Accounting for Nitrogen Fixation in Simple Models of Lake Nitrogen Loading/Export

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• 作者：Xiaodan Ruan ; Frank Schellenger ; Ferdi L. Hellweger
• 刊名：Environmental Science & Technology
• 出版年：2014
• 出版时间：May 20, 2014
• 年：2014
• 卷：48
• 期：10
• 页码：5667-5673
• 全文大小：317K
• 年卷期：v.48,no.10(May 20, 2014)
• ISSN：1520-5851

文摘

Coastal eutrophication, an important global environmental problem, is primarily caused by excess nitrogen and management efforts consequently focus on lowering watershed N export (e.g., by reducing fertilizer use). Simple quantitative models are needed to evaluate alternative scenarios at the watershed scale. Existing models generally assume that, for a specific lake/reservoir, a constant fraction of N loading is exported downstream. However, N fixation by cyanobacteria may increase when the N loading is reduced, which may change the (effective) fraction of N exported. Here we present a model that incorporates this process. The model (Fixation and Export of Nitrogen from Lakes, FENL) is based on a steady-state mass balance with loading, output, loss/retention, and N fixation, where the amount fixed is a function of the N/P ratio of the loading (i.e., when N/P is less than a threshold value, N is fixed). Three approaches are used to parametrize and evaluate the model, including microcosm lab experiments, lake field observations/budgets and lake ecosystem model applications. Our results suggest that N export will not be reduced proportionally with N loading, which needs to be considered when evaluating management scenarios.