A modelling approach to global nitrate leaching caused by anthropogenic fertilisation

Citation
Bl. Lin et al., A modelling approach to global nitrate leaching caused by anthropogenic fertilisation, WATER RES, 35(8), 2001, pp. 1961-1968
Citations number
29
Language
INGLESE
art.tipo
Article
Categorie Soggetti
Environment/Ecology
Journal title
WATER RESEARCH
ISSN journal
0043-1354 → ACNP
Volume
35
Issue
8
Year of publication
2001
Pages
1961 - 1968
Database
ISI
SICI code
0043-1354(200106)35:8<1961:AMATGN>2.0.ZU;2-A
Abstract
Water quality associated with nitrate (NO3- leaching from agricultural soil s is an important environmental issue. This paper describes a new modelling approach to quantitatively evaluate the effect of the use of fertilisers o n global nitrate leaching. A global process-based simulation model was prev iously developed for the nitrogen cycle in terrestrial ecosystems, in which soil inorganic nitrogen in the form df ammonium (NH4+) and NOS was conside red. After introducing data on world fertiliser consumption (FAO, 1995) int o the steady-state model, the extent of disturbance to the nitrogen cycle c aused by fertilisation was calculated, Although fertilisation resulted in a n annual increase in net primary production (NPP, represented as carbon) of 18 Gt year(-1). NO3- leaching and gaseous losses of nitrogen oxides and am monia were also accelerated. Most regions with heavy fertiliser application lover 100 kg ha(-1) year(-1) . About 2.5% of the land area showed a high a nnual leaching load equal to or more than 20 kg ha(-1) year occupied by ter restrial ecosystems suffered a serious leaching load of more than 30 kg ha( -1) year(-1). Of the total amount of applied fertilisers (138 Tg year(-1)) 19% was lost to NO3- leaching, 8% to gaseous ammonia, and 3% to gaseous nit rogen oxides. The rest was assumed to be fixed in the ecosystems through ve getation uptake. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.