Role of natural grasslands in retaining nutrients from agriculture

Authors

  • Carolina Lescano Ecología Funcional de Sistemas Acuáticos, Centro Universitario Regional del Este (CURE), Universidad de la República (UdelaR)
  • Mariana Ruibal Licenciatura en Gestión Ambiental, Centro Universitario Regional del Este (CURE), Universidad de la República (UdelaR)
  • Patricia Barreto Departamento de Suelos y Aguas, Facultad de Agronomía, Universidad de la República (UdelaR)
  • Verónica Piñeiro Departamento de Suelos y Aguas, Facultad de Agronomía, Universidad de la República (UdelaR)
  • Juan Pablo Lozoya Centro Interdisciplinario de Manejo Costero Integrado del Cono Sur, Centro Universitario Regional del Este (CURE), Universidad de la República (UdelaR)
  • Carlos Perdomo Departamento de Suelos y Aguas, Facultad de Agronomía, Universidad de la República (UdelaR)
  • Lorena Rodríguez-Gallego Ecología Funcional de Sistemas Acuáticos, Centro Universitario Regional del Este (CURE), Universidad de la República (UdelaR)

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.26461/13.08

Keywords:

Ecosystem services, water quality, eutrophication, buffer zones

Abstract

The intensification of land uses occurred in recent decades in Uruguay had increased the exportation of nutrients to water bodies, explaining the process of eutrophication observed in this period. Laguna de Rocha is a priority site for biodiversity conservation which belongs to the National System of Protected Areas. However, the lagoon also suffered the impacts of land use changes and has registered some events of cyanobacteria and submerged macrophytes blooms. Strip areas between water bodies and agriculture can function as buffer zones, reducing the nutrient load exported from crops or livestock production systems, providing relevant ecosystem services as maintenance of water quality. With experimental runoff plots we estimated the ecosystem service of nutrients retention, provided by natural grasslands, from a field with artificial pastures. We recorded a 55 % phosphate retention, 44 % dissolved inorganic nitrogen, 28 % suspended solids, 47 % total nitrogen and 42 % total phosphorus.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

Downloads

Published

2017-06-29

Issue

Section

Articles

How to Cite

Role of natural grasslands in retaining nutrients from agriculture. (2017). INNOTEC, 13 ene-jun, 78-91. https://doi.org/10.26461/13.08

Most read articles by the same author(s)