2023 Early Hearing Detection & Intervention Conference

March 5-7, 2023 • Cincinnati, OH

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5/26/2021 | 8:30 AM - 10:30 AM | LAND COVER CHANGE REDUCES NUTRIENT LOSSES FROM FIELDS TO WATERWAYS IN TWO AGRICULTURAL WATERSHEDS | Virtual Platform

LAND COVER CHANGE REDUCES NUTRIENT LOSSES FROM FIELDS TO WATERWAYS IN TWO AGRICULTURAL WATERSHEDS

Despite efforts to reduce nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) runoff from agricultural landscapes, environmental impacts on freshwater ecosystems persist due to inputs of excess fertilizer nutrients and their legacy on the landscape. For four water years (2016-2019), we quantified reductions of dissolved N and P losses from cropland in response to the widespread planting of winter cover crops (CC) in two agricultural watersheds (Indiana, USA). We collected water samples every two weeks from tile drains and longitudinal stream sites to quantify the effect of CC on nitrate-N and soluble reactive P (SRP) losses from fields to streams. Cover crops consistently reduced tile drain nitrate-N loss by 52-82% compared to tiles without CC, while SRP decreases ranged from 49-83%. Nitrate-N yields were comparable among subwatersheds, but headwaters disproportionately contributed SRP to streams in both watersheds, suggesting targeted CC implementation could reduce SRP loading. Finally, subwatersheds with increased CC coverage were weaker sources, and sometimes sinks, of dissolved N and P compared to those with lower CC coverage. Our results show that CC differentially affect dissolved N and P loading, and that widespread CC implementation can achieve significant downstream reductions.

Nutrients
Land use
Land use

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Presenters/Authors

Jennifer L. Tank (), University of Notre Dame, tank.1@nd.edu;