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Biogeochemical nutrient cycles and nutrient management strategies

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Man and River Systems

Part of the book series: Developments in Hydrobiology ((DIHY,volume 146))

Abstract

Nutrient loading by riverine input into estuarine systems has increased by 6–50 times for the N load from pristine conditions to present, whereas a 18–180 times increase has been observed in the P load. Reductions in the ratio of N to P delivery has also occurred with time. In a review of nutrient limitation in estuarine systems, it is shown that many estuarine systems display P limitation in the spring, switching to N limitation in the summer with some estuaries displaying dissolved silicate limitation of the spring diatom bloom. Historical and recent changes in nutrient loading and their effect on nutrient limitation have intensified the debate on the control of nutrient delivery to estuaries from both agricultural and point sources, and as to what nutrient (N or P) should be managed for in estuarine systems. It is hypothesized that potential reductions in P may help oxygen depletion especially in deep estuaries and reduce fast growing macrophytes such as Ulva sp., although P reductions probably will have little effect on summer chlorophyll concentrations, an important recreational management goal. Reductions in N loading should reduce summer chlorophyll concentrations and improve the conditions for submerged aquatic vegetation and thus improve ecosystem functioning. Finally, if only P reductions are pursued, that is if we are able to reduce P such that it is limiting year around in estuarine systems, it is likely that the export of N from estuarine systems would increase to the bordering N-limited marine systems, thus only exporting the problem of enhanced production with eutrophication.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Marine Biology and Microbiology, National Environmental Research Institute, P.O. Box 358, DK-4000, Roskilde, Denmark

    Daniel J. Conley

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  1. Daniel J. Conley
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. UMR Sisyphe 7619 CNRS/UPMC, 4 Place Jussieu, 75005, Paris, France

    Josette Garnier

  2. CEREVE, Ecole Nationale des Ponts et Chaussées, 6 & 8 av. Blaise Pascal, Cité Descartes, 77455, Mame-la-Vallée, France

    Jean-Marie Mouchel

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© 1999 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht

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Conley, D.J. (1999). Biogeochemical nutrient cycles and nutrient management strategies. In: Garnier, J., Mouchel, JM. (eds) Man and River Systems. Developments in Hydrobiology, vol 146. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-017-2163-9_10

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-017-2163-9_10

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht

  • Print ISBN: 978-90-481-5393-0

  • Online ISBN: 978-94-017-2163-9

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