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Abstract
Unfertilized buffer strips (BS) are widely accepted to reduce
nitrogen (N) loads from agricultural land to surface water.
However, the relative reduction of N load or concentration (BS
effectiveness, BSE), varies with management and local conditions,
especially hydrogeology. We present novel experimental evidence
on BSE for 5-m-wide grass BS on intensively drained and managed
plain agricultural lowland with varying hydrogeology. We selected
characteristic sites for five major hydrogeological classes of the
Netherlands and installed paired 5-m-wide unfertilized grass
(BS) and reference (REF) treatments along the ditch. The REF
was managed like the adjacent field, and BS was only harvested.
Treatments were equipped with reservoirs in the ditch to collect
and measure discharge and flow proportional N concentration for
3 or 4 yr. In addition, N concentration in upper groundwater was
measured. We found a statistically significant BSE of 10% on the
peat site. At the other sites, BSE for N was low and statistically
insignificant. Low BSE was explained by denitrification between
adjacent field and ditch, as well as by the site-specific hydrologic
factors including low proportion of shallow groundwater flow,
downward seepage, low residence time in the BS, and surface
runoff away from the ditch. We emphasize that a REF treatment is
needed to evaluate BSE in agriculture and recommend reservoirs
if drainage patterns are unknown. Introduction of a 5-m-wide BS
is ineffective for mitigating N loads from lowland agriculture to
surface waters. We expect more from BS specifically designed to
abate surface runoff.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 322-333 |
Journal | Journal of Environmental Quality |
Volume | 41 |
Issue number | 2 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 2012 |
Keywords
- vegetative filter strips
- stream riparian zones
- nitrate removal
- groundwater-flow
- field-scale
- retention
- landscape
- transport
- constituents
- attenuation
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ESS-CC
Project: Other
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Effectiviteit bufferstroken (BO-05-004-010)
Noij, G.-J. (Project Leader)
1/01/08 → 31/12/10
Project: LVVN project
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