Regional Distribution of Natural Stream Nitrate in Central Japan

Over 60 natural streams with forested catchments were surveyed for nitrate (NO₃ ^?) concentration in central Japan. Stream NO₃ ^? concentrations showed a clear zonal gradient with a range nearly as large as 100-fold, where their small seasonal variations (av. CV = 27%) justified respective statuses. Elevated NO₃ ^? concentrations (more than 70 µM) described a distribution of N saturation along a course of polluted air advection in the Kanto Plain. The extent of NO₃ ^? leaching from forests was not proportional to atmospheric N deposition probably because of ecosystem N retention. A dependency of NO₃ ^? level on the watershed altitude and quite constant δ¹⁵N of stream NO₃ ^? over a wide NO₃ ^? range were observed, which could be also related to this cause.