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

Summary

This field-scale investigation documented the natural temporal and spatial variability of stable isotope ratios (δ13C, δ15N) and elemental composition (TC, TN) in agricultural soils to assess their utility as fingerprints for sediment source tracing. The work demonstrates that within-field heterogeneity in these properties, as suggested by the authors' findings, has important implications for refining and validating protocols used in erosion and sediment transport studies in agricultural landscapes. The results contribute to understanding the constraints and opportunities for isotopic methods in discriminating sediment sources.

UK applicability

The findings are directly applicable to UK agricultural erosion and water quality monitoring programmes, where sediment source tracing is increasingly used to target mitigation efforts. The documented within-field variability in stable isotope signatures and elemental composition provides important context for UK practitioners designing sampling strategies and interpreting results from sediment fingerprinting studies.

Key measures

δ13C (carbon-13 isotope ratio), δ15N (nitrogen-15 isotope ratio), TC (total carbon), TN (total nitrogen)

Outcomes reported

The study quantified temporal and spatial variability in δ13C, δ15N, total carbon, and total nitrogen across a single agricultural field to evaluate their utility as sediment source tracers. Field-scale heterogeneity in these soil properties has direct implications for the discriminatory power of isotopic fingerprinting methods in erosion and sediment transport studies.

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