土地利用/景观格局对水环境质量的影响

土地利用/景观格局已成为影响中国水环境质量的重要因素,但目前仍然欠缺土地利用/景观格局和水环境质量之间复杂关系的深入研究。以湟水流域小峡桥断面上游为例,兼顾水环境承载力与人为活动所产生的压力,建立土地利用/景观格局对水环境质量影响的结构方程模型,计算不同土地利用/景观格局指标对水环境质量的贡献率。研究表明:点源污染是湟水流域水环境质量恶化的主要因素,其贡献率最大(37.3%);而土地利用/景观格局的4个指标(不透水面面积占比、建设用地中绿地面积占比、湿地连通性和湿地聚集度)对水环境质量的贡献率相对较大,分别为9.14%、 7.91%、 7.44%和6.96%。加大点源污染控制力度、增强湿地连通性与聚集度、增大建设用地中绿地面积并减少不透水面面积是改善湟水流域小峡桥断面上游水环境质量的有效措施。     

Sources of nutrient pollution to coastal waters in the United States: Implications for achieving coastal water quality goals

Some 60% of coastal rivers and bays in the U.S. have been moderately to severely degraded by nutrient pollution. Both nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) contribute to the problem, although for most coastal systems N additions cause more damage. Globally, human activity has increased the flux of N and P from land to the oceans by 2-fold and 3-fold, respectively. For N, much of this increase has occurred over the past 40 years, with the increase varying by region. Human activity has increased the flux of N in the Mississippi River basin by 4-fold, in the rivers of the northeastern U.S. by 8-fold, and in the rivers draining to the North Sea by more than 10-fold. The sources of nutrients to the coast vary. For some estuaries, sewage treatment plants are the largest single input; for most systems nonpoint sources of nutrients are now of relatively greater importance, both because of improved point source treatment and control (particularly for P) and because of increases in the total magnitude of nonpoint sources (particularly for N) over the past three decades. For P, agricultural activities dominate nonpoint source fluxes. Agriculture is also the major source of N in many systems, including the flux of N down the Mississippi River, which has contributed to the large hypoxic zone in the Gulf of Mexico. For both P and N, agriculture contributes to nonpoint source pollution both through losses at the field scale, as soils erode away and fertilizer is leached to surface and ground waters, and from losses from animal feedlot operations. In the U.S. N from animal wastes that leaks directly to surface waters or is volatilized to the atmosphere as ammonia may be the single largest source of N that moves from agricultural operations into coastal waters. In some regions, including the northeastern U.S., atmospheric deposition of oxidized N from fossil-fuel combustion is the major flux from nonpoint sources. This atmospheric component of the N flux into estuaries has often been underestimated, particularly with respect to deposition onto the terrestrial landscape with subsequent export downstream. Because the relative importance of these nutrient sources varies among regions and sites, so too must appropriate and effective mitigation strategies. The regional nature and variability of nutrient sources require that nutrient management efforts address large geographic areas.     

Effects of land use classification on landscape metrics based on remote sensing and GIS

Landscape metrics are important when studying landscape structure and function. This study investigated the sensitivity of two core sets of landscape metrics to different land use classification systems by analyzing two typical landscapes at a small watershed scale and a county scale on the Loess Plateau, China. The results showed that (1) eight landscape metrics, selected using Spearman’s correlation coefficient method and principle component analysis, adequately reflected the major landscape properties at both scales. (2) Land use classification had a significant influence on most of the selected landscape metrics, affecting their magnitude and the way in which they changed with increasing classification details; four general patterns were exhibited, i.e., increasing; decreasing; increasing and then decreasing; and relatively constant at the small watershed scale, while for the county scale, they were increasing; decreasing; increasing and then decreasing; and remaining relatively constant after initially increasing. (3) The general response patterns of most of the selected landscape metrics to the changing land use classification were similar among different years at both scales, which implied that the age of the data source used to generate the land use maps since 1982 had little effect on the landscape metrics, and that the underlying landscape pattern described by the metrics had not notably changed.     

