Global riverine N and P transport to ocean increased during the 20th  century despite increased retention along the aquatic continuum

Beusen, Arthur H. W.; Bouwman, Alexander F.; Van Beek, Ludovicus P. H.; Mogollón, José M.; Middelburg, Jack J.

doi:https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-13-2441-2016

Articles | Volume 13, issue 8

https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-13-2441-2016

© Author(s) 2016. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.

https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-13-2441-2016

© Author(s) 2016. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.

Articles | Volume 13, issue 8

Research article

|

27 Apr 2016

Research article |

| 27 Apr 2016

Global riverine N and P transport to ocean increased during the 20th century despite increased retention along the aquatic continuum

Arthur H. W. Beusen, Alexander F. Bouwman, Ludovicus P. H. Van Beek, José M. Mogollón, and Jack J. Middelburg

Supplement

https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-13-2441-2016-supplement

Data sets

Global riverine nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) input, retention and export during the 20th century A.H.W. Beusen A.F. Bouwman L.P.H. Van Beek J.M. Mogollón J.B.M. Middelburg https://doi.org/10.17026/dans-zgs-9k9m

Short summary

Intensifying anthropogenic activity over the 20th century including agriculture, water consumption, urbanization, and aquaculture has almost doubled the global nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) delivery to streams and steadily increased the N : P ratio in freshwater bodies. Concurrently, the cumulative number of reservoirs has driven a rise in freshwater nutrient retention and removal. Still, river nutrient transport to the ocean has also nearly doubled, potentially stressing coastal environments.