1. Intensive agriculture in the Mississippi River Basin has led to a degradation of soil and water resources due to nitrogen leaching from fertilizer application.
2. The process-based model CENTURY was used to quantify accumulation and depletion trajectories for soil N across a range of climate and soil types characteristic of the MRB.
3. Humans have homogenized spatial patterns of SON across the landscape by increasing SON magnitudes in warmer and drier regions, leading to elevated N leaching to tiles and groundwater in landscapes under intensive agriculture.
The article “Intensive Agriculture, Nitrogen Legacies, and Water Quality: Intersections and Implications” is an informative piece that provides insight into the effects of intensive agricultural practices on water quality in the Mississippi River Basin (MRB). The article is well-researched, citing multiple sources throughout its text, which lends it credibility. Additionally, the authors provide evidence for their claims through their use of the process-based model CENTURY to quantify accumulation and depletion trajectories for soil N across a range of climate and soil types characteristic of the MRB.
However, there are some potential biases present in this article that should be noted. For example, while the authors do mention some conservation measures that have been implemented to address problems with nitrogen pollution in intensively farmed areas, they do not explore any counterarguments or alternative solutions that could be employed instead or in addition to these measures. Additionally, while they cite multiple sources throughout their text, many of these sources are from within the same year or even from within the same publication; this could indicate a lack of diversity when it comes to source material used by the authors.
In conclusion, this article provides an informative overview on how intensive agricultural practices can affect water quality in the MRB; however, there are some potential biases present that should be noted when considering its trustworthiness and reliability.