Dynamic modeling of nitrogen losses in river networks unravels the coupled effects of hydrological and biogeochemical processes

The importance of lotic systems as sinks for nitrogen inputs is well recognized. A fraction of nitrogen in streamflow is removed to the atmosphere via denitrification with the remainder exported in streamflow as nitrogen loads. At the watershed scale, there is a keen interest in understanding the factors that control the fate of nitrogen throughout the stream channel network, with particular attention to the processes that deliver large nitrogen loads to sensitive coastal ecosystems. We use a dynamic stream transport model to assess biogeochemical (nitrate loadings, concentration, temperature) and hydrological (discharge, depth, velocity) effects on reach-scale denitrification and nitrate removal in the river networks of two watersheds having widely differing levels of nitrate enrichment but nearly identical discharges. Stream denitrification is estimated by regression as a nonlinear function of nitrate concentration, streamflow, and temperature, using more than 300 published measurements from a variety of US streams. These relations are used in the stream transport model to characterize nitrate dynamics related to denitrification at a monthly time scale in the stream reaches of the two watersheds. Results indicate that the nitrate removal efficiency of streams, as measured by the percentage of the stream nitrate flux removed via denitrification per unit length of channel, is appreciably reduced during months with high discharge and nitrate flux and increases during months of low-discharge and flux. Biogeochemical factors, including land use, nitrate inputs, and stream concentrations, are a major control on reach-scale denitrification, evidenced by the disproportionately lower nitrate removal efficiency in streams of the highly nitrate-enriched watershed as compared with that in similarly sized streams in the less nitrate-enriched watershed. Sensitivity analyses reveal that these important biogeochemical factors and physical hydrological factors contribute nearly equally to seasonal and stream-size related variations in the percentage of the stream nitrate flux removed in each watershed

Understanding nitrogen transfer dynamics in a small agricultural catchment: Comparison of a distributed (TNT2) and a semi distributed (SWAT) modeling approaches

The coupling of an hydrological and a crop model is an efficient approach to study the impact of the interactions between agricultural practices and catchment physical characteristics on stream water quality. We analyzed the consequences of using different modeling approaches of the processes controlling the nitrogen (N) dynamics in a small agricultural catchment monitored for 15 years. Two agro-hydrological models were applied: the fully distributed model TNT2 and the semi-distributed SWAT model. Using the same input dataset, the calibration process aimed at reproducing the same annual water and N balance in both models, to compare the spatial and temporal variability of the main N processes. The models simulated different seasonal cycles for soil N. The main processes involved were N mineralization and denitrification. TNT2 simulated marked seasonal variations with a net increase of mineralization in autumn, after a transient immobilization phase due to the burying of the straw with low C:N ratio. SWAT predicted a steady humus mineralization with an increase when straws are buried and a decrease afterwards. Denitrification was mainly occuring in autumn in TNT2 because of the dynamics of N availability in soil and of the climatic and hydrological conditions. SWAT predicts denitrification in winter, when mineral N is available in soil layers. The spatial distribution of these two processes was different as well: less denitrification in bottom land and close to ditches in TNT2, as a result of N transfer dynamics. Both models simulate correctly global trend and inter-annual variability of N losses in small agricultural catchment when a sufficient amount data is available for calibration. However, N processes and their spatial interactions are simulated very differently, in particular soil mineralization and denitrification. The use of such tools for prediction must be considered with care, unless a proper calibration and validation of the different N processes is carried out

Assessment of the spatial and temporal variations of water quality for agricultural lands with crop rotation in China by using a HYPE model

Many water quality models have been successfully used worldwide to predict nutrient losses from anthropogenically impacted catchments, but hydrological and nutrient simulations with little data are difficult considering the transfer of model parameters and complication of model calibration and validation. This study aims (i) to assess the performance capabilities of a new and relatively more advantageous model-hydrological predictions for the environment (HYPE) to simulate stream flow and nutrient load in ungauged agricultural areas by using a multi-site and multi-objective parameter calibration method and (ii) to investigate the temporal and spatial variations of total nitrogen (TN) and total phosphorous (TP) concentrations and loads with crop rotation using the model for the first time. A parameter estimation tool (PEST) was used to calibrate parameters, which shows that the parameters related to the effective soil porosity were most sensitive to hydrological modeling. N balance was largely controlled by soil denitrification processes, whereas P balance was influenced by the sedimentation rate and production/decay of P in rivers and lakes. The model reproduced the temporal and spatial variations of discharge and TN/TP relatively well in both calibration (2006–2008) and validation (2009–2010) periods. The lowest NSEs (Nash-Suttclife Efficiency) of discharge, daily TN load, and daily TP load were 0.74, 0.51, and 0.54, respectively. The seasonal variations of daily TN concentrations in the entire simulation period were insufficient, indicated that crop rotation changed the timing and amount of N output. Monthly TN and TP simulation yields revealed that nutrient outputs were abundant in summer in terms of the corresponding discharge. The area-weighted TN and TP load annual yields in five years showed that nutrient loads were extremely high along Hong and Ru rivers, especially in agricultural lands

Modeling nitrogen loading in a small watershed in southwest China using a DNDC model with hydrological enhancements

The degradation of water quality has been observed worldwide, and inputs of nitrogen (N), along with other nutrients, play a key role in the process of contamination. The quantification of N loading from non-point sources at a watershed scale has long been a challenge. Process-based models have been developed to address this problem. Because N loading from non-point sources result from interactions between biogeochemical and hydrological processes, a model framework must include both types of processes if it is to be useful. This paper reports the results of a study in which we integrated two fundamental hydrologic features, the SCS (Soil Conservation Service) curve function and the MUSLE (Modified Universal Soil Loss), into a biogeochemical model, the DNDC. The SCS curve equation and the MUSLE are widely used in hydrological models for calculating surface runoff and soil erosion. Equipped with the new added hydrologic features, DNDC was substantially enhanced with the new capacity of simulating both vertical and horizontal movements of water and N at a watershed scale. A long-term experimental watershed in Southwest China was selected to test the new version of the DNDC. The target watershed\u27s 35.1 ha of territory encompass 19.3 ha of croplands, 11.0 ha of forest lands, 1.1 ha of grassplots, and 3.7 ha of residential areas. An input database containing topographic data, meteorological conditions, soil properties, vegetation information, and management applications was established and linked to the enhanced DNDC. Driven by the input database, the DNDC simulated the surface runoff flow, the subsurface leaching flow, the soil erosion, and the N loadings from the target watershed. The modeled water flow, sediment yield, and N loading from the entire watershed were compared with observations from the watershed and yielded encouraging results. The sources of N loading were identified by using the results of the model. In 2008, the modeled runoff-induced loss of total N from the watershed was 904 kg N yr−1, of which approximately 67 % came from the croplands. The enhanced DNDC model also estimated the watershed-scale N losses (1391 kg N yr−1) from the emissions of the N-containing gases (ammonia, nitrous oxide, nitric oxide, and dinitrogen). Ammonia volatilization (1299 kg N yr−1) dominated the gaseous N losses. The study indicated that process-based biogeochemical models such as the DNDC could contribute more effectively to watershed N loading studies if the hydrological components of the models were appropriately enhanced

Simulating the long term impact of nitrate mitigation scenarios in apilot study basin

The agro-hydrological model TNT2 was used to explore for a period of 14 years (1987–2001) the likelyconsequences of mitigation scenarios on nitrate contamination of the stream water in a small agriculturalcatchment. The Best Management Practices (BMPs) historically designed and implemented in 1992 andtwo devised agricultural scenarios (catch crop (CC) implementation and a global reduction of N fertilizer)are evaluated in term of nitrate contamination in the environment. Two of the BMPs consist in imple-menting natural strips of Poplar and rye-grass strips (5 meters large) along stream and ditches and thethird is a delay in the burial of wheat straws (from August to October). Simulations indicated that naturalstrips implementation would lead to a slight decrease of Nitrate Fluxes (NF) in river by respectively 3.3%and 6.6% for rye-grass and poplar strips: a benefit associated to the non fertilization of strips area. Denitri-fication has not been particularly disrupted in such areas. The delay in the burial of wheat straw in autumndecreases annual mineralization rate and annual plant uptake (by respectively 9 and 13 kg N ha−1y−1)but increases denitrification fluxes by 6 kg N ha−1y−1. This would lead to a slight decrease by 6% of NFin stream (equivalent to 3.3 mg NO3−l−1) and an average decrease of the following sunflower yield by27%. The global reduction of fertilization by 10% would decreased NF in stream by 13.8% (equivalent to8 mg NO3−l−1), with a global decrease by 8 kg N ha−1y−1of plant uptake. The cumulative effect of BMPsand CC would have together lead to a decrease of nitrate concentration from 57.5 to 46.6 mg NO3−l−1reaching the UE environmental quality objectives (below 50 mg NO3−l−1). Spring crops yield followingCC would have been penalized and the decrease of NF is balanced by an increase of denitrification fluxesin the environment contributing to release of N2O, a greenhouse gas, into the atmosphere

