daNUbs - Evaluated model on estimating nutrient flows due to erosion/runoff in the case study areas in Austria, Hungary and Romania

Aim of this deliverable is to implement a comparative assessment of runoff, erosion and associated nutrient transport within the selected case study areas. Therefore two different modelling approaches have been used. Model calculations estimate sediment and nutrient flows due to soil erosion and surface runoff reaching the river. The case study catchments were the Ybbs the Wulka and the Zala catchment. Beforehand an application of erosion models various steps of data collection and gathering had to be performed. This concerned mainly data to describe spatial properties of soil for all case study areas. However, methodological approaches at the different catchments are different due to different types of data availability. Concerning the problem of erosion estimation, two erosion models were compared, the so called MUSLE and MMF models. Obtained results were compared to calculated loads. Concerning the problem of nutrient input via erosion and surface runoff, both tested erosion models were connected to algorithms to calculate phosphorus loads. In the case of MUSLE results were obtained by using the nutrient transport component of the SWAT model. In the case of MMF results were obtained by coupling of sediment loads to calculated enrichment ratios of phosphorus in river sediment. (Deliverable 2.1 - Evaluated model on estimating nutrient flows due to erosion/runoff in the case study areas in Austria, Hungary and Romania)