5.42 Excess nitrogen inputs to estuaries have been scientifically linked to poor water quality and
degradation of ecosystem habitat. Perform a library search for the paper title “Nitrogen inputs to
seventy-four southern New England estuaries: Application of a watershed nitrogen model (J.S.
Latimer and M.A. Charpentier, Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science, 89:125-136, 2010).
Based on this article, what is the percent contribution of the following four sources of nitrogen to
the watershed of the New England estuaries? i) Direct atmospheric deposition to the estuaries,
ii) wastewater, iii) indirect atmospheric deposition to the watershed of the estuary, iv) fertilizer
runoff from lawns, golf courses, and agriculture.
Solution: