Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Assessing Coastal Plain Risk Indices For Subsurface Phosphorus Loss, Amy L. Shober, Anthony R. Buda, Kathryn C. Turner, Nicole M. Fiorellino, A. Scott Andres, Joshua M. Mcgrath, J. Thomas Sims

Plant and Soil Sciences Faculty Publications

Phosphorus (P) Index evaluations are critical to advancing nutrient management planning in the United States. However, most assessments until now have focused on the risks of P losses in surface runoff. In artificially drained agroecosystems of the Atlantic Coastal Plain, subsurface flow is the predominant mode of P transport, but its representation in most P Indices is often inadequate. We explored methods to evaluate the subsurface P risk routines of five P Indices from Delaware, Maryland (two), Virginia, and North Carolina using available water quality and soils datasets. Relationships between subsurface P risk scores and published dissolved P loads in …