Dp. Stevens et al., Pathways of phosphorus, nitrogen, and carbon movement over and through texturally differentiated soils, South Australia, AUST J SOIL, 37(4), 1999, pp. 679-693
One method for preventing the degradation of water supplies through contami
nation with phosphorus (P), nitrate (NO3), and dissolved organic carbon (DO
C) is to restrict movement of these contaminants from the catchment into wa
ter bodies. The purpose of the study was to quantify and characterise the p
roportion of NO3, P, and DOC moving from duplex soils by overland flow and
through-flow on a sub-catchment scale, and to characterise soil properties
that influence their movement. Two sites in the Adelaide Hills (South Austr
alia) with contrasting duplex soils were instrumented to collect overland f
low and through-flow from the soils A and B horizon. Each site contained 2
sub-catchments in close proximity. Sub-catchments were well defined by the
natural topography sloping from hillcrest to a stream headwater. Soil type,
especially the degree of texture contrast, the macroporosity, and the prop
ortion of clay in the B horizon, had a large influence on the pathways of w
ater, and therefore P, DOC, and NO3 movement. Environmentally significant c
oncentrations of P (>0.1 mg/L) and NO3-N (>0.5 mg/L) moved overland and thr
ough these soils in 1997. High DOC loads (25 mg/L), which would also impact
on water treatment costs, moved through some soils. Significant loading of
P moved through and over soils in both dissolved (0.5 mg/L) and particulat
e (0.3 mg/L) forms. Consequently, through-flow cannot be ignored as a contr
ibutor to P in streams and both dissolved and particulate P must be measure
d under these conditions to define the full impact of P. The findings from
this research have implications for research on catchment management to res
trict DOC and nutrient movement into waterways.