Phosphorus Concentrations In Water Research Articles

Factors Affecting Dissolved Phosphorus and Nitrate Concentrations in Ground and Surface Water for a Valley Dairy Farm in the Northeastern United States

Agriculture often is considered to be a contributor of soluble reactive phosphorus (SRP) and nitrate-N (NO3- -N) to surface waters. This research analyzed SRP and NO3- -N concentrations in groundwater and in a creek fed by groundwater on a valley dairy farm in the Cannonsville basin of the New York City (NYC) watershed. A total of 37 groundwater piezometers were installed to depths of 0.3 to 1.5 m. Water-table depth and concentrations of SRP, NO3- -N, dissolved organic carbon (DOC), and dissolved oxygen were measured at regular intervals over a three-year period. A multivariate mixed model analysis of variance indicated that the SRP and NO3- -N concentrations were controlled primarily by three classes of variables: environmental variables, including precipitation and water table depth; source variables, including manure applied and crop type; and chemical variables, including DOC and dissolved oxygen concentrations in groundwater. The highest groundwater concentrations of N03- -N and SRP were found at the shallowest water-table depths, which has implications for agricultural nutrient management in areas with shallow groundwater.

Nitrogen and phosphorus leaching losses from paddy fields with different water and nitrogen managements

While many water-saving rice production techniques have been adopted in China, the environmental effects of these techniques require further investigation. This study aims to assess nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) leaching losses under real conditions in different water and N managements. Two water and three N treatments are conducted in the Taihu Lake region of China. Results show that the total N leaching losses during the rice season under flooding irrigation (FI) are 12.4, 9.31, and 7.17 kg ha−1 for farmers’ fertilization practices (FFP), site-specific N management (SSNM), and controlled-release nitrogen fertilizer management (CRN), respectively. Under controlled irrigation (CI), the respective losses were 7.40, 5.86, and 3.79 kg ha−1 for the same management methods. The total P leaching losses during the rice season under FI were 0.939, 0.927, and 0.353 kg ha−1 for FFP, SSNM, and CRN, respectively. Under CI, the losses were 0.424, 0.433, and 0.279 kg ha−1, respectively, for the same management methods. Ammonium and nitrate N accounted for 42.2–65.5% and 11.8–14.7% of the total nitrogen leaching losses under different water and N management methods, respectively. Due to significant decrease of volumes of percolation water and nitrogen and phosphorus concentrations in percolation water, N and P leaching losses were reduced in the CI treatment compared to the FI treatment under the same N management. The reduction of N input and application of controlled-release nitrogen fertilizer can reduce N and P leaching losses from paddy fields.

The Biomass of Phragmites australis and Influencing Factors Analysis in Zha Long Wetland

Phragmites australis are the typical vegetation in Zha Long National Natural Reserve. From August 10 to August 21st in 2006, we chose 60 quadrats in 15 sample sites, investigated the reed biomass, height, diameter, water nitrogen and phosphorus concentration. The results are as follow: 1) the average biomass of Phragmites australis models is 2858g•m-2 and the biomass between 15 sample sites is from 2029.0 to 4067.4 g•m-2; 2) the moisture content of Phragmites australis is from 42.95% to 64.95%. The average height of Phragmites australis is 272.47cm, and the average diameter of Phragmites australis is 0.51cm; 3) the NP weight ratio in each sample site concentrate from 9.18 to 15.79. Nitrogen is the most important limiting factor in Phragmites australis vegetation growing while phosphorus is not the limiting factor; 4) the Phragmites australis biomass is restricted by many factors especially water depth and water nitrogen concentration. But the phosphorus concentration in water has irrelativeness with Phragmites australis biomass.

Nitrogen and phosphorus in Estonian rivers discharging into Lake Peipsi: estimation of loads and seasonal and spatial distribution of concentrations

Our study aims to estimate the riverine loads of nutrients to Lake Peipsi sensu stricto and to assess their effect on the lake's water quality. The data of national monitoring of 1992-2007 were used for the determination of seasonal and spatial distribution of nitrogen and phosphorus in the rivers discharging into Lake Peipsi s.s. Statistical conclusions and tests were based on a multi- parametric model. Our calculations revealed that the major Estonian rivers discharged approximately 5600 tonnes of nitrogen and 179 tonnes of phosphorus annually to Lake Peipsi s.s. Nitrogen export coefficients varied from 4 to 8 kg N ha -1 yr -1 , while the range of P losses was from 0.12 to 0.21 kg P ha -1 yr -1 . Seasonal variation in nitrogen concentrations had a sinusoidal pattern, with high concentrations during winter and spring and low values in summer, whereas phosphorus dynamics created a slightly different picture, with a much more irregular variation and a smaller amplitude over the year. Only a few rivers showed a pattern of notably higher phosphorus concentrations during summer low flows and more diluted concentrations during winter and spring. The differences in the concentration of phosphorus were mainly explained by variation in water discharge, while the availability of nitrogen in rivers was determined rather by seasonality. Nutrient concentrations in rivers discharging into Lake Peipsi are probably still influenced by nutrient stores from the period of intensive fertilization. Although a local effect of nitrogen loads on the lake's water quality was detected, the concentration of phosphorus in lake water remained insensitive to year-to-year changes in the riverine load of phosphorus.

Runoff losses from irrigated dairy pastures treated with phosphorus fertilisers of differing solubility in south-eastern Australia

In response to increasing concern about environmental quality, water authorities in many countries are imposing legislation limiting phosphorus (P) concentrations in water, which is having an impact on farming practice. This experiment investigated the agronomic effects and runoff losses associated with different forms of P fertiliser applied to an irrigated dairy pasture (soils were Vertic Calcic Red Chromosols; average Olsen P, 50 mg P/kg) in north-central Victoria, Australia. Single superphosphate (SSP), a sulfurised diammonium phosphate, or partially acidulated phosphate rock was surface-applied at 50 kg P/ha in March 2005 to a border-check, flood-irrigated dairy pasture (ryegrass–white clover) ten days before a scheduled irrigation. Dissolved reactive P (DRP) and total P (TP) were measured in runoff from whole bays on one replicate and from microplots on all three replicates for a period of 9 weeks. In all runoff events and all treatments, concentrations of DRP and TP in runoff greatly exceeded water quality guidelines for acceptable limits (0.045 mg P/L). The SSP resulted in significantly higher concentrations of P in runoff than the less water-soluble fertilisers. Even after the fifth irrigation, runoff from all fertilisers still exceeded the control. These results suggest that: (i) P fertilisers should not be applied in high-risk situations as insurance against yield loss; (ii) the current recommendation of withholding irrigation for 3 days after fertiliser application is insufficient to prevent potentially significant losses occurring; and (iii) runoff losses were dependent on the type of fertiliser applied, with a smaller proportion of P applied as sulfurised DAP lost in runoff.

Influence of Pollution Sources of Points and Areals Differentiation on the Concentration of Phosphorus and Nitrogen Compounds in Water of Mały Jeziorak Lake

Influence of Pollution Sources of Points and Areals Differentiation on the Concentration of Phosphorus and Nitrogen Compounds in Water of Mały Jeziorak Lake

Estimating Dissolved Reactive Phosphorus Concentration in Surface Runoff Water from Major Ontario Soils

Phosphorus (P) loss from agricultural land in surface runoff can contribute to eutrophication of surface water. This study was conducted to evaluate a range of environmental and agronomic soil P tests as indicators of potential soil surface runoff dissolved reactive P (DRP) losses from Ontario soils. The soil samples (0- to 20-cm depth) were collected from six soil series in Ontario, with 10 sites each to provide a wide range of soil test P (STP) values. Rainfall simulation studies were conducted following the USEPA National P Research Project protocol. The average DRP concentration (DRP30) in runoff water collected over 30 min after the start of runoff increased (p < 0.001) in either a linear or curvilinear manner with increases in levels of various STPs and estimates of degree of soil P saturation (DPS). Among the 16 measurements of STPs and DPSs assessed, DPS(M3) 2 (Mehlich-3 P/[Mehlich-3 Al + Fe]) (r2 = 0.90), DPS(M3)-3 (Mehlich-3 P/Mehlich-3 Al) (r2 = 0.89), and water-extractable P (WEP) (r2 = 0.89) had the strongest overall relationship with runoff DRP30 across all six soil series. The DPS(M3)-2 and DPS(M3)-3 were equally accurate in predicting runoff DRP30 loss. However, DPS(M3)-3 was preferred as its prediction of DRP30 was soil pH insensitive and simpler in analytical procedure, ifa DPS approach is adopted.

Risk of phosphorus leaching from low input grassland areas

Concentrations of dissolved reactive phosphorus (C DRP) and particle-bound phosphorus (C PP) were investigated in soil columns taken from different parts of three selected agricultural fields. The columns (mini-lysimeters 20 cm in diameter, 20 cm high) were exposed to on average 64 ± 6 mm of simulated rainfall. Total phosphorus concentrations (C TP) in water percolating from the lysimeters were similar to the C TP observed in drainage water leaving the fields, but the C DRP/C TP ratio was significantly ( p < 0.001) higher in the percolate. The high C DRP (up to 0.4 mg L − 1 ) measured in the percolate may have partly derived from decomposition of accumulated senescing vegetation and litter material, since C DRP in percolating water was related to total organic carbon concentration (TOC) in the shallow topsoil (0–5 cm) and to phosphorus concentration in soil extract of ammonium lactate (P-AL) from the same soil layer. Another easily identified factor clearly related to C DRP in percolate from the lysimeters was the degree of phosphorus saturation (DPS) in the same soil P-AL extract. The factors giving best prediction of C PP and leaching were the amount of percolate passing through the soil columns and total phosphorus concentration in the topsoil determined after oxidation with nitric acid (TP-HNO 3). One field under grass ley, including the slope and depression close to the field outlet, comprised 24% of total field area. In the other two fields these areas (11 and 17% of total area respectively) were under long-term permanent green fallow as an internal buffer zone (IBZ). The lysimeter studies indicated that these areas had a higher risk of DRP losses than the rest of the fields. In addition, the P content of the particles in water from the depression was unusually high. Aggregate stability, measured indirectly as readily dispersible clay and expressed as nephelometric turbidity units (NTU), was significantly stronger at the lowest point of one IBZ (27–35 NTU) than in stubbled parts of the same field (62 NTU), and the turbidity of water percolating through the topsoil was lower (5–27 NTU).

Laboratory-Scale Investigation of Ferrihydrite-Modified Diatomite as a Phosphorus Co-precipitant

The potential of ferrihydrite-modified diatomite as a phosphorus co-precipitant was investigated at a laboratory scale. Ferrihydrite-modified diatomite was demonstrated to effectively remove phosphorus from lake water as well as strongly bind phosphorus in sediment under anoxic conditions. Phosphorus removal from the lake water proceeded primarily through phosphorus adsorption onto ferrihydrite-modified diatomite and further phosphorus consumption by stimulated diatom growth. A total phosphorus removal efficiency of 85% was achieved when lake water was dosed with 250 mg/L ferrihydrite-modified diatomite; the residual total phosphorus concentration was 17.0 µg/L, which falls within the range for oligotrophic phosphorus levels. During a 30-day anoxic incubation period, total phosphorus concentrations in lake water treated with 400, 500, or 600 mg/L of ferrihydrite-modified diatomite slightly decreased and maximum total phosphorus concentrations remained below 15 µg/L. Addition of ferrihydrite-modified diatomite resulted in a marked increase in the iron-bound phosphorus fraction, a pronounced decrease in labile phosphorus and organic-bound phosphorus fractions, and stable aluminum-bound phosphorus, calcium-bound phosphorus, and residual phosphorus fractions in the anoxic sediments. Comparable iron-bound phosphorus concentration in the sediment treated by 400 mg/L of ferrihydrite-modified diatomite relative to that of the sediment treated by the combination of 400 mg/L of ferrihydrite-modified diatomite and alum solution at the concentration less than 532 mg/L indicated that ferrihydrite-modified diatomite exhibited a stable phosphorus-binding capacity when dosed at a similar amount. Ferrihydrite-modified diatomite had the potential to be used as an effective phosphorus co-precipitant.

