Abstract
Best management practices (BMPs) are the most effective and practicable means to control nonpoint source (NPS) pollution at desired levels. Models are valuable tools to assess their effectiveness. Watershed managers need to choose appropriate and effective modelling methods for a given set of conditions. This paper considered state-of-the-art modelling strategies for the assessment of agricultural BMPs. Typical watershed models and specific models were analyzed in detail. Further improvements, including simplified tools, model integration, and incorporation of climate change and uncertainty analysis were also explored. This paper indicated that modelling methods are strictly scale dependent, both spatially and temporally. Despite current achievements, there is still room for future research, such as broadening the range of the pollutants considered, introducing more local BMPs, improving the representation of the functionality of BMPs, and gathering monitoring date for validation of modelled results. There is also a trend towards agricultural decision support systems (DSSs) for assessing agricultural BMPs, in which models of different scales are seamlessly integrated to bridge the scale and data gaps. This review will assist readers in model selection and development, especially those readers concerned about NPS pollution and water quality control.
Highlights
In the last few decades, nonpoint source (NPS) pollution from agricultural lands has caused major water quality degradation and threatened the safety of water resources worldwide
Our objectives are to (i) critically review state-of-the-art, model-based assessment methods for agricultural Best management practices (BMPs); (ii) compare commonly used watershed models and specific models based on their strengths and limitations; (iii) discuss model improvements to facilitate the assessment of agricultural BMPs; and (iv) propose several implications for future trends
The AnnAGNPS model significantly improved many of the features of its predecessor
Summary
In the last few decades, nonpoint source (NPS) pollution from agricultural lands has caused major water quality degradation and threatened the safety of water resources worldwide. Watershed models evaluate the hydrologic and water quality response to multiple BMPs at varying scopes and locations Their application has been expanded to the basin and regional scales [6]. Several structural BMPs are commonly implemented at the field scale at which the utility of watershed models is limited [8] For these widely used BMPs (e.g., filter strips, riparian buffers, and detention ponds), specific assessment models have been developed [9,10]. Watershed models and specific models are both effective tools for agricultural BMP assessment, but they are not always used appropriately. Our objectives are to (i) critically review state-of-the-art, model-based assessment methods for agricultural BMPs; (ii) compare commonly used watershed models and specific models based on their strengths and limitations; (iii) discuss model improvements to facilitate the assessment of agricultural BMPs; and (iv) propose several implications for future trends. The first four models were further categorized as watershed models and the other two models are specific models
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