Additional file 1 Publications used in the search comprehensiveness assessment References Buckley, C., Hynes S., Mechan S. 2012 Supply of an ecosystem service-Farmers' willingness to adopt riparian buffer zones in agricultural catchments. Environmental Science and Policy. 24, 101-109. Burke, W., Mulqueen, J., Pulter, P., 1974. Fertiliser losses in drainage water from a surface water gley. Irish Journal of Agricultural Research 13, 203–214 Dennis S. J., Cameron K. C., Hong J. D., Moir J. L., Staples V., Sills P., Richards K.G. 2012 Reducing nitrate losses from simulated grazing on grassland lysimeters in Ireland using a nitrification inhibitor (Dicyandiamide). Biology and Environment-Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy. 112B, 79-89 Donohue I., McGarrigle M. L., Mills P. (2006) Linking catchment characteristics and water chemistry with the ecological status of Irish rivers. Water Research 40 91 – 98 Doody, D. G.; Foy, R. H.; Barry, C. D. (2012) Accounting for the role of uncertainty in declining water quality in an extensively farmed grassland catchment. Environmental Science and Policy. 24 15-23 Dunne, E.J., N. Culleton, G. O’Donovan, R. Harrington and A.E. Olsen. 2005b. An integrated constructed wetland to treat contaminants and nutrients from dairy farmyard dirty water. Ecological Engineering 24: 221-234. Evans D. J, Gibson C. E, Rossell R. S. (2006) Sediment loads and sources in heavily modified Irish catchments: a move towards informed management strategies. Geomorphology. 79:93–113. Forbes, E. G. A.; Foy, R. H.; Mulholland, M. V. (2011) Performance of a constructed wetland for treating farm-yard dirty water. Water Science and Technology. 64. 22-28 Harrington S. T., Harrington J. R. (2013) An assessment of the suspended sediment rating curve approach for load estimation on the Rivers Bandon and Owenabue. Ireland. Geomorphology 185, 27–38. Healy, M. G.; O'Flynn, C. J. 2011. The performance of constructed wetlands treating primary, secondary and dairy soiled water in Ireland (a review). Journal of Environmental Management. 92, 2348-2354 Hooker, K.V., Coxon, C.E., Hackett, R., Kirwan, L.E., O’Keefe, E. and Richards, K.G., 2008. Evaluation of cover crop and reduced cultivation for reducing nitrate leaching in Ireland. Journal of Environmental Quality 37(1): 138–145. Humphreys, J. (2007) Nutrient issues on Irish farms and solutions to lower losses. International Journal of Dairy Technology. 61, 36-42 Hynes S., O’Donoghue C., Murphy E., Kinsella A., (2008) The impact of REPS participation on farm chemical input usage and the production of negative externalities. Tearmann: Irish journal of agri-environmental research 6:15-28. Jahangir, M. M. R.; Khalil, M. I.; Johnston, P.; (2012) Denitrification potential in subsoils: A mechanism to reduce nitrate leaching to groundwater. Agriculture Ecosystem and the Environment. 147, 13-23 Jordan, C., Higgins, A., Wright, P., 2007. Slurry acceptance mapping of Northern Ireland for runoff risk assessment. Soil Use and Management 23, 245–253. Kelly-Quinn, M., Tierney, D. and McGarrigle, M., 2009. Progress and challenges in the selection of type specific reference conditions for Irish rivers and lakes. Biology and Environment, Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy 109B: 151–160. Kilroy, G. and Coxon, C., (2004). Temporal variability of phosphorus fractions in Irish karst springs. Environmental Geology 47: 421–430. King, J. J.; Lehane, B. M., Wightman, G. D. (2011). Development and implementation of environmental protocols in river maintenance in Ireland. Water and Environment Journal. 25, 422-428 Maguire, Rory O.; Rubaek, Gitte H.; Haggard, Brian E., (2009) Critical Evaluation of the Implementation of Mitigation Options for Phosphorus from Field to Catchment Scales. Journal of Environmental Quality. 38, 1989-1997. McGarrigle, M.L., Champ, W.S.T., 1999. Keeping pristine lakes clean: Loughs Conn and Mask, western Ireland. Hydrobiologia 395/396, 455–469 Necpalova, M.; Casey, I.; Humphreys, J. (2013) Effect of ploughing and reseeding of permanent grassland on soil N, N leaching and nitrous oxide emissions from a clay-loam soil. Nutrient Cycling in Agroecosystems. 95, 305-317. Owens, L. B.; Shipitalo, M., J (2009) Runoff quality evaluations of continuous and rotational overwintering systems for beef cows. Agriculture Ecosystems and Environment. 129, 482-490. Premrov A.; Coxon C. E.; Hackett R., (2012) Effects of over-winter green cover on groundwater nitrate and dissolved organic carbon concentrations beneath tillage land. Science of the total Environment. 438, 144-153 Richards, K., Coxon, C.E. and Ryan, M., 2005. Unsaturated zone travel time to groundwater on a vulnerable site. Irish Geography 38(1): 57–71. Ryder, C; Moran, J; Mc Donnell, R; et al. (2005) Conservation implications of grazing practices on the plant and dipteran communities of a turlough in Co. Mayo, Ireland. Biodiversity and Conservation. 14 187-204 Schulte, R.P.O., Doody, D.G., Byrne, P., Cockerill, C., Carton, O.T., 2009. Lough Melvin: developing cost effective measures to prevent phosphorus enrichment of a unique aquatic habitat. Tearmann: Irish Journal of Agri-environmental Research 7, 211–228. Scully, H, A., Purcell, P, J., Gleeson, T, N., (2004) Earth-banked tanks for the winter storage of animal slurry. Water and Environment Journal. 18, 146-149. Serrenho, A., Fenton, O., Murphy, P. N. C., et al. (2012) Effect of chemical amendments to dairy soiled water and time between application and rainfall on phosphorus and sediment losses in runoff. Science of the Total Environment. 430, 1-7. Sharpley, A; Foy, B; Withers, P (1998) Practical and innovative measures for the control of agricultural phosphorus losses to water: An overview. Journal of Environmental Quality. 29, 1-9. Smith, R.V., Jordan, C. and Annett, J.A., 2005. A phosphorus budget for Northern Ireland: inputs to inland and coastal waters. Journal of Hydrology 304: 193–202 Sturt, Michael M.; Jansen, Marcel A. K.; Harrison, Simon S. C. (2011). Invertebrate grazing and riparian shade as controllers of nuisance algae in a eutrophic river. Freshwater Biology. 56, 25802593. Watson, C.J., Jordan, C., Lennox, S.D., Smith, R.V. & Steen, R.W.J. 2000a. Inorganic nitrogen in drainage water from grazed grassland in Northern Ireland. Journal of Environmental Quality, 29, 225–232.