An integrated watershed-scale framework to model nitrogen transport and transformations

Abstract

Excess nitrogen in water bodies is associated with a number of environmental problems, including hypoxia and eutrophication. Originating from anthropogenic activities such as fertilizer application, and influenced by watershed characteristics such as the structure of the drainage network, stream discharge, temperature, and soil moisture, factors influencing nitrogen transport and transformation are many and interconnected. This paper describes the development and application of a process-oriented nitrogen model based on the modeling framework of PAWS (Process-based Adaptive Watershed Simulator) that can describe coupled hydrologic, thermal and nutrient processes. The integrated model was tested for an agricultural watershed with complex land use, namely the Kalamazoo River watershed in Michigan, USA. Nitrogen transport and transformations on the landscape were modeled by representing multiple sources and processes (fertilizer/manure application, point sources, atmospheric deposition, nitrogen retention and removal in wetlands and other lowland storage, etc.) across multiple hydrologic domains (streams, groundwater, soil water). The coupled model provides a tool to examine nitrogen budgets and to quantify the impacts of human activities and agricultural practices on the riverine export of nitrogen species. Model results indicate that the river network removed approximately 5.96 % of the total anthropogenic nitrogen input to the watershed, and that the riverine export of nitrogen accounted for 29.22 % of the total anthropogenic inputs during 2004–2009 while the groundwater contribution of nitrogen to the rivers during the same period was found to be 18.53 % highlighting the important role of groundwater within the watershed.