Modelling catchment landscape potential to mitigate diffuse pollution from agriculture

Introduction

Assessing the effectiveness of measures to reduce diffuse pollution from agriculture (DWPA) is a challenging task. Various past and ongoing projects have identified a range of methods that could be adopted to reduce pollution. Their performance is determined by various scales and factors; and different approaches are currently being proposed for their targeting. However, contextual evaluation of the options, deriving from both landscape physical properties and the way they`re being implemented, still requires an evidence for demonstration. The aim of this research is to develop the synthetic modelling environment, capable to handle multiple scenarios of the possible solutions for management of diffuse pollution risks to waterbodies.

PAttERN approach

Current modelling approaches represent risk as the dominant static category, where outputs serve more to illustrate the "snapshot" of landscape risk at given time and scale. In these systems, mitigation is often seen as external category to the landscape, rather than "built-in". This modelling approach uses GIS programming environment in order to extend the current modelling techniques to the point, where the risk and mitigation could be reflected as integrated function of the subjective decision-making of the land actors.
The "Pathway Attributive Elimination Routine for Nutrients" model was designed as an integrated framework for various landscape elements, selected on the basis of their capacity to mitigate diffuse agricultural pollution. PAttERN is an interactive spatial model, which enables the user to manipulate landscape structures and farm management systems, and to associate the changes with ecological outcomes, like soil and water quality. Functionally, this is first surface-driven integrated risk/solution model. Besides the scenario provision for various environmental tasks, the model also aims to evaluate externalities, derived from structural changes in agribusiness– emerging questions on the edge of water management and rural sociology - and serves as the test framework for an integrated science-management interface.