Vegetative Alteration of Nitrate Fate in Unsaturated Zone
Publication: Journal of Environmental Engineering
Volume 119, Issue 5
Abstract
A small field site adjacent to a lake in Amana, Iowa was used to investigate the fate of nitrate fertilizer in the unsaturated zone. The fertilizer was applied to a barren plot, a plot planted with corn, and a plot planted with deep‐rooted poplar trees (Populus spp.) to study the characteristic behavior of a typical agricultural environment and a novel pollutant‐interception technique in comparison to unmanaged land. Nitrate concentrations were lower in the corn and especially the poplar plot due to plant uptake, but concentrations increased markedly in September after the plants began to shut down and nitrification occurred. The poplar trees were most effective in long‐term nitrate reduction; they provide perennial interception. Statistical analysis confirmed plant uptake was an important process in the fate of nitrate, and hence, vegetative buffer strips hold promise for protecting water supplies.
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Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Journal of Environmental Engineering
Volume 119 • Issue 5 • September 1993
Pages: 986 - 993
Copyright
Copyright © 1993 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Dec 19, 1990
Published online: Sep 1, 1993
Published in print: Sep 1993
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