Assessing landscape N removal in coastal New England catchments using the N-Sink approach with the R Package, nsink

<ns3:p>Background Excess nitrogen (N) loading to coastal ecosystems impairs estuarine water quality. Land management decisions made within estuarine watersheds have a direct impact on downstream N delivery. Natural features within watersheds can act as landscape sinks for N, such as wetlands, streams and ponds that transform dissolved N into gaseous N, effectively removing it from the aquatic system. Identifying and evaluating these landscape sinks and their spatial relationship to N sources can help managers understand the effects of alternative decisions on downstream resources. Methods The N-Sink approach uses widely available GIS data to identify landscape sinks within HUC-12 (or larger) catchments, estimate their N removal potential and map the effect of those sinks on N movement through the catchment. Static maps are produced to visualize N removal efficiency, transport and delivery, the latter in the form of an index. The R package <ns3:italic>nsink</ns3:italic> was developed to facilitate data acquisition, processing and visualization. Results The R package creates static maps for a specific HUC-12, or users can visit the University of Connecticut website to explore previously mapped areas. Users can also investigate specific flowpaths interactively by clicking on any location within the catchment. A flowpath is generated with a table describing N removal along each segment. We describe the motivation behind developing <ns3:italic>nsink</ns3:italic>, discuss implementation in R, and present two use case examples. <ns3:italic>nsink</ns3:italic> is available from https://github.com/USEPA/nsink. Conclusions N-Sink is a decision support tool created for local decision-makers to facilitate better understanding of the relationship between land use and downstream N delivery. Local decision-makers that have prioritized N mitigation in their long-term planning can use <ns3:italic>nsink</ns3:italic> to better understand the potential impact of proposed development projects and zoning variances. Similarly, land trusts and other NGOs interested in N mitigation can use <ns3:italic>nsink</ns3:italic> to identify high priority areas for acquisition or restoration.</ns3:p>