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Effects of Agroecosystem Management on water quality in multiple watersheds in Ohio

Stinner, Jedediah Hall
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1462808218

Abstract Details

2016, Doctor of Philosophy, Ohio State University, Environmental Science.
Better nutrient retention in agroecosystems is necessary to reduce nutrient pollution and to efficiently increase crop production. Various studies report that substantial reduction in nutrient loads to surface and groundwater must be achieved to meet water quality goals. Better understanding of how agroecosystem management impacts water quality in differing landscapes is paramount to mitigate deleterious effects that agriculture can have on water quality. The studies presented herein examined multiple pathways through for crop nutrients moving through agroecosystems and how they can impact water quality within a watershed. Our results indicate that organic management may very well be a better alternative to conventional farming methods as a way to improve stream quality. We found that macroinvertebrate community scores were on average greater, indicating higher water quality, in headwater streams from organic farms compared with conventional farms. Nitrate-N concentrations where also significantly greater in streams that drained conventionally managed farms. Further, redundancy analysis revealed that organic management was negatively associated with degraded water quality features such as greater concentrations of bacteria and nutrients, suggesting that conventional farms were more closely related to these features. Of the 24 organic and conventional farm streams that were sampled for herbicides, 13 streams contained either glyphosate or atrazine concentrations that were above the detection limit (0.05 ppb). Additionally, glyphosate contamination was found in six out of the nine organic farm streams sampled. Results from an edge-of-field study indicated that subsurface drainage contributed to more than half of the phosphorus and nitrogen loss from field edges. Furthermore, field management was found to have a lasting effect on nutrient loading. Sites historically receiving manure at rates greater than agronomic levels had significantly greater soil test phosphorus concentrations, which resulted in considerable phosphorus loss from surface runoff and subsurface drainage outlets. Other important factors found to increase nutrient loss from tile and surface drainage were precipitation, increasing fertility rates, and general cover crop establishment. Agricultural extension agencies and policy makers can use the findings reported here to provide guidance to producers about making appropriate management decisions.
Casey Hoy (Advisor)
Richard Moore (Advisor)
Kevin King (Committee Member)
P. Charles Goebel (Committee Member)
193 p.
Environmental Science

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Citations

  • Stinner, J. H. (2016). Effects of Agroecosystem Management on water quality in multiple watersheds in Ohio [Doctoral dissertation, Ohio State University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1462808218

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Stinner, Jedediah. Effects of Agroecosystem Management on water quality in multiple watersheds in Ohio. 2016. Ohio State University, Doctoral dissertation. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1462808218.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Stinner, Jedediah. "Effects of Agroecosystem Management on water quality in multiple watersheds in Ohio." Doctoral dissertation, Ohio State University, 2016. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1462808218

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

osu1462808218
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© 2016, all rights reserved.
This open access ETD is published by The Ohio State University and OhioLINK.