The state of nitrogen in rivers and streams across sub-Saharan Africa

Abstract

The nutrient status of rivers and streams is less researched in sub-Saharan Africa than in many other inhabited regions of the world. Given the expected population growth, intensification of agriculture, increased pressure on natural ecosystems and projected climate change in sub-Saharan Africa, it is crucial to quantify and understand drivers behind spatiotemporal patterns of nitrogen concentrations and loads in rivers and streams. Such knowledge can support sustainable management of water resources with the goal to provide clean water, create and maintain healthy ecosystems and prevent excessive pollution of water resources with nitrogen compounds, as is found in large parts of North America, Europe and Asia. This review provides a synthesis of the current available data from peer-reviewed literature (n = 243) on particulate and dissolved nitrogen in rivers and streams in sub-Saharan Africa, looking into seasonal and land cover-related differences. The review shows that data on nitrogen concentrations in rivers and streams is available for 32 out of the 48 countries (67 %) in sub-Saharan Africa, highlighting large data gaps given the size of the region. Differences in nitrogen concentrations between land cover types are reported, with highest median total nitrogen (3.9 mg N L−1) and nitrate (1.2 mg N L−1) concentrations observed at sites characterised by settlement and industry. In contrast, natural land cover types, like forest, have higher median (N:P) ratios (> 14.6) than cropland and urban areas (< 12.0). The analysis of paired samples from dry and wet seasons reveals varying effects of seasonality on the concentration of different nitrogen compounds between land cover types. However, the processes driving these spatiotemporal differences are still poorly understood. These findings highlight the need for a targeted research agenda for Africa to advance our understanding of the role of rivers and streams in nitrogen cycling in different ecosystems and their interaction with anthropogenic and natural drivers of change.