Processes Governing Transport of Nutrients from Terrestrial to Aquatic Environment and Inferred Abatement

Dear Colleagues,

Scientists and environmental managers are required to assess the original- and present-state of the environment, and to predict future changes based on climate change, altered land-use, and anthropogenic loading scenarios.

Over-fertilizing causes eutrophication due to increased leaching of nutrients (Phosphorous (P) and reactive Nitrogen (N)) in runoff. Eutrophication has, therefore, become one of the most pervasive water quality problems and the main reason for not fulfilling the requirements for good ecological surface water quality in agricultural districts. Future changes in environmental pressures will have significant impacts on water quality, governed by hydro-biogeochemical processes; e.g., increased surface runoff enhance soil erosion, which increases the influx of nutrients adsorbed to the soil particles. Acid rain changes the ionic strength, as well as sulfate and labile aluminum concentrations, affecting the mobility of dissolved natural organic matter, ferric and ferrous iron, as well as phosphate. Riverbanks and river sediment are also eroded more due to drainage ditching and rapid urbanization.

There is a lack of conceptual knowledge regarding the main hydro-biogeochemical processes governing the transport of nutrients from the terrestrial to the aquatic environment, and how these differ in different environments. This obstructs the identification of key regional factors governing levels and fluxes of nutrient fractions and, thus, our ability to produce tailored models that predict how these will be influenced by changes in the environment. Moreover, it limits our ability to select more targeted and cost-effective abatement measures.

Prof. Dr. Rolf David Vogt
Guest Editor

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