title: Quantification of nitrate leaching from German forest ecosystems by use of a process oriented biogeochemical model.
abstract: Simulations with the process oriented Forest-DNDC model showed reasonable to good agreement with observations of soil water contents of different soil layers, annual amounts of seepage water and approximated rates of nitrate leaching at 79 sites across Germany. Following site evaluation, Forest-DNDC was coupled to a GIS to assess nitrate leaching from German forest ecosystems for the year 2000. At national scale leaching rates varied in a range of 0->80 kg NO(3)-N ha(-1) yr(-1) (mean 5.5 kg NO(3)-N ha(-1) yr(-1)). A comparison of regional simulations with the results of a nitrate inventory study for Bavaria showed that measured and simulated percentages for different nitrate leaching classes (0-5 kg N ha(-1) yr(-1):66% vs. 74%, 5-15 kg N ha(-1) yr(-1):20% vs. 20%, >15 kg N ha(-1) yr(-1):14% vs. 6%) were in good agreement. Mean nitrate concentrations in seepage water ranged between 0 and 23 mg NO(3)-N l(-1).
authors.affiliation: Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Institute for Meteorology and Climate Research, IMK-IFU Gramisch-Partenkirchen, Germany. ralf.kiese@kit.edu
authors.forename: Ralf
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kiese
authors.forename: Christoph
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Heinzeller
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Werner
authors.forename: Sandra
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wochele
authors.forename: Rüdiger
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Grote
authors.forename: Klaus
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Butterbach-Bahl
mesh_terms: D003198:Computer Simulation; D017753:Ecosystem; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D005858:Germany; D007700:Kinetics; D008954:Models, Biological; D009566:Nitrates / Q000737:chemistry*; D012989:Soil Pollutants / Q000737:chemistry*; D014197:Trees / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D009566:Nitrates; D012989:Soil Pollutants