Colloidal nitrogen is an important and highly-mobile form of nitrogen discharging into the Great Barrier Reef lagoon.

ABSTRACT: Soil-borne colloids have been linked to long-distance transport of radionuclides, metal(loid)s and nutrients. Colloid-associated nitrogen (N) will have different mechanisms of biogeochemical cycling and potential for water-borne transport over longer distances compared to dissolved N. The role that colloids play in the supply and mobility of N within catchments discharging into the Great Barrier Reef (GBR) lagoon is unexplored. Here, we examine water-dispersible clay (WDC) from soil samples collected from gullies and agricultural drains within three different land uses (sugarcane, non-agricultural land and grazing) within the Townsville area. The proportion of soil N associated with WDC was inversely correlated with total soil N, with up to 45% of the total soil N being colloid-associated

SUBMITTER: Judy JD 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6110740 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature