Author(s)

U. Hirt

Abstract

Diffuse and point inputs of nitrogen into the rivers of the central Mulde U.Hirt Department of Applied Landscape Ecology, UFZ Leipzig-Halle GmbH Centre for Environmental Research, Germany Abstract Continually high nitrogen inputs into the rivers and the North Sea led the International North Sea Protection Conference to pass a resolution in 1985 and 1987 demanding a 50 % reduction in the nitrogen inputs into the North Sea by 1995. However, in the rivers of the Central Mulde (2700 km*) in the loess region of Germany no significant decline in nitrogen inputs was recorded in this period. If measures to reduce nitrogen inputs into the rivers are to be effective, the input pathways and input quantities have to be known. Nitrogen enters the rivers both via point (i.e. localisable) sources and via diffuse (i.e. areal) sources. Nitrogen compounds from point sources come via the discharge of municipal sewage, consisting of domestic and industrial sewage, the rainwater flow from sealed areas and

Keywords