ISSN:
1573-0867
Keywords:
nitrate flow
;
ground water pollution
;
GIS
;
large scale model
;
reduction strategies
;
spatial/temporal impact assessment
Source:
Springer Online Journal Archives 1860-2000
Topics:
Agriculture, Forestry, Horticulture, Fishery, Domestic Science, Nutrition
Notes:
Abstract A GIS-based area-differentiating model has been used to analyze the nitrate pollution of soil and groundwater throughout Germany. The results of the calculations based on the model for the current situation show that a high potential for high nitrate pollution of the soil and groundwater (〉 50 mg NO3/l) is to be expected in all regions of Germany subject to intensive agricultural use. In order to achieve a sustainable use of water resources, effective strategies to reduce the nitrogen surpluses from agriculture must be developed and analyzed with respect to their spatial and temporal impact on the nitrate pollution of soil and groundwater, taking into consideration the various agricultural land usages as well as the different hydrological, hydrogeological and agricultural conditions. The effects of three different nitrate reduction strategies on the resulting N-surpluses and the nitrate concentration in the leachate were investigated: firstly, a stocking rate limitation, secondly, a limitation of both organic and mineral fertilizers and thirdly, a combination of three reduction measures consisting of a stocking rate limitation, an improvement of the nitrogen utilization factor by livestock and a higher utilization factor of nitrogen bound in organic fertilizers by crops. The analysis showed that separate application of each of these nitrogen reduction measures would only lower the nitrogen surpluses in a few regions. In order to achieve a considerable reduction of nitrate concentrations both in leachate from land under agricultural use and in the groundwater a combination of area-covering and regionally effective measures (scenario III) turned out to be most promising.
Type of Medium:
Electronic Resource
URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1023/A:1009736227245
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