Applying the nutrient transfer continuum framework to phosphorus and nitrogen losses from livestock farmyards to watercourses

Farmyards are commonly conceptualized as point sources of nutrient pollution nested within the wider agricultural landscape. However, within farmyards there are individual sources and delivery pathways, each of which is affected by a range of management practices and infrastructure. Rainfall mobilizes these nutrients, which may then be delivered to a receptor or to the wider drainage network. As such, the nutrient transfer continuum (NTC), which has been established as a framework to understand and mitigate nutrient loss at a landscape scale, can be similarly applied to disentangle the stages of nutrient transfer from farmyards. The NTC differentiates nutrient transfer into source, mobilization, delivery, and impact stages. This differentiation allows targeting of mitigation measures and evaluation of costs and benefits. This review paper applies the NTC template to farmyard nitrogen and phosphorus transport to conceptualize causative factors and to identify mitigation options.

Automated summary

Farmyards are commonly perceived as point sources of nutrient pollution within the agricultural landscape. However, they are influenced by various management practices and infrastructure, with rainfall mobilizing nutrients for delivery to receptors or drainage networks. The Nutrient Transfer Continuum (NTC) framework can help to understand and mitigate nutrient loss by differentiating transfer stages into source, mobilization, delivery, and impact. This differentiation allows for targeted mitigation measures and evaluation of costs and benefits.