A large reservoir of bioavailable nitrogen (up to approximately 10(4) kilograms per hectare, as nitrate) has been previously overlooked in studies global distribution. The accumulating subsoil zones arid regions throughout the Holocene. Consideration raises estimates vadose-zone inventories by 14 71% for warm deserts and shrublands worldwide 3 16% globally. Subsoil nitrate accumulation indicates long-term leaching from desert soils, impelling further evaluation nutrient dynamics xeric...

Using data from a water‐balance instrument cluster with spatially distributed sensors we determined the magnitude and within‐catchment variability of components catchment‐scale water balance, focusing on relationship seasonal evapotranspiration to changes in snowpack soil moisture storage. Co‐located, continuous snow depth measurements were deployed rain–snow transition catchment mixed‐conifer forest Southern Sierra Nevada. At each elevation placed open, under canopy, at drip edge both...

ABSTRACT The conversion of bedrock to regolith marks the inception critical zone processes, but factors that regulate it remain poorly understood. Although thickness and degree weathering are widely thought be important regulators development its water‐storage potential, functional relationships between properties processes generate documented. This is due in part fact difficult characterize by direct observations over broad scales needed for process‐based understanding zone. Here we use...

Enhanced understanding of subsurface water storage will improve prediction future impacts climate change, including drought, forest mortality, wildland fire, and strained security. Previous research has examined the importance plant‐accessible in soil, but upland landscapes within Mediterranean climates, soil often accounts for only a fraction storage. We draw insights from previous case study Southern Sierra Critical Zone Observatory to define attributes storage; review observed patterns...

Mountain runoff ultimately reflects the difference between precipitation (P) and evapotranspiration (ET), as modulated by biogeophysical mechanisms that intensify or alleviate drought impacts. These modulating are seldom measured not fully understood. The impact of warm 2012-15 California on heavily instrumented Kings River basin provides an extraordinary opportunity to enumerate four controlled mountain hydrology. Two intensified impact: (i) evaporative processes have first access local...

Weathering in the critical zone causes volumetric strain and mass loss, thereby creating subsurface porosity that is vital to overlying ecosystems. We used geochemical geophysical measurements quantify relative importance of loss---the physical chemical components porosity---in weathering granitic saprolite southern Sierra Nevada, California, USA. Porosity decrease with depth imply more than doubles volume during exhumation surface by erosion. Chemical depletion relatively uniform,...

Core Ideas Water quality and stream flow have temporal spatial trends in response to variable climate. Our work reveals how Sierra Nevada forests responded recovered from multiyear drought. Regolith thickness reveal water storage capacity differences with elevation. Monitoring shows deep‐water changes via plant utilization or capillary during Sensor networks within the Southern Critical Zone Observatory (SSCZO) Kings River Experimental Watersheds (KREW) document cycle spanning west slope of...

Abstract The water balance is an essential tool for hydrologic studies and quantifying water‐balance components the focus of many research catchments. A fundamental question remains regarding appropriateness closure assumptions when not all are available. In this study, we leverage in‐situ measurements fluxes storage from Southern Sierra Critical Zone Observatory (SSCZO) Kings River Experimental Watersheds (KREW) to investigate annual errors across large (1016–5389 km 2 ) river basins small...

Cellulose delta18O and deltaD can provide insights on climates hydrological cycling in the distant past how these factors differ spatially. However, most studies of plant cellulose have used only one isotope, commonly delta18O, resulting difficulties partitioning variation precipitation vs. evaporative conditions that affect leaf water isotopic enrichment. Moreover, observations pronounced diurnal differences from conventional steady-state model predictions fractionation cast some doubt...

The relationship between wood growth and environmental variability at the tropical treeline of North America was investigated using automated, solar-powered sensors (a meteorological station two dendrometer clusters) installed on Nevado de Colima, Mexico (19° 35' N, 103° 37' W, 3,760 m a.s.l.). Pure stands Pinus hartwegii Lindl. (Mexican mountain pine) were targeted because their suitability for tree-ring analysis in low-latitude, high-elevation, American Monsoon environments. Stem size...

Abstract Subsurface weathering has traditionally been measured using cores and boreholes to quantify vertical variations in weathered material properties. However, these measurements are typically available at only a few, potentially unrepresentative points on hillslopes. Geophysical surveys, conversely, span many more and, as shown here, can be used obtain representative, site‐integrated perspective subsurface weathering. Our approach aggregates data from multiple seismic refraction surveys...