Analysis of the Relationship Between Submerged Aquatic Vegetation (SAV) and Water Trophic Status of Lakes Clustered in Northwestern Hillsborough County, Florida

This study examined the relationship between abundance of submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) and the water trophic status of a group of lakes located in northwestern Hillsborough county. SAV abundance was expressed by the percent of lake volume infested with SAV (PVI) and the percent of lake area covered with SAV (PAC). The group of lakes was divided into two subgroups based on SAV abundance less than 20 PVI (PVI 20). Mean concentrations of total phosphorus (TP), total nitrogen (TN), and chlorophyll-α in lake water were used as indicators of trophic status, with the concentration of each nutrient in one group of lakes compared to its corresponding concentration in the other group. Lakes with PVI 20 had a mean concentration of 18 and 4 µg/l for the same parameters, respectively. The results of a t test and one-way ANOVA performed at the 95% confidence level indicated that the differences were significant for the concentrations of TP and chlorophyll-α but not for TN, the last of which had a mean lake water concentration of 0.8 and 0.7 mg/l for the PVI 20 subgroups, respectively.

Use of sedimentary pigments to infer past phosphorus concentration in lakes

We propose a palaeolimnological method for inferring past total phosphorus (TP) concentrations in lake water from spectrophotometrically-measured sedimentary pigments, particularly total carotenoids (TC). Our approach is based on a highly significant statistical correlation (P < 0.0001) between pigment concentrations (total carotenoids) in the surface sediment of 28 Italian lakes (subalpine, large, deep, shallow, volcanic) and TP concentrations measured in these lakes at overturn when the core was collected. A transfer function was developed from this “training” set, and used to estimate past TP concentrations from pigment concentrations in sediment cores. The results generally agreed with TP values as measured by long-term water quality monitoring programs. Contrasting results were obtained by a comparison with diatom-inferred TP. While the diatom model showed a tendency to overestimate TP values higher than 100 μg l−1, the pigment model correctly estimated TP in lakes when TP was <100 μg l−1, but not when lakes were rich in macrophytes. In fact, lakes with extensive populations of aquatic submersed macrophytes and epiphytes are outliers in terms of the TC versus TP relationship. The root mean square error of prediction of the pigment model is lower than those derived from certain diatom—based inference models. The predicted and residual values are not related to the estimated values and their average is not statistically different from zero. Errors were estimated via a ‘leave-one-out’ re-sampling technique. The proposed method permits rapid and relatively inexpensive determination of reference trophic conditions.

Effect of incorporated straw-nitrogen fertilizer on nutrient leaching in paddy soils

通过田间试验, 研究秸秆还田配施氮肥对稻田土壤养分淋洗的影响。结果表明, 随氮肥用量增加, 田间渗漏水中NH₄⁺N、NO₃^--N、全氮浓度随之增加; 与秸秆未还田相比, 秸秆还田降低了田面水与渗漏水中NH₄⁺-N、NO₃^--N的浓度; 秸秆还田下各处理30 cm土层渗漏水中全氮和NO₃^--N浓度最高, 其浓度范围分别为1.09～12.76 mg·L^-1和0.76～3.74 mg·L^-1; 全磷浓度范围为0.02～0.79 mg·L^-1, 田面水中全磷浓度随施氮量增加而增加, 30 cm渗漏水中全磷浓度大于60 cm 渗漏水。氮肥用量>180 kg·hm^-2时, 施肥后5～10 d内30 cm、60 cm渗漏水中的养分以NH₄⁺-N为主, 其后均以NO₃^--N为主。氮肥与秸秆配合施用, 可降低田面水和渗漏水中的氮磷浓度, 改善肥料利用效率。

