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| Titel |
Management, regulation and environmental impacts of nitrogen fertilization in northwestern Europe under the Nitrates Directive; a benchmark study |
| VerfasserIn |
H. J. M. Grinsven, H. F. M. Berge, T. Dalgaard, B. Fraters, P. Durand, A. Hart, G. Hofman, B. H. Jacobsen, S. T. J. Lalor, J. P. Lesschen, B. Osterburg, K. G. Richards, A.-K. Techen, F. Vertès, J. Webb, W. J. Willems |
| Medientyp |
Artikel
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| Sprache |
Englisch
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| ISSN |
1726-4170
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| Digitales Dokument |
URL |
| Erschienen |
In: Biogeosciences ; 9, no. 12 ; Nr. 9, no. 12 (2012-12-14), S.5143-5160 |
| Datensatznummer |
250007462
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| Publikation (Nr.) |
 copernicus.org/bg-9-5143-2012.pdf |
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| Zusammenfassung |
| Implementation of the Nitrates Directive (NiD) and its environmental impacts
were compared for member states in the northwest of the European Union
(Ireland, United Kingdom, Denmark, the Netherlands, Belgium, Northern France
and Germany). The main sources of data were national reports for the third
reporting period for the NiD (2004–2007) and results of the MITERRA-EUROPE
model. Implementation of the NiD in the considered member states is fairly
comparable regarding restrictions for where and when to apply fertilizer and
manure, but very different regarding application limits for N fertilization.
Issues of concern and improvement of the implementation of the NiD are
accounting for the fertilizer value of nitrogen in manure, and relating
application limits for total nitrogen (N) to potential crop yield and N
removal. The most significant environmental effect of the implementation of
the NiD since 1995 is a major contribution to the decrease of the soil N
balance (N surplus), particularly in Belgium, Denmark, Ireland, the
Netherlands and the United Kingdom. This decrease is accompanied by a modest
decrease of nitrate concentrations since 2000 in fresh surface waters in
most countries. This decrease is less prominent for groundwater in view of
delayed response of nitrate in deep aquifers. In spite of improved
fertilization practices, the southeast of the Netherlands, the Flemish
Region and Brittany remain to be regions of major concern in view of a
combination of a high nitrogen surplus, high leaching fractions to
groundwater and tenacious exceedance of the water quality standards. On
average the gross N balance in 2008 for the seven member states in EUROSTAT
and in national reports was about 20 kg N ha−1 yr−1 lower than
by MITERRA. The major cause is higher estimates of N removal in national
reports which can amount to more than 50 kg N ha−1 yr−1.
Differences between procedures in member states to assess nitrogen balances
and water quality and a lack of cross-boundary policy evaluations are
handicaps when benchmarking the effectiveness of the NiD. This provides a
challenge for the European Commission and its member states, as the NiD
remains an important piece of legislation for protecting drinking water
quality in regions with many private or small public production facilities
and controlling aquatic eutrophication from agricultural sources. |
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