Nitrogen and phosphorus budget in rewetted fens

A former dewatered fen was flooded for a multi-purpose landuse system including cattail production, fen protection, and water purification. These research plants with an area of 6 ha consist of three constructed surface-flow wetlands. The inflowing water is polluted by non-point sources due to intensive agriculture. The focus of this paper is the estimation of the potential of rewetted fens to reduce phosphorus and nitrogen. The dominating forms of nitrogen in the inflow are organic nitrogen and nitrate. The reduction rate is higher for nitrate than for organic nitrogen, although the nitrate reductions occur only during the summer season. If no nitrate is available for denitrification, there is a release of ammonia from the peat into the water. The main form of phosphorus in the in- and outflow is ortho-phosphate. In contrast to the values of nitrate, the concentrations of phosphorus are very regular with no significant seasonal pattern.

When nitrate isn't available in the water any more, the release of phosphorus begins and the rewetted fens change from a sink for phosphorus to a source of it. Rewetted fens can be a sink for phosphorus and nitrogen with nitrate as the limiting factor. Only if denitrification can occur, can the release of ammonia and phosphorus from the peat layer be prevented.