A standardised method for measuring in situ denitrification in shallow aquifers: numerical validation and measurements in riparian wetlands

A tracer test to examine in situ denitrification in shallow groundwater by a piezometer with a packer system used bromide as a tracer of dilution and acetylene (10%) to block the denitrification process at the nitrous oxide stage. During the test, dissolved oxygen, nitrate (NO3-), bromide (Br-), nitrous oxide (N2O) and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) were measured. To calibrate the experimental method, comparison with numerical simulations of the groundwater transfer were carried out, taking into account the environmental characteristics. The method was tested by measurements undertaken in different environmental conditions (geology, land use and hydrology) in two riparian wetlands. Denitrification rates measured by this method ranged from 5.7 10-6 g N-NO3-L-1 h-1 to 1.97 10-3 g N-NO3-L-1 h-1 The method is applicable in shallow aquifers with a permeability from 10-2 to 10-4m s-1

A coupled terrestrial and aquatic biogeophysical model of the Upper Merrimack River watershed, New Hampshire, to inform ecosystem services evaluation and management under climate and land-cover change

Accurate quantification of ecosystem services (ES) at regional scales is increasingly important for making informed decisions in the face of environmental change. We linked terrestrial and aquatic ecosystem process models to simulate the spatial and temporal distribution of hydrological and water quality characteristics related to ecosystem services. The linked model integrates two existing models (a forest ecosystem model and a river network model) to establish consistent responses to changing drivers across climate, terrestrial, and aquatic domains. The linked model is spatially distributed, accounts for terrestrial–aquatic and upstream–downstream linkages, and operates on a daily time-step, all characteristics needed to understand regional responses. The model was applied to the diverse landscapes of the Upper Merrimack River watershed, New Hampshire, USA. Potential changes in future environmental functions were evaluated using statistically downscaled global climate model simulations (both a high and low emission scenario) coupled with scenarios of changing land cover (centralized vs. dispersed land development) for the time period of 1980–2099. Projections of climate, land cover, and water quality were translated into a suite of environmental indicators that represent conditions relevant to important ecosystem services and were designed to be readily understood by the public. Model projections show that climate will have a greater influence on future aquatic ecosystem services (flooding, drinking water, fish habitat, and nitrogen export) than plausible changes in land cover. Minimal changes in aquatic environmental indicators are predicted through 2050, after which the high emissions scenarios show intensifying impacts. The spatially distributed modeling approach indicates that heavily populated portions of the watershed will show the strongest responses. Management of land cover could attenuate some of the changes associated with climate change and should be considered in future planning for the region

Riparian Zone Nitrogen Management through the Development of the Riparian Ecosystem Management Model (REMM) in a Formerly Glaciated Watershed of the US Northeast

The Riparian Ecosystem Management Model (REMM) was developed, calibrated and validated for both hydrologic and water quality data for eight riparian buffers located in a formerly glaciated watershed (upper Pawcatuck River Watershed, Rhode Island) of the US Northeast. The Annualized AGricultural Non-Point Source model (AnnAGNPS) was used to predict the runoff and sediment loading to the riparian buffer. Overall, results showed REMM simulated water table depths (WTDs) and groundwater NO3-N concentrations at the stream edge (Zone 1) in good agreement with measured values. The model evaluation statistics showed that, hydrologically REMM performed better for site 1, site 4, and site 8 among the eight buffers, whereas REMM simulated better groundwater NO3-N concentrations in the case of site 1, site 5, and site 7 when compared to the other five sites. The interquartile range of mean absolute error for WTDs was 3.5 cm for both the calibration and validation periods. In the case of NO3-N concentrations prediction, the interquartile range of the root mean square error was 0.25 mg/L and 0.69 mg/L for the calibration and validation periods, respectively, whereas the interquartile range of d for NO3-N concentrations was 0.20 and 0.48 for the calibration and validation period, respectively. Moreover, REMM estimation of % N-removal from Zone 3 to Zone 1 was 19.7%, and 19.8% of N against actual measured 19.1%, and 26.6% of N at site 7 and site 8, respectively. The sensitivity analyses showed that changes in the volumetric water content between field capacity and saturation (soil porosity) were driving water table and denitrification

Longitudinal transformation of nitrogen and carbon in the hyporheic zone of an N-rich stream: A combined modelling and field study

A combined modelling and field study approach was used to examine biogeochemical functioning of the hyporheic zone in two gravel bars in an N-rich fourth-order stream (River Hers, south-west France). Surfacewater and interstitial water were sampledmonthly (August 1994–January 1995), the latter in a network of 29 piezometers in the first gravel bar and 17 in the second. In both gravel bars, the hyporheic zone was created only by advected channelwater without any connectionwith groundwater. Longitudinal chemical profiles of Dissolved Organic Carbon (DOC), nitrate (NO3–N), ammonium (NH4–N) and Dissolved Oxygen (DO) were established for both gravel bars. Ambient and potential denitrification weremeasured in the laboratory during the same period using the acetylene inhibition technique. Factors limiting denitrification were also examined by testing the separate effects of nitrate or nitrate + carbon additions. A 1D reactive-transport model was used to simulate longitudinal transformation of nitrogen in the hyporheic zone, and to estimate the role of organic matter (DOC and POC) in the biogeochemical functioning of the hyporheic zone. Denitrification measurements with nitrate and nitrate + carbon additions both showed increased denitrification, suggesting that denitrification might not be C-limited at this site. Observations and model results showed the hyporheic zone to be a sink of DOC and nitrate, but DOC consumption appeared insufficient to explain nitrate depletion measured in the two gravel bars. Field data were better modelled when an additional DOC source from the POC fraction degraded by anaerobic respiration was included in the model

Modelling water discharge and nitrogen loads from drained agricultural land at field and watershed scale

This thesis examines water discharge and NO₃-N loads from drained agricultural land in southern Sweden by modelling at field and watershed scale. In the first stage of the work, the ability of DRAINMOD to simulate outflow in subsurface drains and that of DRAINMOD-N II to simulate NO₃-N loads in these drains was evaluated in field experiments. In addition, the ROSETTA pedotransfer model was used to estimate soil hydraulic properties required by DRAINMOD. In the second stage, DRAINMOD was integrated with Arc Hydro in a GIS framework (Arc Hydro-DRAINMOD) to simulate the hydrological response of an artificially drained watershed. DRAINMOD-N II and a temperature-dependent NO₃-N removal equation were also included in Arc Hydro-DRAINMOD to predict NO₃-N loading. Arc Hydro-DRAINMOD used a distributed modelling approach to aggregate the results of field-scale simulations, where the Arc Hydro data model described the drainage patterns in the watershed and connected the model simulations from fields through the stream network to the watershed outlet. GLUE methodology was applied to estimate uncertainties in the framework inputs. At field scale, monthly values of drain outflows simulated by DRAINMOD and NO₃-N loads simulated by DRAINMOD-N II showed good agreement with observed values. Good agreement was also found between observed and DRAINMOD-simulated drainage rates when ROSETTA-estimated Ks values were used as inputs in DRAINMOD. At watershed scale, temporal trend and magnitude of monthly measured discharge and NO₃-N loads were well predicted by Arc Hydro-DRAINMOD, which included uncertainty estimation using GLUE methodology. Sensitivity analysis showed that NO₃-N loads from the stream baseflow and N removal in the stream network processes had the most sensitive parameters. These results demonstrate the potential of DRAINMOD/DRAINMOD-N II and Arc Hydro-DRAINMOD for simulating hydrological and N processes in drained agricultural land at field and watershed scale. These models can contribute to improve water use efficiency in watersheds and to evaluate best management practices for preventing surface water and groundwater pollution