A regional analysis of total nitrogen in an agricultural landscape

✍ Scribed by Byron T. Kesner; Vernon Meentemeyer

• Book ID: 104631910
• Publisher: Springer
• Year: 1989
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 947 KB
• Volume: 2
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0921-2973
• DOI: 10.1007/bf00126015

✦ Synopsis

Techniques for modeling spatial variability in the loss, gain, and storage of total nitrogen (N) in an agricultural landscape were developed utilizing a geographic information system (GIS) based on the Map Analysis Package (C.D. Tomlin, Yale University). The study area is a well-monitored portion (upper 114.9 km 2) of the Little River Watershed, located near Tifton, Georgia, U.S.A. On the basis of measured N in the soil and vegetation, and the gains and losses of N by stream discharge, fertilizer, precipitation, N fixation, crop harvest, etc., it was possible to quantify and map source and sink regions of Total N, and to calculate a mass balance of N for an entire year. Results indicate massive flows of N, especially from anthropogenic sources. However, for the watershed as a whole, the N is virtually in balance with a small accretion occurring mostly in the riparian zones. Stream discharge of total N indicates that this landscape is well-buffered against excessive losses of N despite the large agricultural inputs.