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The transport of nitrogen (N) from land surface to waterbodies is controlled by complex interactions among land-use, climate, and soils. Various forms of N (such as organic vs inorganic) vary significantly in the loss pathways, which adds another complexity to predict the impact of climatic extremes on N transport from watersheds. In most coastal water bodies such as the Tampa Bay Estuary, N is the limiting nutrient that drives eutrophication. The key questions on how climate-driven extremes and land-use interactions control N transport in the Tampa Bay are yet unclear. We hypothesize that land-use in the watersheds can modify the effects of the climate-driven extremes (such as high vs low precipitation) in controlling N transport. Here, we present the on how climatic extremes have affected N transport across urban land-use gradient in watershed draining into the Tampa Bay Estuary, Florida. This presentation will include three aspects: 1) how total N transport varied in the wet and dry years in the watersheds, and 2) how land use and climatic-driven extremes control organic, inorganic, and total N transport? Finally, we will discuss uncertainties in the research framework (spatial scale of watershed and temporal resolution of N monitoring) used for studying climatic extremes effects on N loss. This research will provide directions to develop research framework on studying such complex phenomenon and will enhance our understanding on interactions between human activities, climatic extremes, and ecosystem services. |