Rehabilitation and management of a moderately deep-stratifying reservoir by the use of nutrient reduction and food-web management

As expected from its short renewal time, the hypertrophic Lingese Reservoir responded rapidly but incompletely to external nutrient reduction in 1993. Although there was a sudden decline in lake phosphorus and chlorophyll concentrations, the ‘turbid regime’ revealed resistance in this weakly stratified reservoir of intermediate depth. Draining the reservoir in autumn 1995 provided an unprecedented opportunity for sediment treatment—the phosphorus-rich surface layer was inverted and covered with deeper nutrient-poor layers—and removal of the dense cyprinid fish stock which had not responded to sewage diversion, at least in the short term. Commencing with refilling in 1999, a new fish stock was built up from 2000 by only stocking predators (fingerlings of pike, pike-perch and larger specimens of rainbow-trout in the first years) in combination with catch restrictions. Concomitantly, with the appearance of daphnids in 1999, a ‘clear water regime’ was established and lake water phosphorus concentrations decreased at unchanged external loading. Reduced zooplanktivory as well as reduced fish-mediated phosphorus release from the sediments were driving mechanisms behind successful reduction of internal loading and achievement of a ‘clear water regime’. Hence, phosphorus concentrations were revealed to be a response variable not only to input management but also to food-web management. As the development of cyprinid dominance was prevented in the long-term, there is ample evidence that the fish community responded to the applied management measures as expected featuring successful food-web management. Overall, the biological structure was revealed to be of major importance for lake phosphorus availability and turbidity as in shallow lakes, without, however, the establishment of macrophyte dominance.

Evaluación de mejores prácticas de manejo para reducir las pérdidas de nutrientes contaminantes en escorrentía desde suelos enmendados con carnada de pollos parrilleros. I. Adiciones de alum.

El efecto de alum [AI2(S04)3-14H20] en la reducción de las concentraciones de fósforo (P) en las aguas de escorrentía desde los suelos enmendados con residuos de carnadas de pollos parrilleros se evaluó en varios eventos de lluvia simulada. Adiciones de alum a razón de 20% (peso/peso) causaron una reducción significativa en la fracción de P "soluble" (CaCI2-extraíble) presente en la matriz de la carnada de pollos parrilleros. Como resultado, el P soluble añadido al suelo se redujo en un 43% y un 75% para los tratamientos de 6 t/ha y 20 t/ha de residuos de carnada de pollos parrilleros con alum en comparación con sus contrapartes sin alum. Las concentraciones de P total en la escorrentía de los tratamientos 6 t/ha y 20 t/ha de residuos de carnada de pollos parrilleros sin alum resultaron altamente enriquecidas, promediando 2.59 y 6.10 mg/L, respectivamente. En la dosis más alta de residuos de carnada de pollos parrilleros (20 t/ha), el tratamiento de 20% de alum logró una reducción de 52% en la concentración de P total en la escorrentía relativo al tratamiento sin alum. Sin embargo, el efecto más notable de alum fue en la reducción de las pérdidas de P disuelto. Las pérdidas en las concentraciones de P disuelto promedio en el tratamiento de 20 t/ha de residuos de carnada de pollos parrilleros (sin alum) fue de 3.55 mg/L, un valor significativamente mayor que el umbral de 1.0 mg/L que ha sido sugerido como el límite potencial para el control de pérdidas de P por escorrentía de predios agrícolas. En dicha dosis de aplicación los tratamientos de 10% y 20% de alum alcanzaron reducciones de 58% y 70% en las concentraciones de P disuelto en la escorrentía, espectivamente. Las pérdidas en las concentraciones de P disuelto observadas para los tratamientos con 20% de alum cumplieron con el valor umbral de 1.0 mg/L en prácticamente todos los casos, irrespectivamente de la dosis de residuos de carnada de pollos parrilleros evaluada. Las pérdidas de P total en la escorrentía fue correlacionada positivamente tanto con la fracción de P soluble (extraíble con CaCI2) aplicado a los suelos, como con los niveles de P (Olsen) en el suelo durante las diferentes etapas de los eventos de simulación de lluvia. El contenido nutricional (N, P, y K) para muestras de hierba Bermuda reflejó el efecto de las diferentes dosis de residuos de carnada de pollos parrilleros. Se observó un mayor contenido nutricional en los tratamientos de 20 t/ha comparado con los de 6 t/ha. No obstante, los efectos solo fueron estadísticamente significativos para nitrógeno. El alum no parece ejercer un impacto significativo en el contenido nutricional de la yerba Bermuda, aunque se observaron disminuciones leves (no significativas) para N y P en el tratamiento de 20 t/ha de carnada de pollos parrilleros con 20% de alum.

