VÅTMARKER SOM KVÄVEFÄLLA – mot en planeringsmodell för restaurering av våtmarker / Wetlands as Nitrogen Sinks – Towards a Model for Planning of Wetland Restoration
A simple model for calculation of nitrogen transports and the effect of wetlands on nitrogen retention is presented. Model input data were taken from an inventory of potential wetlands in the county of Halland (Wessling 1991, Wessling and Skage 1991). Nitrogen retention was calculated according to a relationship between areal nitrogen load and areal nitrogen retention (Fleischer and Stibe 1991). After calibration the model could compute yearly nitrogen transport in the chosen test drainage basin (River Genevadsån, SW Sweden, Figure 4 and 5). Utilization of all 43 potential wetlands in the basin (Figure 6) would theoretically result in a reduction of the nitrogen transport to the sea from 324 to 152 tons/year. Taking hydrological loading (in the model represented by the relation drainage area: wetland area) into consideration, a nitrogen retention of approximately 60 to 65 tons/year seems possible to achieve. Depending on the localization of wetlands this can be done in different ways with varying costs. “Complete abstract not presented.”