects on carbon, Energetics, INE, Marine Environment, Nitrogen Cycle, Primary Production, Tomales Bay, USA