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Model‐based evaluation of agri‐environmental measures in the Federal State of Brandenburg (Germany) concerning N pollution of groundwater and surface water
Author(s) -
Kersebaum Kurt Christian,
Matzdorf Bettina,
Kiesel Joachim,
Piorr Annette,
Steidl Jörg
Publication year - 2006
Publication title -
journal of plant nutrition and soil science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.644
H-Index - 87
eISSN - 1522-2624
pISSN - 1436-8730
DOI - 10.1002/jpln.200521944
Subject(s) - groundwater , environmental science , surface water , pollution , hydrology (agriculture) , groundwater pollution , leaching (pedology) , water resource management , soil water , agriculture , water resources , soil science , environmental engineering , aquifer , geology , geography , ecology , geotechnical engineering , archaeology , biology
GIS‐based modeling of soil‐crop interactions and hydrological processes is a valuable instrument to assess land‐use effects on N pollution of water resources from the agricultural sector. A case study is presented using spatial information on soils, climatic zones, land use, and distribution of agri‐environmental measures within the federal State of Brandenburg (Germany) to assess the reduction effect of EU‐funded measures on N pollution of water resources. In a first step, the area was classified concerning the risk for groundwater and surface‐water pollution. For this, spatially distributed model calculations of the soil‐solution exchange frequency were intersected to a vulnerability map for groundwater derived from geological data and zones of different transit times from the root zone into surface waters. In a second step, model calculations of water and N dynamics in the soil‐crop system for different crop and management systems were performed to calculate nitrate leaching from the root zone and to estimate the effect of present agri‐environmental measures to reduce N pollution on groundwater and surface waters. The results indicated that 75% of the agri‐environmental measures were placed in areas with low impact on groundwater and surface waters. Therefore, the effectiveness of the agri‐environmental measures concerning water‐protection aims was moderate.