Some insights into nutrient mobilisation and transfer pathways gained from the Irish Agricultural Catchments Programme

Understanding nutrient mobilisation and transfer pathways to watercourses is necessary to inform best management practices and interpret the effectiveness of current mitigation measures aimed at reducing diffuse agricultural pollution to water bodies. The Irish Agricultural Catchments Program is leading the way in novel high-resolution monitoring approaches to develop new understanding of nutrient transfer pathways, residence times and transformations in water and in soil, as well as the effect of large scale weather patterns and small scale spatial variability of soil properties on diffuse water pollution. Research methods employed include high frequency monitoring of hydrochemistry in streams and in a network of multilevel monitoring wells, mapping of soil nutrient sources and landscape information from geophysical surveys, high resolution LiDAR and Digital Elevation Models. Detailed pathway studies from focused study sites are combined with catchment integrated studies in the stream outlet. This seminar will present results from 10 years of this unique ongoing intensive multi-disciplinary research program.

Per-Erik Mellander is a Senior Scientist and Environmental Hydrologist overseeing the research in the Irish Agricultural Catchments Programme at TEAGASC – the Agriculture and Food Development Authority in Ireland. He has a PhD in Environmental Assessment from the University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala and an MSc in Physical Geography from Uppsala University, Sweden. He has co-authored over 50 scientific publications in the area of hydrology, diffuse water pollution from agriculture and climate change impacts.