Potential of different buffer zones as nature-based solutions to mitigate agricultural runoff nutrients in the subtropics

Clementina Calvo; Lorena Rodríguez-Gallego; Gastón de León; Lucía Cabrera-Lamanna; Andrés Castagna; Soledad Costa; Leticia González; Mariana Meerhoff

doi:10.1016/j.ecoleng.2024.107354

Potential of different buffer zones as nature-based solutions to mitigate agricultural runoff nutrients in the subtropics

Clementina Calvo^*, Lorena Rodríguez-Gallego, Gastón de León, Lucía Cabrera-Lamanna, Andrés Castagna, Soledad Costa, Leticia González, Mariana Meerhoff

^*Corresponding author af dette arbejde

Institut for Ecoscience - Ferskvandsøkologi

Publikation: Bidrag til tidsskrift/Konferencebidrag i tidsskrift /Bidrag til avis › Tidsskriftartikel › Forskning › peer review

Abstract

Agriculture is a major driver of land-use change and nutrient leaching worldwide, promoting eutrophication of surface water bodies. A frequent strategy to reduce nutrient external loads is the maintenance or re-establishment of riparian zones. We conducted a year-long, in situ monitoring of surface and subsurface water in three buffer zones (grassland, shrubland, forest) and adjacent croplands around the major water reservoir in Uruguay to assess runoff dynamics and nutrient potential reduction across different precipitation levels. All three buffer zones delayed surface runoff by twofold, yielding lower runoff than croplands. Also, they effectively retained phosphate (P-PO₄) loads in both surface and subsurface runoff but were less effective in reducing their concentrations. The forest achieved the highest surface water P-reduction (80%). The effect was variable for nitrate (N-NO₃), with buffers acting as either nutrient sinks or sources depending on the vegetation and runoff layer. Surface N-NO₃ loads were lower in the buffers, with a maximum reduction in grassland (∼50%), when compared to crops. In the subsurface layer, a reduction was only observed for N-NO₃ concentration in grassland (30%). Surface TP and P-PO₄ loads increased linearly with runoff rate only in the buffers, while both N-NO₃ and ammonium (N-NH₄) loads increased with runoff in both crops and buffers. Our results may indicate that riparian buffers comprised of herbaceous and woody vegetation have high phosphorus and nitrogen reduction rates, emphasizing their potential as nature-based solutions for nutrient mitigation and water storage. Future increased precipitation may, however, challenge buffer effectiveness.

Originalsprog	Engelsk
Artikelnummer	107354
Tidsskrift	Ecological Engineering
Vol/bind	207
ISSN	0925-8574
DOI	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecoleng.2024.107354
Status	Udgivet - okt. 2024

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title = "Potential of different buffer zones as nature-based solutions to mitigate agricultural runoff nutrients in the subtropics",

abstract = "Agriculture is a major driver of land-use change and nutrient leaching worldwide, promoting eutrophication of surface water bodies. A frequent strategy to reduce nutrient external loads is the maintenance or re-establishment of riparian zones. We conducted a year-long, in situ monitoring of surface and subsurface water in three buffer zones (grassland, shrubland, forest) and adjacent croplands around the major water reservoir in Uruguay to assess runoff dynamics and nutrient potential reduction across different precipitation levels. All three buffer zones delayed surface runoff by twofold, yielding lower runoff than croplands. Also, they effectively retained phosphate (P-PO4) loads in both surface and subsurface runoff but were less effective in reducing their concentrations. The forest achieved the highest surface water P-reduction (80%). The effect was variable for nitrate (N-NO3), with buffers acting as either nutrient sinks or sources depending on the vegetation and runoff layer. Surface N-NO3 loads were lower in the buffers, with a maximum reduction in grassland (∼50%), when compared to crops. In the subsurface layer, a reduction was only observed for N-NO3 concentration in grassland (30%). Surface TP and P-PO4 loads increased linearly with runoff rate only in the buffers, while both N-NO3 and ammonium (N-NH4) loads increased with runoff in both crops and buffers. Our results may indicate that riparian buffers comprised of herbaceous and woody vegetation have high phosphorus and nitrogen reduction rates, emphasizing their potential as nature-based solutions for nutrient mitigation and water storage. Future increased precipitation may, however, challenge buffer effectiveness.",

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author = "Clementina Calvo and Lorena Rodr{\'i}guez-Gallego and {de Le{\'o}n}, Gast{\'o}n and Luc{\'i}a Cabrera-Lamanna and Andr{\'e}s Castagna and Soledad Costa and Leticia Gonz{\'a}lez and Mariana Meerhoff",

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doi = "10.1016/j.ecoleng.2024.107354",

language = "English",

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journal = "Ecological Engineering",

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Potential of different buffer zones as nature-based solutions to mitigate agricultural runoff nutrients in the subtropics. / Calvo, Clementina; Rodríguez-Gallego, Lorena; de León, Gastón et al.
I: Ecological Engineering, Bind 207, 107354, 10.2024.

