Setting critical nutrient values for ditches using the eutrophication model PCDitch

Publication

In this article critical nutrient loads to prevent duckweed dominance loads in polder ditches were assessed using the eutrophication model PCDitch.

In this article the ecological target was set at 50% duckweed coverage. This may be very high for ditches with a nature function, but is not unreasonable for ditches in agricultural areas, with upwelling nutrient rich groundwater, run-off and drainage. Since the change from a ditch with submersed vegetation to duckweed coverage is often a sudden shift, the choice of the amount of duckweed coverage does not influence the calculated loading very much. The main topic of this paper is to present a method to calculate critical loads of nutrients when ecological targets have been set.

Authors

Liere L van , Janse JH , Arts GHP

Specifications

Publication title
Setting critical nutrient values for ditches using the eutrophication model PCDitch
Publication date
22 October 2007
Publication type
Publication
Magazine
Aquat Ecol 2007; 41(3):443-9
Product number
92117