Towards Smart Nutrient Retention Networks to improve water quality: perspectives, theories and tools
Abstract: Nutrients are valuable resources for food production, but excess nutrients also pollute surface waters. For example, they can lead to toxic algal blooms. Also, a large part of these nutrients is transported through surface waters and eventually lost into the deep oceans. Despite attempts to increase nutrient use efficiency on land, nutrient pollution of surface waters appears inevitable and water quality problems persist. Here I present the “Smart Nutrient Retention Networks” concept as a novel water quality management approach that stimulates the sustainable use of nutrients in connected surface waters. This concept uses insights from nutrient-ecosystem interactions in induvial lakes to improve water quality management at larger scales. Moreover, I will present new ecological lake models and a scenario study of the effect of lakes on nutrient (retention) ratios to support the development of Smart Nutrient Retention Networks. What can we learn from such models? And how can we use them? The latter question is also addressed in a serious game that I developed and that you can play in the workshop following this seminar presentation.
Homepage Dr Dianneke van Wijk
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IGB strives to facilitate and accelerate the exchange of knowledge and ideas within and also outside of IGB. One element contributing to inter- and transdisciplinary exchange, and more (scientific) cooperation and innovation, is to open up IGB Colloquia to an interested external audience from science (other research institutes, universities, laboratories) as well as practice (i.e. conservationists, freshwater/land-use managers, authorities, associations). If you would like to join this IGB Colloquium as a guest, we ask you to register until the morning of the colloquium 10 o'clock the latest. After we have checked your registration, you will receive the participation link.