Twentieth International Conference on Environmental, Cultural, Economic & Social Sustainability

Abstract

Few hydrological models accurately represent the movement of nutrients in coastal watersheds. Amongst existing models, the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT+) is one of the most rapidly advancing. In this research, SWAT+ is used to simulate the effects of agricultural practices on nitrogen transport in the Tar-Pamlico River basin of eastern North Carolina. This research is incredibly relevant because, amongst all nutrients in waterways, nitrogen is one of the most impactful on terrestrial and aquatic health, also known as the limiting nutrient of life in coastal watersheds. Nitrogen concentrations that are too low can inhibit plant growth, while concentrations that are too high can cause detrimental overgrowth in waterways (e.g., harmful algal blooms). More specifically, this research uses SWAT+ to explore the effects of soil properties and crop species on yield and mass of nitrogen export. With these results, farmers and policy makes alike can inform policies that directly impact land use management. This project found novel results regarding the impact of soil properties on simulated crop yield and nitrogen export, and can be used to improve hydrological modeling in agricultural regions internationally.