Field scale temporal and spatial variability of δ13C, δ15N, TC and TN soil properties: Implications for sediment source tracing

Summary

This field-scale study assessed the temporal and spatial heterogeneity of stable isotope signatures (δ13C, δ15N) and elemental properties (TC, TN) in soils to evaluate their suitability as tracers for sediment source identification. The authors characterise the extent of within-field variability in these properties and discuss implications for the confidence and limitations of isotopic sediment fingerprinting approaches used to track soil and sediment movement through agricultural landscapes. The findings contribute to refining methodological best practice in sediment source tracing applications.

UK applicability

The findings are directly applicable to UK agricultural research and practice, particularly for erosion and sediment transport studies in managed farmland. The methodological framework for assessing isotope variability at field scale will inform the design of UK sediment fingerprinting studies and help establish appropriate confidence intervals for tracing sediment sources in British agricultural landscapes.

Key measures

δ13C (carbon-13 isotope ratio), δ15N (nitrogen-15 isotope ratio), TC (total carbon), TN (total nitrogen), within-field spatial variability, temporal variability

Outcomes reported

The study quantified temporal and spatial variability of δ13C, δ15N, total carbon (TC) and total nitrogen (TN) signatures across a field-scale agricultural site. The research evaluated how within-field heterogeneity in these properties affects the reliability and confidence bounds of sediment fingerprinting methods for tracing sediment movement.

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