We quantified nutrient concentrations and water quality parameters in soils and water from a working farm (in operation for over 100 years), through contrasting agricultural wetlands, to their receiving waters. Contrasting wetlands were a forested alluvial swamp and a ditched wetland swale. Our objective was to determine if nutrients diminished in concentration or changed in form as water moved through wetlands below the farm. Soils were collected from around the farm and receiving wetlands and were analyzed for nitrate, ammonium, and phosphorus. Water samples, collected from shallow piezometers and surface waters were analyzed for nitrate + nitrite, and total phosphorus. Nitrate in groundwater and surface water in the alluvial swamp were much lower than concentrations measured in flows from farmlands. Nitrogen in upland water was dominated by nitrate, but ammonium dominated in the swamp. Phosphorus was low in wetland soils and also diminished through the swamp. Despite receiving agricultural run-off for many decades, the natural alluvial swamp still provided an effective environment for water quality mitigation of nitrate and phosphorus. The ditched wetland swale did not significantly reduce nitrate but appeared to provide some phosphorus mitigation. Agricultural wetland conservation is an especially effective, low cost tool for water quality management.

我们通过对比一个农业湿地与其接收水域，对一个正在运转的农场（运行了100年以上）的土壤和水中的养分浓度和水质参数进行了量化。与之相对的湿地是森林冲积沼泽和沟渠湿地沼泽。我们的目标是确定当水流过农场下方的湿地时营养物质的浓度是否减少或形式改变。从农场周围和接受湿地的土壤中收集土壤，并分析其硝酸盐，铵和磷。分析了从浅压计和地表水中收集的水样中的硝酸盐+亚硝酸盐和总磷。冲积沼泽中地下水和地表水中的硝酸盐含量远低于农田中的硝酸盐含量。旱地中的氮以硝酸盐为主，而氨在沼泽中为主。在湿地土壤中磷含量低，并且在沼泽中磷也减少。尽管数十年来农业径流不断，自然冲积沼泽仍为缓解硝酸盐和磷的水质提供了有效的环境。沟渠湿地沼泽并没有显着减少硝酸盐，但似乎提供了一定程度的磷缓解。农业湿地保护是一种特别有效的低成本水质管理工具。沟渠湿地沼泽并没有显着减少硝酸盐，但似乎提供了一定程度的磷缓解。农业湿地保护是一种特别有效的低成本水质管理工具。沟渠湿地沼泽并没有显着减少硝酸盐，但似乎提供了一定程度的磷缓解。农业湿地保护是一种特别有效的低成本水质管理工具。