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Phosphorus Losses from Agricultural Areas in River Basins
Author(s) -
Kronvang B.,
Bechmann M.,
Lundekvam H.,
Behrendt H.,
Rubæk G. H.,
Schoumans O. F.,
Syversen N.,
Andersen H. E.,
Hoffmann C. C.
Publication year - 2005
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/jeq2004.0439
Subject(s) - riparian zone , environmental science , hydrology (agriculture) , tile drainage , drainage basin , surface runoff , water framework directive , agriculture , floodplain , surface water , soil water , drainage , streams , deposition (geology) , water quality , riparian buffer , water resource management , structural basin , environmental engineering , geography , ecology , geology , soil science , computer network , paleontology , geotechnical engineering , cartography , archaeology , habitat , computer science , biology
In this paper we show the quantitative and relative importance of phosphorus (P) losses from agricultural areas within European river basins and demonstrate the importance of P pathways, linking agricultural source areas to surface water at different scales. Agricultural P losses are increasingly important for the P concentration in most European rivers, lakes, and estuaries, even though the quantity of P lost from agricultural areas in European catchments varies at least one order of magnitude (<0.2 kg P ha −1 to >2.1 kg P ha −1 ). We focus on the importance of P for the implementation of the EU Water Framework Directive and discuss the benefits, uncertainties, and side effects of the different targeted mitigation measures that can be adopted to combat P losses from agricultural areas in river basins. Experimental evidence of the effects of some of the main targeted mitigation measures hitherto implemented is demonstrated, including: (i) soil tillage changes, (ii) treatment of soils near ditches and streams with iron to reduce P transport from source areas to surface waters, (iii) establishment of buffer zones for retaining P from surface runoff, (iv) restoration of river–floodplain systems to allow natural inundation of riparian areas and deposition of P, and (v) inundation of riparian areas with tile drainage water for P retention. Furthermore, we show how river basin managers can map and analyze the extent and importance of P risk areas, exemplified by four catchments differing in size in Norway, Denmark, and the Netherlands. Finally, we discuss the factors and mechanisms that may delay and/or counteract the responses of mitigation measures for combating P losses from agricultural areas when monitored at the catchment scale.