Rapid response of stream dissolved phosphorus concentrations to wildfire smoke
Published in Nature Communications Earth and Environment, 2024
Recommended citation: Fernandez, N.M., Jamison, H.T. & Gold, Z. Rapid response of stream dissolved phosphorus concentrations to wildfire smoke., Commun Earth Environ 5, 562 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-024-01732-w
Abstract
Wildfires can produce large plumes of smoke that are transported across vast distances, altering nutrient cycling of undisturbed watersheds exposed downwind. To date, wildfire smoke influence on stream biogeochemical signatures remains an important knowledge gap. Here we evaluate the impacts of wildfire smoke on phosphorus (P) biogeochemical cycling in a temperate watershed in the Finger Lakes Region of Central New York located downwind from record setting Canadian forest res during the summer of 2023. Daily sampling of stream and rainwaters was conducted over the 2 month smoke period, generating a robust geochemical dataset. Stream dissolved P showed high sensitivity to smoke events, attaining concentrations 2–3× greater than the pre-smoke period. Subsequent rain events after smoke deposition were identified as a potentially important factor in magnitude and timing of dissolved P responses. These findings demonstrate the capacity for wild re smoke to trigger rapid, observable changes to stream P chemistry.