Nutrient Dynamics in Flooded Wetlands. II: Model Application

Abstract

AbstractIn this paper, the authors applied and evaluated the wetland nutrient model that was described in Paper I. Hydrologic and water quality data from a small restored wetland located on Kent Island, Maryland, which is part of the Delmarva Peninsula on the eastern shores of the Chesapeake Bay, was used for this purpose. The model was assessed through various methods against the observed data in simulating nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and total suspended sediment (TSS) dynamics. Time series plots of observed and simulated concentrations and loads generally compared well; better performance was demonstrated with dissolved forms of nitrogen, i.e., ammonia and nitrate. Through qualitative and quantitative sensitivity analysis, dominant processes in the study wetland were scrutinized. Nitrification, plant uptake, and mineralization were the most important processes affecting ammonia. Denitrification in the sediment layer and diffusion to bottom sediments were identified as key processes for nitrate. Settli...