Baltimore Ecosystem Study: Denitrification potential in riparian zones and streams

Denitrification potential and a series of ancillary variables
(inorganic nitrogen concentrations, moisture content, organic matter
content, microbial biomass carbon and nitrogen content, potential net
nitrogen mineralization and nitrification, microbial respiration, root
biomass) has been measured in riparian zone soils and stream
geomorphic features by a series of undergraduate and graduate student
researchers as part of the Baltimore Ecosystem Study since the early
2000s. These studies often center on the series of sites where there
has been long-term monitoring (since 2000) of riparian water tables
and groundwater chemistry along four first or second order steams in
and around the Gwynns Falls watershed in Baltimore City and County, MD
(https://doi.org/10.6073/pasta/f7721ec5a4fab5b031f8056824e07e7d). One
site is in the completely forested Pond Branch catchment that serves
as a "reference" study area for the Baltimore LTER (BES).
Two sites (Glyndon, Gwynbrook) are in suburban areas of the watershed;
one just upstream from the Glyndon BES long-term stream monitoring
site in the headwaters of the Gwynns Falls, and one along a tributary
that enters the Gwynns Falls just above the Gwynnbrook BES long-term
stream monitoring site farther downstream. The final, urban site
(Cahill) is along a tributary to the Gwynns Falls in Leakin Park in
the urban core of the watershed. Other sites were used in different
studies as described in the publications associated with each study.
The different studies also varied in just which ancillary variables
were measured.