EFFECTS OF DISTURBANCE ON NITROGEN EXPORT FROM FORESTED LANDS OF THE CHESAPEAKE BAY WATERSHED

摘要

The objective of this research project is to develop, test, validate, and demonstrate an an- alytical framework for assessing regional-scale forest disturbance in the mid-Atlantic region by linking forest disturbance and forest nitrogen export to surface waters at multiple spatial scales. It is hypothesized that excessive nitrogen(N)leakage(export)from forested watershed is a potentially useful, integrative "indicator" of a negative change in forest function which occurs in synchrony with changes in forest structure and species composition.