Effects of a dust deposition event on coastal marine microbial abundance and activity, bacterial community structure and ecosystem function

The Mediterranean coast receives large inputs of dust with a potential fertilization effect. We evaluated the effect of a wet dust deposition event on microbial abundance and activity, community structure and metabolic balance. Dust collected during a dust storm event was added to a series of microcosms. We added a realistic concentration (0.05 g L -1 ) based on the phosphorus concentration contained in the dust and, in addition, we included a P amended tank to distinguish the effect of dust from that of the phosphorus in the dust. We also included a higher dust concentration tank (0.5 g L -1 ). Dust increased the initial water-phosphorus concentration by 0.3 μM and the dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentration by 14 μM, and increased bacterial abundance (1.8-fold) and bacterial production (5-fold). At the end of the experiment, primary production and community respiration were stimulated by dust and by P, but the net result of the addition of low amounts of dust was an initial switch towards heterotrophy, whereas the net result of the high-dust (DH) additions and the P addition was a shift towards autotrophy Bacterial community structure changed little between P and low dust, but these were very different from the control and the DH communities.

Competitive Interaction Effects of Hydrilla verticillata and Vallisneria natans on Phosphorus Concentrations in Water

In the present study, the effects of competitive interactions of submersed plants with different life forms were investigated on phosphorus concentrations in water. Hydrilla verticillata and Vallisneria natans were planted either as single-species monocultures or in a mixed-species pattern. Phosphorus concentrations were lower in the mixed culture of H. verticillata and V. natans than in either monospecific culture. Total phosphorus (TP) concentration, on average, was 0.12mg l-1 in the mixture and 0.17mg l-1 and 0.16mg l-1 for the V. natans and H. verticillata monocultures, respectively. However, no significant differences were found for total soluble phosphorus (TSP) or soluble reactive phosphorus (SRP) concentrations (p>0.05). Thus, competitive interactions between submersed plants of H. verticillata and V. natans can decrease the total phosphorus concentration in water, but do not change the concentration of TSP and SRP.

Quantifying phosphorus levels in soils, plants, surface water, and shallow groundwater associated with bahiagrass-based pastures

