Patterns and drivers of groundwater and stream nitrate concentrations in intensively managed agricultural catchments
Citation:
McAleer, E., Coxon, C., Mellander, P.-E., Grant, J. & Richards, K., Patterns and drivers of groundwater and stream nitrate concentrations in intensively managed agricultural catchments, Water, 2022, 14, 9, 1388Download Item:
Abstract:
The environmental loss of nitrogen in agricultural landscapes has pervasive consequences,
including human health implications, eutrophication, loss of habitat biodiversity and greenhouse gas
emissions. The efficacy of mitigation strategies designed to control or prevent nitrate contamination
of waterbodies requires an understanding of catchment scale pressures and processes. Groundwater
and stream nitrate concentrations fluctuate over temporal scales ranging from the daily to the decadal.
Identifying spatiotemporal trends and dominant drivers of nitrate in water is challenging as the
drivers are intertwined. The effects of agronomic, meteorological and hydrogeological drivers on
groundwater and stream nitrate were investigated over seven years in two well-drained agricultural
catchments, dominated by tillage and grassland farming, respectively. A significant positive temporal
trend in nitrate concentration was observed in the tillage catchment, whereas no long-term trend
was observed in the grassland catchment. Agronomic, meteorological and hydrogeological factors
were significantly related to temporal nitrate changes across both catchments. Clearly identifying the
drivers influencing temporal changes in nitrate concentrations is critical to improving water quality.
The study highlighted that to reduce groundwater nitrate levels in areas of high risk (thin soils, low
clay content and shallow groundwater), nitrogen applications need to be reduced and/or tailored,
particularly at times of restricted crop growth.
Sponsor
Grant Number
Teagasc
Author's Homepage:
http://people.tcd.ie/cecoxonDescription:
PUBLISHED
Author: Coxon, Catherine
Type of material:
Journal ArticleCollections
Series/Report no:
Water;14;
9;
Availability:
Full text availableSubject (TCD):
Smart & Sustainable Planet , GROUNDWATER POLLUTION , NITRATE , Rivers/Streams , WATER QUALITYDOI:
https://doi.org/10.3390/w14091388Metadata
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