Impact of Shelterbelt and Peatland Barriers on Agricultural Landscape Groundwater: Carbon and Nitrogen Compounds Removal Efficiency

Abstract

In the context of declining water quality, the threat of nonpoint source pollution (NSP) to aquatic habitats and species is a well-recognized phenomenon. The recognition of NSP continues to grow as legal regulatory practices as well as public and scientific awareness of this source of pollution increase. Agricultural runoff from farms and fields often contains various contaminants such as pesticides, fertilizers, pathogens, sediments, salts, trace metals, and substances that contribute to changes in biological oxygen demand. Farmers and growers releasing agricultural runoff are increasingly required to implement water-quality regulations and management practices to reduce NSP. Constructed or restored shelterbelts and natural peatlands can be two of the many best management practices farmers can use to address this problem. We compared the barrier efficiency of the agricultural landscape elements, i.e., a shelterbelt of various plant compositions and a peatland, to control the spread of NSP in groundwater between ecosystems. In agricultural areas with high water tables, biogeochemical barriers in the form of shelterbelts and peatlands can remove or retain many groundwater pollutants from agricultural runoff with careful planning and management.