Recent assessments of water quality status have identified eutrophication as one of the major causes of water quality 'impairment' not only in the USA but also around the world. In most cases, eutrophication has accelerated by increased inputs of phosphorus due to intensification of crop and animal production systems since the early 1990 s. Despite substantial measurements using both laboratory and field techniques, little is known about the spatial and temporal variability of phosphorus dynamics across landscapes, especially in agricultural landscapes with cow-calf operations. Critical to determining environmental balance and accountability is an understanding of phosphorus excreted by animals, phosphorus removal by plants, acceptable losses of phosphorus within the manure management and crop production systems into soil and waters, and export of phosphorus off-farm. Further research effort on optimizing forage-based cow-calf operations to improve pasture sustainability and protect water quality is therefore warranted. We hypothesized that properly managed cow-calf operations in subtropical agroecosystem would not be major contributors to excess loads of phosphorus in surface and ground water. To verify our hypothesis, we examined the comparative concentrations of total phosphorus among soils, forage, surface water, and groundwater beneath bahiagrass-based pastures with cow-calf operations in central Florida, USA. Soil samples were collected at 0-20; 20-40, 40-60, and 60-100 cm across the landscape (top slope, middle slope, and bottom slope) of 8 ha pasture in the fall and spring of 2004 to 2006. Forage availability and phosphorus uptake of bahiagrass were also measured from the top slope, middle slope, and bottom slope. Bi-weekly (2004-2006) groundwater and surface water samples were taken from wells located at top slope, middle slope, and bottom slope, and from the runoff/seepage area. Concentrations of phosphorus in soils, forage, surface water, and shallow groundwater beneath a bahiagrass-based pasture and forage availability at four different landscape positions and soil depth (for soil samples only) in 2004, 2005, and 2006 were analyzed statistically following a two-way analysis of variance using the SAS PROC general linear models model. Where the F-test indicated a significant (p <or= 0.05) effect, means were separated following the method of Duncan multiple range test using the appropriate error mean squares. Concentrations of soil total phosphorus and degree of phosphorus saturation varied significantly (p <or= 0.001) with landscape position and sampling depth, but there was no interaction effect of landscape position and sampling depth. Overall, there was slight buildup of soil total phosphorus. There was no movement of total phosphorus into the soil pedon since average degree of phosphorus saturation in the upper 20 cm was 21% while degree of phosphorus saturation at 60-100 cm was about 3%. Our livestock operations contributed negligible concentrations of phosphorus to groundwater (0.67 mg L(-1)) and surface water (0.55 mg L(-1)). The greatest forage mass of 6,842 kg ha(-1) and the greatest phosphorus uptake of 20.4 kg P ha(-1) were observed at the top slope in 2005. Both forage availability and phosphorus uptake of bahiagrass at the bottom slope were consistently the lowest when averaged across landscape position and years. These results can be attributed to the grazing patterns as animals tend to graze more and leave more excretions at the bottom slope. This behavior may lead to an increase in the concentration of soil phosphorus. Effective use and cycling of phosphorus is critical for pasture productivity and environmental stability. Phosphorus cycling in pastures is complex and interrelated, and pasture management practices can influence the interactions and transformations occurring within the phosphorus cycle. Our results indicate that current pasture management systems which include cattle rotation in terms of grazing days and current fertilizer application (inorganic + manures + urine) for bahiagrass pastures in subtropical climates on loamy sand soils offer little potential for negatively impacting the environment. Properly managed livestock operations contribute negligible loads of phosphorus to shallow groundwater and surface water. Overall, there was no buildup of soil total phosphorus in bahiagrass-based pasture. Therefore, results of this study may help to renew the focus on improving inorganic fertilizer efficiency in subtropical beef cattle systems and maintaining a balance of phosphorus removed to phosphorus added to ensure healthy forage growth and minimize phosphorus runoff. Research on the pathways and rates of movement of phosphorus deposited in urine and dung through various pools and back to the plants will be the focal point of our future investigations. Further studies are needed to determine whether the environmental and ecological implications of grazing and haying in forage-based pastures are satisfied over the longer term. New knowledge based on the whole-farm approach is desirable to identify pastureland at risk of degradation and to prescribe treatments or management practices needed to protect the natural resources while maintaining an economically and environmentally viable operation.

Modeling nutrient in-stream processes at the watershed scale using Nutrient Spiralling metrics

