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Category Text Publication
Reference Category Journals
DOI 10.1007/s10750-005-1202-5
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Title (Primary) Changes in nutrient loading in an agricultural watershed and its effects on water quality and stream biota
Author Chambers, P.A.; Meißner, R.; Wrona, F.J.; Rupp, H.; Guhr, H.; Seeger, J.; Culp, J.M.; Brua, R.B.
Source Titel Hydrobiologia
Year 2006
Department FLOEK; BOPHY
Volume 556
Issue 1
Page From 399
Page To 415
Language englisch
Keywords land use; water quality; benthic invertebrates; algae; agriculture
Abstract Non-point-sources of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) are recognized as major causes of eutrophication of surface waters. Adoption of policies to reduce pollution in the former German Democratic Republic following re-unification of Germany in 1990 provided an opportunity to examine how taking agricultural land out of production affected nutrient loads and aquatic biota in a small rural watershed. Between 1994 and 1996, soluble reactive phosphorus (SRP) and dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN) loads in a first-order agricultural stream decreased by > 90% while instream concentrations decreased by 89% for DIN and 40% for SRP. This reduction in nutrients coincided with a decrease in precipitation (from 760 to 440 mm between 1994 and 1996) and an increase in the area of land set aside from agricultural production (from 0.3% in 1990 to a maximum of 8% in 1994). The biomass of primary producers (episammic algae) showed no clear response to this decrease in nutrient concentrations. However, benthic invertebrate composition shifted from a chironomid-amphipod to an oligochaete-gastropod dominated community in response to the decrease in DIN and changes in episammic algal abundance and sediment organic carbon concentrations. Results from our 4-year study showed reductions in soil nutrient losses combined with less precipitation resulted in less P and N in a rural stream and a change in benthic invertebrate community composition and abundance
Persistent UFZ Identifier https://www.ufz.de/index.php?en=20939&ufzPublicationIdentifier=2563
Chambers, P.A., Meißner, R., Wrona, F.J., Rupp, H., Guhr, H., Seeger, J., Culp, J.M., Brua, R.B. (2006):
Changes in nutrient loading in an agricultural watershed and its effects on water quality and stream biota
Hydrobiologia 556 (1), 399 - 415 10.1007/s10750-005-1202-5