APPLICATION OF A MATHEMATICAL MODEL (FEMMA) IN ASSESSING LOGGING-INDUCED NITROGEN EXPORT THROUGH A PEATLAND BUFFER ZONE

摘要

The aim of this paper is to examine the effectiveness of a peatland buffer zone, located between a clear cut area and a stream, in decreasing dissolved nitrogen (N) load caused by the logging. The analysis was based on applying a two-dimensional model FEMMA which simulates water and nitrogen transport in a catchment-scale. The model was tested against on-site experimental data. Mass balance for N was calculated for the peatland buffer zone. The calculations suggested that the buffer zone acted as a net source of organic N and as a net sink of nitrate (NO_3). Most of the NO_3 export took place during the snowmelt episode when it was transported with the surface runoff. As a whole, this limited the effectiveness of the peatland buffer zone in decreasing the dissolved N load.