Publikation: Bidrag til tidsskrift/Konferencebidrag i tidsskrift /Bidrag til avis › Tidsskriftartikel › Forskning › peer review

TY - JOUR

T1 - Potential of different buffer zones as nature-based solutions to mitigate agricultural runoff nutrients in the subtropics

AU - Calvo, Clementina

AU - Rodríguez-Gallego, Lorena

AU - de León, Gastón

AU - Cabrera-Lamanna, Lucía

AU - Castagna, Andrés

AU - Costa, Soledad

AU - González, Leticia

AU - Meerhoff, Mariana

PY - 2024/10

Y1 - 2024/10

N2 - Agriculture is a major driver of land-use change and nutrient leaching worldwide, promoting eutrophication of surface water bodies. A frequent strategy to reduce nutrient external loads is the maintenance or re-establishment of riparian zones. We conducted a year-long, in situ monitoring of surface and subsurface water in three buffer zones (grassland, shrubland, forest) and adjacent croplands around the major water reservoir in Uruguay to assess runoff dynamics and nutrient potential reduction across different precipitation levels. All three buffer zones delayed surface runoff by twofold, yielding lower runoff than croplands. Also, they effectively retained phosphate (P-PO4) loads in both surface and subsurface runoff but were less effective in reducing their concentrations. The forest achieved the highest surface water P-reduction (80%). The effect was variable for nitrate (N-NO3), with buffers acting as either nutrient sinks or sources depending on the vegetation and runoff layer. Surface N-NO3 loads were lower in the buffers, with a maximum reduction in grassland (∼50%), when compared to crops. In the subsurface layer, a reduction was only observed for N-NO3 concentration in grassland (30%). Surface TP and P-PO4 loads increased linearly with runoff rate only in the buffers, while both N-NO3 and ammonium (N-NH4) loads increased with runoff in both crops and buffers. Our results may indicate that riparian buffers comprised of herbaceous and woody vegetation have high phosphorus and nitrogen reduction rates, emphasizing their potential as nature-based solutions for nutrient mitigation and water storage. Future increased precipitation may, however, challenge buffer effectiveness.

AB - Agriculture is a major driver of land-use change and nutrient leaching worldwide, promoting eutrophication of surface water bodies. A frequent strategy to reduce nutrient external loads is the maintenance or re-establishment of riparian zones. We conducted a year-long, in situ monitoring of surface and subsurface water in three buffer zones (grassland, shrubland, forest) and adjacent croplands around the major water reservoir in Uruguay to assess runoff dynamics and nutrient potential reduction across different precipitation levels. All three buffer zones delayed surface runoff by twofold, yielding lower runoff than croplands. Also, they effectively retained phosphate (P-PO4) loads in both surface and subsurface runoff but were less effective in reducing their concentrations. The forest achieved the highest surface water P-reduction (80%). The effect was variable for nitrate (N-NO3), with buffers acting as either nutrient sinks or sources depending on the vegetation and runoff layer. Surface N-NO3 loads were lower in the buffers, with a maximum reduction in grassland (∼50%), when compared to crops. In the subsurface layer, a reduction was only observed for N-NO3 concentration in grassland (30%). Surface TP and P-PO4 loads increased linearly with runoff rate only in the buffers, while both N-NO3 and ammonium (N-NH4) loads increased with runoff in both crops and buffers. Our results may indicate that riparian buffers comprised of herbaceous and woody vegetation have high phosphorus and nitrogen reduction rates, emphasizing their potential as nature-based solutions for nutrient mitigation and water storage. Future increased precipitation may, however, challenge buffer effectiveness.

KW - Climate change

KW - Rainfall

KW - Riparian vegetation

KW - Subsurface runoff

KW - Surface runoff

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85200367943&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1016/j.ecoleng.2024.107354

DO - 10.1016/j.ecoleng.2024.107354

M3 - Journal article

AN - SCOPUS:85200367943

SN - 0925-8574

VL - 207

JO - Ecological Engineering

JF - Ecological Engineering

M1 - 107354

ER -

Potential of different buffer zones as nature-based solutions to mitigate agricultural runoff nutrients in the subtropics

Abstract

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