Estimating nutrient transport associated with water and wind erosion across New South Wales, Australia

Yang, X; Leys, J; Zhang, M; Gray, JM

Estimating nutrient transport associated with water and wind erosion across New South Wales, Australia

Yang, X

Leys, J Zhang, M Gray, JM

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Publisher:: ELSEVIER
Publication Type:: Journal Article
Citation:: Geoderma, 2023, 430
Issue Date:: 2023-02-01

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Field	Value	Language
dc.contributor.author	Yang, X https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5990-2186
dc.contributor.author	Leys, J
dc.contributor.author	Zhang, M
dc.contributor.author	Gray, JM
dc.date.accessioned	2024-04-26T00:31:21Z
dc.date.available	2024-04-26T00:31:21Z
dc.date.issued	2023-02-01
dc.identifier.citation	Geoderma, 2023, 430
dc.identifier.issn	0016-7061
dc.identifier.issn	1872-6259
dc.identifier.uri	http://hdl.handle.net/10453/178373
dc.description.abstract	Nutrient transported from soils to water bodies not only threatens agricultural productivity and food security but also causes the degradation of water quality and the environment in many parts of the world. However, nutrient transport through soil erosion is often ignored in nutrient cycle studies; there is little understanding of how much nutrient is lost through water and wind erosion. In this study, we attempted to assess soil nutrient transport due to both water and wind erosion and its spatial and temporal variability across New South Wales (NSW), Australia. We estimated the mass fraction (%) of total nitrogen (N), total phosphorus (P) and soil organic carbon (SOC) in the eroded soil, and the total nutrient stock of the soil layer down to 200 cm using water and wind erosion models and digital soil mapping. The estimated average N, P and SOC stocks in NSW topsoils (0–5 cm) are 160, 43, and 2970 kg ha−1 respectively. There are great variations in the transport of nutrients by erosion in space and time, ranging from near zero in the Western region to 395 kg ha−1 yr−1 in the North Coast region. The average total nutrient transport rate is about 2.4 % of the surface soil (0–5 cm) total stock in NSW due to both water and wind erosion. The total cost of nutrient transport is estimated at 4.2 billion Australian dollars for the entire state of NSW and 0.2 billion dollars from the cropping lands per year. The areas with the highest nutrient transport rates are the North Coast and Hunter regions due to the relatively high water erosion and nutrient content of the soils. On average, water erosion contributes up to 98 % of the total nutrient transport across the state as a whole, but wind erosion can contribute up to 12 % of the total transport in Spring (i.e., September). This study is the first attempt to investigate nutrient transport from both water and wind erosion in Australia. The methodology and findings contribute to the knowledge of nutrient transport due to erosion in broad nutrient cycle studies.
dc.language	English
dc.publisher	ELSEVIER
dc.relation.ispartof	Geoderma
dc.relation.isbasedon	10.1016/j.geoderma.2023.116345
dc.rights	info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
dc.subject	05 Environmental Sciences, 06 Biological Sciences, 07 Agricultural and Veterinary Sciences
dc.subject.classification	Agronomy & Agriculture
dc.subject.classification	4106 Soil sciences
dc.title	Estimating nutrient transport associated with water and wind erosion across New South Wales, Australia
dc.type	Journal Article
utslib.citation.volume	430
utslib.for	05 Environmental Sciences
utslib.for	06 Biological Sciences
utslib.for	07 Agricultural and Veterinary Sciences
pubs.organisational-group	University of Technology Sydney
pubs.organisational-group	University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Science
pubs.organisational-group	University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Science/School of Life Sciences
utslib.copyright.status	open_access	*
dc.date.updated	2024-04-26T00:31:14Z
pubs.publication-status	Published
pubs.volume	430

Abstract:

Nutrient transported from soils to water bodies not only threatens agricultural productivity and food security but also causes the degradation of water quality and the environment in many parts of the world. However, nutrient transport through soil erosion is often ignored in nutrient cycle studies; there is little understanding of how much nutrient is lost through water and wind erosion. In this study, we attempted to assess soil nutrient transport due to both water and wind erosion and its spatial and temporal variability across New South Wales (NSW), Australia. We estimated the mass fraction (%) of total nitrogen (N), total phosphorus (P) and soil organic carbon (SOC) in the eroded soil, and the total nutrient stock of the soil layer down to 200 cm using water and wind erosion models and digital soil mapping. The estimated average N, P and SOC stocks in NSW topsoils (0–5 cm) are 160, 43, and 2970 kg ha−1 respectively. There are great variations in the transport of nutrients by erosion in space and time, ranging from near zero in the Western region to 395 kg ha−1 yr−1 in the North Coast region. The average total nutrient transport rate is about 2.4 % of the surface soil (0–5 cm) total stock in NSW due to both water and wind erosion. The total cost of nutrient transport is estimated at 4.2 billion Australian dollars for the entire state of NSW and 0.2 billion dollars from the cropping lands per year. The areas with the highest nutrient transport rates are the North Coast and Hunter regions due to the relatively high water erosion and nutrient content of the soils. On average, water erosion contributes up to 98 % of the total nutrient transport across the state as a whole, but wind erosion can contribute up to 12 % of the total transport in Spring (i.e., September). This study is the first attempt to investigate nutrient transport from both water and wind erosion in Australia. The methodology and findings contribute to the knowledge of nutrient transport due to erosion in broad nutrient cycle studies.

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