| Imbalances in nutrient cycling have the potential to alter terrestrial, riverine, lacustrine, and oceanic ecosystems which can lead to problems such as eutrophication of waterways. Large animal agricultural operations, where common practice includes the storage of animal waste in open lagoons and the application of waste on agricultural fields, are one source of nutrient enrichment. Stable isotopes have proven to be useful for monitoring enrichment in ground and surface waters. Recent efforts have coupled stable isotope hydrology with geostatistical modeling to generate continuous visualizations of ecohydrological isoscapes. This research uses stable isotopes to understand the water source use dynamics of trees on a hillslope in the Piedmont region of North Carolina relative to an inactive hog lagoon. Field measurements of delta 18O, delta2H, and delta15N are used in conjunction with interpolation methods and remote sensing for the exploration of the ecohydrological dynamics on the hillslope and to evaluate the potential influence of the hog lagoon on the subsurface nutrient load of the site. The project contributes to the growing science of isoscape generation and builds on the potential applications of these methods to environmental modeling and monitoring. |
