Agricultural nitrogen model: A tool for regional environmental management

A detailed nitrogen budget was devised for agricultural activities in the Florida peninsula, based on routine data published by state agricultural agencies. The model demonstrates that important unmonitored fluxes of nitrogen can often be calculated by mass balance on individual model compartments, and that the reasonability of poorly quantified fluxes can be assessed. The results of such models can be very useful in designing and assessing the results of field experiments and in prioritizing environmental monitoring programs.