Global Cropland Excess Nitrogen

Global Excess Nitrogen in Cropland by Various Sources and Geographical Distribution in 2010

Global Excess Nitrogen

The widespread application of fertilizer in croplands has resulted in varying levels of excess nitrogen in the soil. This project is a web-based, interactive visualization of a comprehensive dataset produced by the Global Landscape Initiative at the Institute on the Environment, University of Minnesota, Twin Cities.

The web visualization is built using d3.js, incorporating its core library along with the geo, projection, queue, and topojson modules. It combines vector polygons (representing countries) with raster images (depicting the distribution of excess nitrogen). When a user moves the mouse over a country, the corresponding excess nitrogen information is displayed. On the left side, users can also access categorical information about excess nitrogen inputs from synthetic fertilizer, manure, legumes, and air pollution.

Additionally, if observed closely, the web app features a subtle animation in which grass grows and shrinks on top of the “Global Nitrogen Output” box.

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