Modelling Nutrient Load Changes from Fertilizer Application Scenarios in Six Catchments around the Baltic Sea

Hans Thodsen, Csilla Farkas, Jaroslaw Chormanski, Dennis Trolle, Gitte Blicher-Mathiesen, Ruth Grant, Alexander Engebretsen, Ignacy Kardel and Hans Estrup Andersen
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Hans Thodsen: Department of BioScience, Aarhus University, Vejlsøvej 25, 8600 Silkeborg, Denmark
Csilla Farkas: Bioforsk, Division for Soil, Water and Environment, Frederik A. Dahlsvei 20, 1430 Ås, Norway
Jaroslaw Chormanski: Department of Hydraulic Engineering, Faculty of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Warsaw University of Life Sciences-SGGW, ul. Nowoursynowska 166, 02-787 Warszawa, Poland
Dennis Trolle: Department of BioScience, Aarhus University, Vejlsøvej 25, 8600 Silkeborg, Denmark
Gitte Blicher-Mathiesen: Department of BioScience, Aarhus University, Vejlsøvej 25, 8600 Silkeborg, Denmark
Ruth Grant: Department of BioScience, Aarhus University, Vejlsøvej 25, 8600 Silkeborg, Denmark
Alexander Engebretsen: Bioforsk, Division for Soil, Water and Environment, Frederik A. Dahlsvei 20, 1430 Ås, Norway
Ignacy Kardel: Department of Hydraulic Engineering, Faculty of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Warsaw University of Life Sciences-SGGW, ul. Nowoursynowska 166, 02-787 Warszawa, Poland
Hans Estrup Andersen: Department of BioScience, Aarhus University, Vejlsøvej 25, 8600 Silkeborg, Denmark

Agriculture, 2017, vol. 7, issue 5, 1-17

Abstract: The main environmental stressor of the Baltic Sea is elevated riverine nutrient loads, mainly originating from diffuse agricultural sources. Agricultural practices, intensities, and nutrient losses vary across the Baltic Sea drainage basin (1.75 × 10 6 km 2 , 14 countries and 85 million inhabitants). Six “Soil and Water Assessment Tool” (SWAT) models were set up for catchments representing the major agricultural systems, and covering the different climate gradients in the Baltic Sea drainage basin. Four fertilizer application scenarios were run for each catchment to evaluate the sensitivity of changed fertilizer applications. Increasing sensitivity was found for catchments with an increasing proportion of agricultural land use and increased amounts of applied fertilizers. A change in chemical fertilizer use of ±20% was found to affect watershed NO 3 -N loads between zero effect and ±13%, while a change in manure application of ±20% affected watershed NO 3 -N loads between zero effect and −6% to +7%.

Keywords: agricultural management scenarios; Baltic Sea; environmental modelling; SWAT (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q1 Q10 Q11 Q12 Q13 Q14 Q15 Q16 Q17 Q18 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2017
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (4)

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