Abstract. One of the fundamental problems of using large-scale biogeochemical models is the uncertainty involved in aggregating the components of fine-scale deterministic models in watershed applications, and in extrapolating the results of field-scale measurements to larger spatial scales. Although spatial or temporal lumping may reduce the problem, information obtained during fine-scale research may not apply to lumped categories. Thus, the use of knowledge gained through fine-scale studies to predict coarse-scale phenomena is not straightforward. In this study, we used the nutrient uptake metrics defined in the Nutrient Spiralling concept to formulate the equations governing total phosphorus in-stream fate in a deterministic, watershed-scale biogeochemical model. Once the model was calibrated, fitted phosphorus retention metrics where put in context of global patterns of phosphorus retention variability. For this purpose, we calculated power regressions between phosphorus retention metrics, streamflow, and phosphorus concentration in water using published data from 66 streams worldwide, including both pristine and nutrient enriched streams. Performance of the calibrated model confirmed that the Nutrient Spiralling formulation is a convenient simplification of the biogeochemical transformations involved in total phosphorus in-stream fate. Thus, this approach may be helpful even for customary deterministic applications working at short time steps. The calibrated phosphorus retention metrics were comparable to field estimates from the study watershed, and showed high coherence with global patterns of retention metrics from streams of the world. In this sense, the fitted phosphorus retention metrics were similar to field values measured in other nutrient enriched streams. Analysis of the bibliographical data supports the view that nutrient enriched streams have lower phosphorus retention efficiency than pristine streams, and that this efficiency loss is maintained in a wide discharge range. This implies that both small and larger streams may be impacted by human activities in terms of nutrient retention capacity, suggesting that larger rivers located in human populated areas can exert considerable influence on phosphorus exports from watersheds. The role of biological activity in this efficiency loss showed by nutrient enriched streams remained uncertain, because the phosphorus mass transfer coefficient did not show consistent relationships with streamflow and phosphorus concentration in water. The heterogeneity of the compiled data and the possible role of additional inorganic processes on phosphorus in-stream dynamics may explain this. We suggest that more research on phosphorus dynamics at the reach scale is needed, specially in large, human impacted watercourses.

The effect of organic matter accumulation on phosphorus release in sediment of Chinese shallow lakes

The effects of organic matter in sediment on phosphorus release were studied by field investigations in eight Chinese shallow freshwater lakes with different trophic status and a laboratory experiment. The sediment organic matter content paralleled the trophic status, ranging from 6.1 to 173.0 g kg(-1) (dry weight), with the mean value of 63.1 g kg(-1) (dry weight). It was positively proportional to Soluble reactive phosphorus concentration in the interstitial water in a form of exponential function, but inversely related to the sediment Fe/P ratio. The sediment alkaline phosphatase activity was significantly related not only to the organic matter content (r = 0.829, P < 0.01, n = 120), but also to the soluble reactive phosphorus concentration in interstitial water (r = 0.454, P < 0.01, n = 42). In the laboratory experiment, the addition of organic matter (dry materials of an aquatic macrophyte) into the sediment significantly enhanced alkaline phosphatase activity and soluble reactive phosphorus release. However, in the treatment with organic matter added and aeration, this release was generally prevented in spite of an increase in APA. Hence, sediment organic matter can effectively accelerate phosphorus release by enzymatic hydrolysis and anaerobic desorption. The latter mechanism seems to be more important.

Effect of high phosphate fertilization rate on pond phosphate concentrations, chlorophyll a, and fish growth in carp polyculture

The effect of different application rates of triple superphosphate (22.4, 44.8, and 67.2 kg P2O5 ha−1) was observed on total and available phosphorus concentrations in pond soil, total and filterable orthophosphate concentrations in pond water, chlorophyll a, and fish growth in a carp polyculture system during summer (22–32°C) months to determine the economical dose of P2O5. pH, hardness, calcium and alkalinity of soil and water did not differ significantly among treatments (P > 0.05) and were within the desired ranges. Average total phosphorus concentrations in pond soil were not significantly different between treatments but available phosphorus (P > 0.05) in pond soil, total phosphorus (P > 0.001), and filterable orthophosphate (P > 0.0001) concentrations in pond water, chlorophyll a (P > 0.0001), and net fish production (P > 0.01) were significantly higher in fertilized ponds than in controls. Overall, fish yield did not significantly differ among treatments, suggesting that a very high dose of P2O5 may not be necessary for high yields. Reducing the dose of P2O5 could reduce cost without reducing fish production.