The effects of pastoral hill country natural landscape features and land management practices on nitrate losses and its potential attenuation for improved water quality

Abstract Pastoral farming on hill country landscapes influences nitrogen (N) dynamics and its losses to freshwater. This study reviewed the current literature identifying key effects of pastoral hill country landscape features and land management practices on nitrate losses to receiving waters. The review also highlighted the potential effects of inherent landscape features on nitrate attenuation pathways for better water quality outcomes. Intensive land use activities involving high rates of fertiliser application, higher stocking rates and cattle grazing, relative to sheep grazing, are more likely to increase nitrate loss, especially on lower slopes. However, soils with a high carbon (C) storage capacity such as allophanic soils potentially limit nitrate loss via denitrification in subsoil layers. Hill country seepage wetlands also offer an opportunity to attenuate nitrate loss, though their efficacy is largely impacted by hydrological variations in their inflows and outflows. By enhancing the natural nitrate attenuation capacity of seepage wetlands, mapping and strategic use of high subsoil denitrification potential, effective riparian management, efficient fertiliser and grazing practices and the incorporation of these farm management strategies into Freshwater Farm Plans (FWFPs), wider environmental and farm productivity/profitability goals, including improved water quality, would be achieved on pastoral hill country landscapes.