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Urban Water Quality and Fertilizer Ordinances:Avoidina Unintended Conseauences:A Review.... 4
<br /> plants and gardens.Amounts of fertilizers sold and applied in excess of research-based recommendations
<br /> used in non-farm areas in Florida(nurseries,golf (Trenhohn et al.,2011). Studies in Florida using
<br /> courses,athletic fields,roadsides,airfields, isotopes have documented the presence of
<br /> cemeteries,parks,and retail establishments)have fertilizer-derived nutrients in water bodies(Jones et
<br /> declined over recent years(FDACS,2009).For al., 1996;Pinellas County DEP,2004;TBEP,2008a;
<br /> example,N use increased from 2000 to 2004,but it 2008b).While these studies show fertilizer is being
<br /> declined from 2004 to 2008.In 2005,the non-farm found in urban water bodies,they do not conclude
<br /> use of N fertilizer was 69,522 tons,but it declined to whether the nutrients were lost predominantly from
<br /> 36,074 tons in 2008,a 48%reduction in urban landscapes fertilized properly according to BMPs or
<br /> fertilizer use.The non-farm use of P fertilizer from improperly fertilized landscapes.
<br /> declined from 14,168 tons in 2005 to 8,034 tons in
<br /> 2008-- Animal wastes.The U.S.Environmental
<br /> http://www.flaes.org/complitnonitoring/ Protection Agency(2009)has stated that"Decaying
<br /> past fertilizer_reports.html.Although the recent pet waste consumes oxygen and sometimes releases
<br /> negative economy may have influenced this trend ammonia.Low oxygen levels and ammonia can
<br /> toward the latter part of the period,this overall damage the health of fish and other aquatic life.Pet
<br /> reduction in fertilizer use is significant in light of waste carries bacteria,viruses,and parasites that can
<br /> fertilizer limitations imposed by passage of the Urban threaten the health of humans and wildlife.Pet waste
<br /> Turf Fertilizer Rule in Florida and the potential also contains nutrients that promote weed and algae
<br /> positive environmental implications from adoption growth(eutrophication)."A 45-pound dog can
<br /> and training about BMPs. excrete approximately 9 pounds of N and 2 pounds of
<br /> P per year,while a human produces 13 pounds of N
<br /> Fertilizers are used in urban landscapes to and 1.5 pounds of P(Baker,2007).Most of the pet N
<br /> increase the ability of plants to provide aesthetic, would be in urine and the P in the solids so that
<br /> recreational,and functional benefits for residential "pooper scooper"ordinances can be effective in P
<br /> homes,businesses,and common areas.Research has control but less so for N(Wood et al.,2004).
<br /> been conducted in most states to determine the most Groffman and colleagues(2004)suggested that
<br /> appropriate amounts,sources,and time-of-application approximately 15 lb/acre/year of N could be added to
<br /> of fertilizers for many landscape plants,especially the Glyndon(Baltimore,Maryland)watershed from
<br /> turf.For example,fertilizer BMPs for Florida can be pet waste.
<br /> found at http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu,and the UF/IFAS
<br /> Florida-Friendly Landscaping Program Plant litter and debris.In urban communities,
<br /> (http://fyn.ifas.ufl.edu/). Selected examples of nutrients can come from the native and introduced
<br /> Florida Extension publications dealing with turf and landscape plants,such as tree leaf fall and grass
<br /> landscape plants include Sartain(2007)and Knox et clippings(Cowen et al., 1973;Dorney, 1986;
<br /> al.(2002).Best management practices have been Strynchuk et al.,2004).From a time-series analysis
<br /> developed in many states including Florida(FDEP, of decomposition of leaf and grass clippings in
<br /> 2008;FDEP,2009a)to help homeowners minimize Brevard County,Florida,Strymchuck et al. (2004)
<br /> the chances that nutrients will be lost from the urban determined that quick removal of street organic
<br /> landscape at times when the root system is not debris is needed to avoid the rapid impacts of
<br /> actively growing. pollutants from the debris on water quality.Leaf litter
<br /> in Milwaukee,Wisconsin,was determined to be a
<br /> Research shows that fertilizer-derived nutrients major source of P and the amount of leachable P per
<br /> can be lost from the urban landscape under certain whole leaf vaned by tree species,but not by tree
<br /> circumstances.Losses are most likely when fertilizer diameter(Dorney, 1986).Up to 9%of the total leaf-P
<br /> is applied just before or during heavy rainfall(Soldat could be leached from leaves in 2 hours.In an early
<br /> and Petrovic,2008),when fertilizer is applied before paper on leaf-P,Cowen et al. (1973)calculated
<br /> the turf root system is established(Erickson et al., concentrations of P in oak and poplar leaves in
<br /> 2010;Trenholm et al.,2011),or when fertilizer is Madison,Wisconsin.Leaves that were in the literal
<br /> 13-11
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