Estimation of nitrogen budgets for contrasting catchments at the landscape scale

Vogt, E.; Braban, C.F. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4275-0152; Dragosits, U. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9283-6467; Theobald, M.R.; Billett, M.F.; Dore, A.J.; Tang, Y.S.; van Dijk, N.; Rees, R.M.; McDonald, C.; Murray, S.; Skiba, U.M. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8659-6092; Sutton, M.A. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6263-6341. 2013 Estimation of nitrogen budgets for contrasting catchments at the landscape scale. Biogeosciences, 10 (1). 119-133. https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-10-119-2013

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Abstract/Summary

A comprehensive assessment of nitrogen (N) flows at the landscape scale is fundamental to understand spatial interactions in the N cascade and to inform the development of locally optimised N management strategies. To explore these interactions, complete N budgets were estimated for two contrasting hydrological catchments (dominated by agricultural grassland vs. semi-natural peat-dominated moorland), forming part of an intensively studied landscape in southern Scotland. Local scale atmospheric dispersion modelling and detailed farm and field inventories provided high resolution estimations of input fluxes. Direct agricultural inputs (i.e. grazing excreta, N2 fixation, organic and synthetic fertiliser) accounted for most of the catchment N inputs, representing 82% in the grassland and 62% in the moorland catchment, while atmospheric deposition made a significant contribution, particularly in the moorland catchment, contributing 38% of the N inputs. The estimated catchment N budgets highlighted areas of key uncertainty, particularly N2 exchange and stream N export. The resulting N balances suggest that the study catchments have a limited capacity to store N within soils, vegetation and groundwater. The “catchment N retention”, i.e. the amount of N which is either stored within the catchment or lost through atmospheric emissions, was estimated to be 13% of the net anthropogenic input in the moorland and 61% in the grassland catchment. These values contrast with regional scale estimates: Catchment retentions of net anthropogenic input estimated within Europe at the regional scale range from 50% to 90 %, with an average of 82% (Billen et al., 2011). This study emphasises the need for detailed budget analyses to identify the N status of European landscapes.

Item Type:	Publication - Article
Digital Object Identifier (DOI):	https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-10-119-2013
Programmes:	CEH Topics & Objectives 2009 - 2012 > Biogeochemistry
UKCEH and CEH Sections/Science Areas:	Billett (to November 2013)
ISSN:	1726-4170
Additional Information. Not used in RCUK Gateway to Research.:	Open Access paper - Official URL link provides full text
NORA Subject Terms:	Ecology and Environment Hydrology Agriculture and Soil Science Atmospheric Sciences
Related URLs:	Discussion paper
Date made live:	10 Jan 2013 11:14 +0 (UTC)
URI:	https://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/21011

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