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Fertilizer Flux into Two Florida Lakes via Seepage
Author(s) -
Fellows Charles R.,
Brezonik Patrick L.
Publication year - 1981
Publication title -
journal of environmental quality
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.888
H-Index - 171
eISSN - 1537-2537
pISSN - 0047-2425
DOI - 10.2134/jeq1981.00472425001000020010x
Subject(s) - fertilizer , nitrate , environmental science , leaching (pedology) , human fertilization , nutrient , hydrology (agriculture) , groundwater , flux (metallurgy) , soil water , agronomy , soil science , ecology , geology , chemistry , biology , geotechnical engineering , organic chemistry
Excessive fertilization of a 4.8‐ha citrus grove with 900 kg N/ha resulted in leaching of nitrate through the soil and seepage of ground water with high nitrate levels into Lake Conway, Florida. A total of about 270 kg of N seeped into the lake from the single fertilization event, representing about 6% of the total applied fertilizer N. In comparison, seepage measurements at five other lake sites had much lower concentrations and fluxes of nitrate, even though three of the sites were located adjacent to fertilized agricultural or urban areas. Normal fertilization practices did not appear to enhance seepage fluxes of nutrients to lakes.