Learn About Land Cover
Influence On Your Pond or Lake
Phosphorous (P) and Nitrogen (N) Movement in Iowa
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Use the Phosphorous (P) and Nitrogen (N) Movement table below to consider the land cover in your watershed. It explains the ways the two major nutrient pollutants move in the soil, water, and atmosphere in Iowa.
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| LAND COVER TYPE | INPUTS | OUTPUTS | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (Conventional) Cropland | Fertilizer — N and P inputs from commercial fertilizer | Harvested — N and P removed in crops; estimated by crop type. | Harvested — N and P removed in crops; estimated by crop type. | Crop Volatilization — N compounds (mainly ammonia) that volatilize from growing and withering crops (senescence). | Fertilizer Volatilization — Ammonia-N that volatilizes from applied N-fertilizer. | Denitrification — Nitrate-N lost to the atmosphere as N2 compounds. |
| Livestock Land | Manure — N and P contained in livestock waste; estimated for beef, hogs, sheep,and poultry, and by manure storage and application methods. | Manure Volatilization — Ammonia-N that volatilizes from livestock manure during storage and application. | Denitrification — Nitrate-N lost to the atmosphere as N2 compounds. | |||
| Grazed Grassland | Fertilizer — N and P inputs from commercial fertilizer | Grazing — N and P in pasture forage; directly “harvested” by livestock. | Soil Process N — N that enters the soil organic matter pool, becoming stored (immobilized). | Fertilizer Volatilization — Ammonia-N that volatilizes from applied N-fertilizer. | ||
| Landscaping / Lawn | Fertilizer — N and P inputs from commercial fertilizer | Fertilizer Volatilization — Ammonia-N that volatilizes from applied N-fertilizer. | ||||
| Soil | Soil Process N — N released (“mineralized”) from soil organic matter, becoming“available” for crop uptake or transport; estimates based on soil type and landuse | Streams — N and P loads in streams; calculated from water quality and streamflow measurements. | ||||
| Industrial / Human Waste (point-source discharges typically) | Human — N and P in human waste; estimated for waste management practices,and using standard values per capita. | Industrial Discharges — N and P discharged from industrial plants; estimated from plant distribution and hypoxia report methods. | ||||
| Grassland / Woodland | Soil Process N — N that enters the soil organic matter pool, becoming stored (immobilized). | |||||
| Paved Surfaces / Buildings | Not mentioned in the N and P Budget Document, but we can find contributions mentioned in the Iowa Stormwater Management Manual | |||||