LTER: Global patterns in stream energy and nutrient cycling

The working group is comparing stream chemistry data from 19 LTER sites, representing far-ranging biomes including tundra, desert, and tall-grass prairies, as well as boreal, temperate, and tropical rainforests. They aim to identify what factors affect the coupled breakdown and use of carbon and nitrogen in streams. While carbon and nitrogen are inextricably linked, scientists remain stymied by the considerable spatial and temporal variation in the relationships between the two. The unprecedented global database being assembled by the project will allow the team to examine energy and nutrient cycling across seasons and environmental and management gradients.