What are Landscape Nutrient Budgets?

A nutrient budget tracks the balance between nutrient inputs to the landscape and nutrient removal through plant uptake. The difference between inputs and outputs yields the nutrient surplus — the quantity of nitrogen or phosphorus remaining in the system each year. A positive surplus indicates excess nutrients remaining on the landscape, which can later leach into groundwater, runoff into rivers and lakes, or volatilize into the atmosphere — contributing to widespread environmental challenges.