Publication Details

Category Text Publication
Reference Category Journals
DOI 10.1029/2020WR027992
Licence creative commons licence
Title (Primary) Disentangling the impact of catchment heterogeneity on nitrate export dynamics from event to long-term time scales
Author Winter, C.; Lutz, S.R.; Musolff, A.; Kumar, R. ORCID logo ; Weber, M.; Fleckenstein, J.H.
Source Titel Water Resources Research
Year 2021
Department CHS; HDG
Volume 57
Issue 1
Page From e2020WR027992
Language englisch
Topic T5 Future Landscapes
Data and Software links https://doi.org/10.4211/hs.c3ea08faa88a46a4a3ce596a09686198
Supplements https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/action/downloadSupplement?doi=10.1029%2F2020WR027992&file=wrcr25046-sup-0001-suppl-data.pdf
Keywords Water quality; Nitrate; Concentration‐discharge relationships; Nutrient export; Long‐term trends; Event dynamics
UFZ wide themes TERENO;
Abstract Defining effective measures to reduce nitrate pollution in heterogeneous mesoscale catchments remains challenging when based on concentration measurements at the outlet only. One reason for this is our limited understanding of the sub‐catchment contributions to nitrate export and their importance at different time scales. While upstream sub‐catchments often disproportionally contribute to runoff generation and in turn to nutrient export, agricultural areas (which are typically found in downstream lowlands) are known to be a major source of nitrate pollution. To examine the interplay of different sub‐catchments, we analyzed seasonal long‐term trends and event dynamics of nitrate concentrations, loads and the concentration‐discharge relationship in three nested catchments within the Selke catchment (456 km2), Germany. The upstream sub‐catchments (40.4 % of total catchment area, 34.5 % of N input) had short transit times and dynamic concentration‐discharge relationships with elevated nitrate concentrations during wet seasons and events. Consequently, the upstream sub‐catchments dominated nitrate export during high flow and disproportionally contributed to overall annual nitrate loads at the outlet (64.2 %). The downstream sub‐catchment was characterized by higher N input, longer transit times and relatively constant nitrate concentrations between seasons, dominating nitrate export during low flow periods. Neglecting the disproportional role of upstream sub‐catchments for temporally elevated nitrate concentrations and net annual loads can lead to an overestimation of the role of agricultural lowlands. Nonetheless, constantly high concentrations from nitrate legacies pose a long‐term threat to water quality in agricultural lowlands. This knowledge is crucial for an effective and site‐specific water quality management.
Persistent UFZ Identifier https://www.ufz.de/index.php?en=20939&ufzPublicationIdentifier=23984
Winter, C., Lutz, S.R., Musolff, A., Kumar, R., Weber, M., Fleckenstein, J.H. (2021):
Disentangling the impact of catchment heterogeneity on nitrate export dynamics from event to long-term time scales
Water Resour. Res. 57 (1), e2020WR027992 10.1029/2020WR027992