Tracing the Sources and Fate of NO₃^– in the Vadose Zone–Groundwater System of a Thousand-Year-Cultivated Region

Abstract

might reach the aquifer in the near future in areas with recent FN loading, especially those under cropland-to-orchard transition or where the vadose zone is relatively thin. This study suggests that future agricultural land-use transitions from croplands to orchards should be promoted with caution in areas with shallow vadose zones and coarse soil texture.