wAbstract
@Water quantity and quality were monitored for 3 years in a 360-m-long
wetland with riparian fences and plants in a pastoral dairy farming
catchment. Concentrations of total nitrogen (TN), total phosphorus
(TP) and Escherichia coli were 210-75,200 g N m-3,
12-58,200 g P m-3 and 2-20,000 most probable number
(MPN)/100 ml, respectively. Average retentions (}standard error)
for the wetland over 3 years were 5}1%, 93}13% and 65}9% for TN,
TP and E. coli, respectively. Retentions for nitrate-N,
ammonium-N, filterable reactive P and particulate C were respectively
-29}5%, 32}10%, -53}24% and 96}19%. Aerobic conditions within
the wetland supported nitrification but not denitrification and
it is likely that there was a high conversion rate from dissolved
inputs of N and P in groundwater, to particulate N and P and refractory
dissolved forms in the wetland. The wetland was notable for its
capacity to promote the formation of particulate forms and retain
them or to provide conditions suitable for retention (e.g. binding
of phosphate to cations). Nitrogen retention was generally low
because about 60% was in dissolved forms (DON and NOx-N)
that were not readily trapped or removed. Specific yields for
N, P and E. coli were c. 10-11 kg N ha-1 year-1,
0.2 kg P ha-1 year-1 and
109
MPN ha-1 year-1, respectively, and generally
much less than ranges for typical dairy pasture catchments in
New Zealand. Further mitigation of catchment runoff losses might
be achieved if the upland wetland was coupled with a downslope
wetland in which anoxic conditions would promote denitrification.
Keywords: Wetland; Dairy farming; Pasture; Riparian protection;
Retention; Wetland shape; Residence timex
1. Introduction
2. Methods
@2.1. Experimental site
@2.2. Estimation of nutrient retention by the wetland
3. Results
@3.1. Retention of contaminants
4. Discussion
5. Conclusions
Acknowledgments
References