Abstract Large uncertainty remains in the spatial distribution of deep soil organic carbon (OC) storage and how climate controls belowground OC. This research aims to quantify OC stocks, characterize age chemical composition, evaluate climatic impacts on from surface through critical zone bedrock. These objectives were carried out at four sites along a bio-climosequence Sierra Nevada, California. On average, 74% was stored below A horizon, up 30% saprock (friable weakly weathered bedrock)....

Site‐specific numerical modeling of four sites in two arid alluvial basins within the Nevada Test Site employs a conceptual model deep system hydrodynamics that includes vapor transport, role xeric vegetation, and long‐term surface boundary transients. Surface sequences, spanning 110 kyr, best reproduce measured chloride concentration matric potential profiles from (230–460 m) boreholes concur with independent paleohydrologic paleoecological records region. Simulations constrain pluvial...

We present here the 2001–2004 results of observational field studies aimed at quantifying tropical timberline climate and radial increment Pinus hartwegii Lindl. trees on Nevado de Colima, in middle North American Monsoon region. An automated weather station was installed 3760 m a.s.l., 19°34.778′N latitude, 103°37.180′W longitude, within a forest where multi-century tree-ring records had been previously developed. At same time, electronic sensors for recording tree growth 30-min intervals...

Monitoring the snow pack is crucial for many stakeholders, whether hydro-power optimization, water management or flood control. Traditional forecasting relies on regression methods, which often results in melt runoff predictions of low accuracy non-average years. Existing ground-based real-time measurement systems do not cover enough physiographic variability and are mostly installed at elevations. We present hardware software design a state-of-the-art distributed Wireless Sensor Network...

A 14.6 kyr chronology of infiltration developed from deep vadose (unsaturated) zone cores in southern Nevada is presented to assess the nitrogen loss active rooting zone. Soil water chemistry first used develop a paleohydrology and subsequently fluxes. While elevated concentrations (as NO 3 ) are commonly found desert zones, /Cl ratios indicate that nitrate behaved conservatively beneath Mean fluxes root range 103 108 mg/m²/yr appear relatively constant over time, spite dramatic climate...

Abstract To provide complementary information on the hydrologically important rain–snow-transition elevation in mountain basins, this study provides two estimation methods using ground measurements from basin-scale wireless sensor networks: one based wet-bulb temperature T wet and other snow-depth of accumulation ablation. With data 17 spatially distributed clusters (178 nodes) networks, American Feather River basins California’s Sierra Nevada, we analyzed transition during 76 storm events...

We investigated the seasonal variation in pools of water available to mature trees growing at high elevation a tropical environment. The study focused on dominant tree species (Pinus hartwegii) about 3800 m a.s.l. Nevado de Colima, Mexico, where climate is typical North American Monsoon System. Stable isotope ratios hydrogen and oxygen extracted from soil, xylem, leaves were measured through cycle two dry wet seasons 2003–2004. Isotopic also accumulated precipitation, few single...

Forests at risk to diseases caused by invasive Phytophthora pathogens can be grouped into two broad classes: those already invaded the focal pathogen where disease has emerged or significant of invasion and subsequent emergence disease. This dichotomy represents distinct management scenarios – treating after before emerges with a set epidemiological, ecological, practical characteristics that determine optimal actions associated costs. Here we present initial outcomes from experiments aimed...

Core Ideas Biotite content was positively related to regolith thickness in granitic terrain. Depth regulates transformations by dampening subsurface temperature. The degree of soil development does not reflect deep characteristics. We evaluated the effects temperature and subtle differences lithology (biotite content) on pedogenesis (soils + saprock) terrain southern Sierra Nevada. Deep sampled from summit backslope landscape positions two catchments representing transition rain‐dominated...

Abstract This study reports on a blending approach using snowpack measurements from wireless‐sensor network, gauge precipitation, and atmospheric‐moisture data to estimate mountain precipitation amount phase. We applied the in California's American River basin, dense network consisting of over 130 sensor nodes distributed across upper, more snow‐dominated part basin (≥1,500 m elevation). Analysis 60 events water years 2014–2017 showed that provides estimates orographic enhancement reduce...

Abstract Understanding potential response of forest carbon (C) and nutrient storage to warming is important for climate mitigation policies. Unfortunately, those responses are difficult predict in seasonally dry forests, part, because ecosystem processes highly sensitive both changes temperature precipitation. We investigated how might alter stocks C, nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) vegetation the entire regolith (soil + weathered bedrock or “saprock”) using a space‐for‐time substitution along...