Model Library

Nitrogen Dynamic Polder (NDP)

Model name: Nitrogen Dynamic Polder (NDP)

Developed by: Dr. Jiacong Huang and his colleagues at Chinese Academy of Sciences and University of Toronto (Huang et al., 2018) (Last update: 2024)

Model type: Daily time-step, dynamic, lumped, deterministic, process-based, hydrological and water quality, field-scale watershed model

Computational requirements: N/A. Programming language: Python

Link to download model: 

Capabilities and Limitations:

Capabilities

  • It has a modular design;
  • It is created especially to describe the transport/reaction channels, sinks, and N sources in lowland artificial watersheds (polders) (Huang et al., 2018);
  • The model effectively represents the unique characteristics of polder systems, including artificial drainage and the interactions among surface water, groundwater, and soil water (Huang et al., 2018);
  • It accommodates the unique processes underlying polder water balance and nitrogen transport, both conceptually and operationally (Huang et al., 2018).

Limitations

  • Complex overparameterized model (Huang et al., 2018);
  • The Nitrogen Dynamic Polder (NDP) model is specifically designed to characterize the polder water balance (Huang et al., 2018, Cui et al., 2020);
  • Limited information and applications.

Model Inputs and Outputs:

Inputs

  • Land use, Meteorological data, Hydrological data, Water quality data, Fertilization rates data.

Outputs

  • Time-series simulation results of hydrological and water quality (N-related) parameters.
  • Nitrogen cycles and dynamics assessment.

Examples:

References

Cui, Z., Huang, J., Gao, J., & Han, J. (2022). Characterizing the impacts of macrophyte-dominated ponds on nitrogen sources and sinks by coupling multiscale models. Science of The Total Environment, 811, 152208. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.152208

Cui, Z., Chen, C., Chen, Q., & Huang, J. (2024). Difference in the contribution of driving factors to nitrogen loss with surface runoff between the hill and plain agricultural watersheds. Journal of Geophysical Research: Biogeosciences, 129, e2023JG007931. https://doi.org/10.1029/2023JG007931

Objectives

This study aimed to investigate N dynamics (sources, sinks, transport, etc.) of macrophyte-dominated ponds and their driving factors in a typical lowland artificial watershed (the Zhong River Watershed) in East China.

This study hypothesized urbanization's greater impact on surface runoff in plain agricultural watersheds, testing this hypothesis by developing a model framework for quantifying surface runoff and identifying driving factors.