Recognizing Agricultural Headwaters as Critical Ecosystems
Open accessAbstract
Agricultural headwaters are positioned at the interface between terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems and, therefore, at the margins of scientific disciplines. They are deemed devoid of biodiversity and too polluted by ecologists, overlooked by hydrologists, and are perceived as a nuisance by landowners and water authorities. While agricultural streams are widespread and represent a major habitat in terms of stream length, they remain understudied and thereby undervalued. Agricultural headwater streams are significantly modified and polluted but at the same time are the critical linkages among land, air, and water ecosystems. They exhibit the largest variation in streamflow, water quality, and greenhouse gas emission with cascading effects on the entire stream networks, yet they are underrepresented in monitoring, remediation, and restoration. Therefore, we call for more intense efforts to characterize and understand the inherent variability and sensitivity of these ecosystems to global change drivers through scientific and regulatory monitoring and to improve their ecosystem conditions and functions through purposeful and evidence-based remediation.
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As ditch and irrigation networks have grown globally, their effects on natural hydrological cycles have increased; they have drained and degraded wetlands and altered water flows through ecosystems at the landscape scale and beyond.
“As ditch and irrigation networks have grown globally, so have their effects on natural hydrological cycles; they have drained and degraded wetlands 10 and altered water flows through ecosystems at the landscape scale and beyond 11 .”
From Lines in the landscape (2025) · cites this paper as [11]
Even when ditch construction creates certain beneficial ecosystem services, other ecosystem services can be lost due to associated land drainage (e.g., loss of wetlands and their carbon sink capacity) or degradation of natural stream channels (e.g., straightening of channels and removal of riparian zones which would otherwise reduce peak flows and lead to less flashy systems).
“Furthermore, even when ditch construction creates certain beneficial ecosystem services, other ecosystem services can be lost due to the associated land drainage (e.g., loss of wetlands and their carbon sink capacity 10 ) or degradation of natural stream channels (e.g., straightening of channels and removal of riparian zones which would otherwise reduce peak flows and lead to less flashy systems 1”
From Lines in the landscape (2025) · cites this paper as [11]
Ditch hydrology is determined by their topographical position, being generally more dynamic in ditches positioned along existing flow pathways or running downslope, and more static in ditches positioned in lowlands between flow pathways or following contours.
“Their hydrology is determined by their topographical position 11,111 ), being generally more dynamic in ditches positioned along existing flow pathways or running downslope, and more static in ditches positioned in lowlands between flow pathways or following contours.”
From Lines in the landscape (2025) · cites this paper as [11]
Regardless of function, ditches alter the original water balance of a catchment and the downstream hydrological regime.
“Regardless of function, ditches alter the original water balance of a catchment and the downstream hydrological regime 11 .”
From Lines in the landscape (2025) · cites this paper as [11]
As flow regimes in ditches change seasonally following either natural hydrological cycles or human activities, water retention time in ditches can vary dramatically, with consequences for biogeochemical function.
“As flow regimes in ditches change seasonally following either natural hydrological cycles or human activities 123 , water retention time in ditches can vary dramatically, with consequences for biogeochemical function 11,109,124 .”
From Lines in the landscape (2025) · cites this paper as [11]
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Research works printed but not linked: 1
- [59]59. Wynants M.; Hallberg L.; Lindstrom G.; Strömqvist J.; Bieroza M. High-frequency and high–resolution modelling of nutrient and sediment export in agricultural headwater catchments. Earth’s Future. In review. 2nd round of revisions.
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Clifford, C., Bieroza, M., Clarke, S. J., Pickard, A., Stratigos, M. J., Hill, M. J., Raheem, N., Tatariw, C., Wood, P. J., Arismendi, I., et al. (2025) · Communications Earth & Environment · doi:10.1038/s43247-025-02699-y · Cited by 16 · see citing works
Self-citation
- Authors
- Bieroza, M., Hallberg, L., Livsey, J., Prischl, L.-A., & Wynants, M.
- Affiliations
- Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SE)
- Corresponding author
- Bieroza, Magdalena
- Venue
- Environmental Science & Technology
- Publisher
- American Chemical Society (ACS)
- Published
- 2024-03-04
- Volume
- 58
- Issue
- 11
- Pages
- 4852-4858
- ISSN
- 0013-936X (ISSN-L)
- 1520-5851
- OpenAlex
- W4392471182
- Cited by
- 28
- References
- 55
- Citations by year
- 2026: 13 · 2025: 11 · 2024: 4
- FWCI
- 0.90
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- hybrid
- doi.org
- Licence
- Locations
- Environmental Science & Technology (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Ghent University Academic Bibliography (Ghent University) (publishedVersion)
- Epsilon Open Archive (Sveriges lantbruksuniversitet biblioteket (Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences)) (submittedVersion)
- Ghent University Academic Bibliography (Ghent University) (submittedVersion)
- Funders
- Svenska Forskningsr?det Formas (2018-00890)
- Stiftelsen Oscar och Lili Lamms Minne (DO2019-0021, FO2021-0019, SY2023-0005)
- Havs- och Vattenmyndigheten (3280-2019)
- Stiftelsen Lantbruksforskning (O-21-23-537)
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Environmental Chemistry › Soil and Water Nutrient Dynamics
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Ecology › Freshwater macroinvertebrate diversity and ecology
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Ecology › Hydrology and Sediment Transport Processes
- Keywords
- agricultural pollution, streamflow variability, water quality, greenhouse gas emissions, ecological restoration, global change drivers, ecological monitoring
- MeSH terms
- Agriculture, Ecosystem, Biodiversity, Rivers, Water Quality
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