Nitrogen and phosphorus in New Zealand streams and rivers: Control and impact of eutrophication and the influence of land management

Abstract

Given sufficient light and heat, the growth of aquatic macrophytes and algae associated with eutrophication is generally controlled by the concentration, form and ratio between nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P). Data from 1100 freshwater sites monitored for the last 10 years by New Zealand's regional councils and unitary authorities were assessed for streams and rivers with mean nitrate/ nitrite‐N (NNN), dissolved reactive P (DRP), total N (TN) and total P (TP) concentrations in excess of New Zealand guidelines, and to generate a data set of N:P ratios to predict potential periphyton response according to the concentration of the limiting nutrient. The frequency of sites exceeding the guidelines varied from 0 to 100% depending on the parameter and region, but South Island regions were generally more compliant. The dissolved inorganic N (DIN) to dissolved reactive P (DRP) ratio was used to group data into three nutrient limitation classes: <7:1 (N‐limited), between 7:1 and 15:1 (co‐limited), and>15:l (P‐limited), by mass. P‐limitation was the most frequent scenario in New Zealand streams (overall, 76% of sites were P‐limited, 12% N‐limited, and 12% co‐limited). The mean concentration of the limiting nutrient for each site was combined with empirical relationships to predict periphyton densities (the average of N‐and P‐limited growth was used for sites with co‐limitation). This assessment predicted that 22 sites were likely to exceed the periphyton guideline for protecting benthic biodiversity (50 mg chlorophyll a m^?2), but this assessment is likely to be highly changeable in response to climatic conditions and present and future land use. As an example, we modelled N and P losses from an average sheep and a dairy farm in Southland (South Island, New Zealand) in 1958, 1988, 2008 and 2028. We predicted that with time, as farm systems have and continue to intensify, N losses increase at a greater rate than P losses. Since the pathway for N to reach fresh waters may be more tortuous and take longer than P to reach a stream or river, focusing mitigation on P losses may have a quicker effect on potential algal growth. In addition, with time, it is expected that P‐limitation in New Zealand's rivers and streams will be more widespread as N‐losses are unabated. Hence, although strategies to decrease N losses should be practised, mitigating P losses is also central to preventing eutrophication.