Leachable phosphorus from senesced green ash and Norway mapleleaves in urban watersheds
July 1, 2020
In urban watersheds, street tree leaf litter is a critical biogenic source of phosphorus (P) in stormwater runoff.
Stormwater extracts P from leaf litter and transports it, through the storm sewer network, to a receiving
waterbody potentially causing downstream eutrophication. The goal of this study is to understand P leaching dynamics of two prevalent tree species (Norway maple (Acer platanoides) and green ash (Fraxinus pennsylvanica))
in three urban residential watersheds in Madison, Wisconsin, USA. Leaf litter was collected from the three basins
during Fall 2017 and 2018. Laboratory experiments showed an initial rapid total dissolved phosphorus (TDP) release that gradually plateaued over a 48-hour period. The total TDP released from Norway maple (2.10 mg g−1
)
was greater than from green ash (1.60 mg g−1
).Within the same species, increased fragmentation of leaves led to
more rapid initial TDP release, but not greater total TDP release. Increased aging of senescent leaves decreased
total TDP release. Incubation temperature and volume of water in contact with leaves may not be critical factors
affecting TDP leaching dynamics. Predictive equations were derived to characterize time-variable TDP release of
both Norway maple and green ash leaves. Potential TDP release from leaf litter estimated using these equations
was compared with field-measured end-of-pipe TDP loads in one of the study watersheds. Our results indicate
that preventing leaf litter from accumulating in streets is an important stormwater quality control measure.
Citation Information
Publication Year | 2020 |
---|---|
Title | Leachable phosphorus from senesced green ash and Norway mapleleaves in urban watersheds |
DOI | 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.140662 |
Authors | Yi Wang, Anita Thompson, William R. Selbig |
Publication Type | Article |
Publication Subtype | Journal Article |
Series Title | Science of the Total Environment |
Index ID | 70211508 |
Record Source | USGS Publications Warehouse |
USGS Organization | Wisconsin Water Science Center; Upper Midwest Water Science Center |
Related
Total phosphorus and total dissolved phosphorous released from Green Ash (Fraxinus pennsylvanica) and Norway Maple (Acer platanoides) as they contribute to leachable phosphorus in leaf litter and impact phosphorus loads in urban stormwater
The data set contains results from leaf litter samples analyzed for total phosphorus (TP) and total dissolved phosphorus (TDP) released from Green Ash (Fraxinus pennsylvanica) and Norway Maple (Acer platanoides) leaves in three medium-density urban residential basins in Madison, WI, USA during October and November of 2017 and 2018. Tables contain averages and standard deviations for all...
Related
Total phosphorus and total dissolved phosphorous released from Green Ash (Fraxinus pennsylvanica) and Norway Maple (Acer platanoides) as they contribute to leachable phosphorus in leaf litter and impact phosphorus loads in urban stormwater
The data set contains results from leaf litter samples analyzed for total phosphorus (TP) and total dissolved phosphorus (TDP) released from Green Ash (Fraxinus pennsylvanica) and Norway Maple (Acer platanoides) leaves in three medium-density urban residential basins in Madison, WI, USA during October and November of 2017 and 2018. Tables contain averages and standard deviations for all...