Developing a New Management Tool—a Holistic View on the Nitrogen Cycle

Abstract

New agricultural technologies can reduce the emissions of ammonia associated with e.g. manure spreading. Reduced emissions to the atmosphere have the potential to limit the negative impacts of reactive nitrogen (Nr) on terrestrial ecosystems and human health. But could the new technologies transfer more Nr to the watershed instead and hence lead to increased eutrophication in the aquatic environment? In order to answer questions like this a holistic approach is necessary. Therefore a new management tools is under development at the Danish Center for Energy and Environment (DCE), Aarhus University, where models describing the fate of Nr in the relevant compartments (atmosphere, watershed and aquatic systems) are linked.