Skip to main content
Log in

Evaluation and indirect estimation of nitrate losses from the agricultural microbasin Rybárik

  • Published:
Biologia Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The long-term trends of mean monthly nitrate concentrations in stream and drainage runoff were evaluated in the experimental microbasin Rybárik (0.119 km2) at the Institute of Hydrology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, during the period 1987–2005. The results of analyses indicate a decreasing trend of nitrate concentration after the year 1989, but with relatively high losses in some years and relatively low losses in other years. This decreasing trend is mainly caused by a decrease in the use of nitrogen fertilizers. The nitrate concentration in surface runoff strongly correlates with runoff and fertilization. Based on measured data, an empirical relation was found describing the dependence of annual nitrate transport in the stream on annual runoff depth and on the annual amount of applied nitrogen fertilizers.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Fišák J., Skřivan P., Tesař M., Fottová D., Dobešová I. & Navrátil T. 2006. Forest vegetation affecting the deposition of atmospheric elements to soils. Biologia 61(Suppl. 19): 255–260.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Haggard B.E., Moore P.A., Chaubey I. & Stanley E.H. 2003. Nitrogen and phosphorus concentrations and export from an Ozark Plateau catchment in the United States. Biosystems Engineering 86: 75–85.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Haraldsen T.K. & Stalnacke P. 2006. Methods for water quality sampling and load estimation in monitoring of Norwegian agricultural catchments. Nordic Hydrol. 37: 81–92.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Halmová D. 1996. Difference in pollutant wash off from forested and agricultural basins, pp. 202–207. In: Ivančo J., Gomboš M., & Paveleková D. (eds), Influence of anthropogenetic activity on water regime of lowland area, ÚH SAV, Michalovce. (in Slovak)

    Google Scholar 

  • Holko L., Kostka Z., Lichner Ľ. & Píš V. 2004. Variation of NO3 in small mountain catchment. Universität Braunschweig, Landschaftsoekologie und Umweltforschung 48: 139–144.

    Google Scholar 

  • Holko L., Kostka Z., Lichner Ľ. & Píš V. 2006. Variation of nitrates in runoff from mountain and rural areas. Biologia 61(Suppl. 19): 270–274.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jolánkai G. 1992. Hydrological, chemical and biological processes of contaminant transformation and transport in river and lake systems. Technical Documents in Hydrology, UNESCO, Paris, 147 pp.

    Google Scholar 

  • Koníček A. & Stančík S. 2002. Long-term changes of nitrate concentation in surface runoff of agricultural basin. Acta Hydrologica Slovaca 3: 213–218. (in Slovak)

    Google Scholar 

  • Lenhart T., Fohrer N. & Frede H. G. 2003. Effects of land use changes on the nutrient balance in mesoscale catchments. Physics and Chemistry of the Earth 28: 1301–1309.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lexa M. & Kvítek T. 2003. Without the changes in farming operations won’t the nitrate concentrations in the streams of VN Švihov decrease, pp. 227–232. In: Šír M., Lichner Ľ. & Tesař M. (eds), Soil hydrology in small basin, Institute of Hydrodynamics, Prague. (in Czech)

    Google Scholar 

  • Lichner Ľ, Mészároš I., Germann P., Mdaghri Alaoui A., Šír M. & Faško P. 1999. Impact of land-use change on nutrient fluxes in a structured clay-loam soil. IAHS Publication No. 257, Wallingford, pp. 171–177.

  • Moldan B. & Černý J. 1994. Biogeochemistry of small catchments. A tool for environmental research. John Wiley and Sons, Chichester UK, pp. 1–29.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pekárová P., Konícek A. & Miklánek P. 1999. Testing of AGNPS model application in Slovak microbasins. Physics and Chemistry of the Earth 24: 303–306.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pekárová P. & Miklánek P. 2005. The balance of nitrates in the water cycle of experimental microbasins IH SAS Rybarik and Lesny. Acta Hydrologica Slovaca 6: 211–217. (in Slovak)

    Google Scholar 

  • Pekárová P. & Pekár J. 1996. The impact of land use on stream water quality in Slovakia. J. Hydrol. 180: 333–350.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schilling K. & Zhang Y.K. 2004. Baseflow contribution to nitratenitrogen export from large, agricultural watershed, USA. J. Hydrol. 295: 305–316.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Statistical Office of the Slovak Republic 2004. Statistical Yearbook of the Slovak Republic 2004. Veda, Bratislava.

    Google Scholar 

  • Thornton G.J.P. & Dise N.B. 1998. The influence of catchment characteristics, agricultural activities and atmospheric deposition on the chemistry of small streams in the English Lake District. The Science of the Total Environment 216: 63–75.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Zhang Y.K. & Schilling K.E. 2006. Increasing streamflow and baseflow in Mississippi River since the 1940s: Effect of land use change. J. Hydrol. 324: 412–422.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Sebíň, M., Pekárová, P. & Miklánek, P. Evaluation and indirect estimation of nitrate losses from the agricultural microbasin Rybárik. Biologia 62, 569–572 (2007). https://doi.org/10.2478/s11756-007-0113-5

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/s11756-007-0113-5

Key words

Navigation