Couplings of watersheds and coastal waters: Sources and consequences of nutrient enrichment in Waquoit Bay,Massachusetts

Human activities on coastal watersheds provide the major sources of nutrients entering shallow coastal ecosystems. Nutrient loadings from watersheds are the most widespread factor that alters structure and function of receiving aquatic ecosystems. To investigate this coupling of land to marine systems, we are studying a series of subwatersheds of Waquoit Bay that differ in degree of urbanization and hence are exposed to widely different nutrient loading rates. The subwatersheds differ in the number of septic tanks and the relative acreage of forests. In the area of our study, groundwater is the major mechanism that transports nutrients to coastal waters. Although there is some attenuation of nutrient concentrations within the aquifer or at the sediment-water interface, in urbanized areas there are significant increases in the nutrient content of groundwater arriving at the shore’s edge. The groundwater seeps or flows through the sediment-water boundary, and sufficient groundwater-borne nutrients (nitrogen in particular) traverse the sediment-water boundary to cause significant changes in the aquatic ecosystem. These loading-dependent alterations include increased nutrients in water, greater primary production by phytoplankton, and increased macroaglal biomass and growth (mediated by a suite of physiological responses to abundance of nutrients). The increased macroalgal biomass dominates the bay ecosystem through second- or third-order effects such as alterations of nutrient status of water columns and increasing frequency of anoxic events. The increases in seaweeds have decreased the areas covered by eelgrass habitats. The change in habitat type, plus the increased frequency of anoxic events, change the composition of the benthic fauna. The data make evident the importance of bottom-up control in shallow coastal food webs. The coupling of land to sea by groundwater-borne nutrient transport is mediated by a complex series of steps; the cascade of processes make it unlikely to find a one-to-one relation between land use and conditions in the aquatic ecosystem. Study of the process and synthesis by appropriate models may provide a way to deal with the complexities of the coupling.     

Effects of land use change on landscape pattern of the Manas River watershed in Xinjiang, China

The mechanism of interaction between land use change and landscape pattern is pivotal in research concerning global environmental change. Quantitative evaluation of land use change that has resulted from excessive land development and its impact on landscape pattern are important for sustainable utilization of local land resources. The study area was the Manas River watershed, a typical watershed in an arid area. The present study evaluated the influence of long-term land use change on the landscape pattern; the findings are valuable for economic development and environmental protection. The processes for land use change and changes in landscape pattern were reconstructed and analyzed for data in topographic maps dated 1962 and in remote sensing images taken in 1976, 1989, 1999 and 2008 using mathematical models and landscape metrics. The results indicate significant changes in land use over the past 50 years, with increases in the areas of cultivated land and construction land, and a significant decrease in unused land and woodland areas; grassland and water resources first increased and then tended to decrease over this time. The comprehensive index of land use change is 0.55, indicating an unbalanced, one-way transition in the study area. Landscape fragmentation and diversity increased and landscape dominance decreased; in other words, differences between landscapes decreased. The changes resulted in a significant tendency toward diversity and fragmentation of the landscape. Therefore, large-scale intensive agricultural development can reduce the negative influence of land use change on the landscape pattern.     

天津滨海新区重点海岸带土地生态景观综合分析与评价

土地生态景观分类是土地分类的深化,土地生态景观分析能够更好地审视生态环境的现状和变化。文章以天津滨海新区重点海岸带为研究区域,以高精度航空影像和GF-2卫星影像为数据源,结合Naveh的景观分类系统完成了研究区的土地生态景观遥感调查。在遥感调查的基础上,选取斑块面积（CA）、斑块数量（NP）、最大斑块所占景观面积比例（LPI）等12项景观格局指标对研究区的景观现状进行了综合分析,发现：1）工业及居住景观呈团块式聚集,农业景观和人工养殖景观破碎程度较高;2）研究区景观异质性明显,景观格局类型稳定性差且景观格局分布具有明显的地域性;3）工业及沿岸浅海区规划较好,然而荒漠景观分布面积较多且集中,需要重点规划和治理。研究表明景观格局能够准确反映研究区景观的基本特征,对研究区今后的生态环境改善、旅游景观分析以及土地资源利用和规划提供一定的参考价值和指导意义。

     

Nutrient uptake in a highly turbid estuary (the Humber, United Kingdom) and adjacent coastal waters

Surveys were conducted in April and June 1995 to quantify the uptake of dissolved nutrients in a highly turbid estuary (the Humber, United Kingdom) and to determine the factors controlling nutrient uptake rates. A combination of isotope labelling methods were used in conjunction with on-deck incubation techniques to estimate the uptake of dissolved nutrients (PO₄ ^3?, NH₄ ⁺, NO₃ ^?, and urea) in surface samples collected from coastal waters. Similarly, isotope labelling and laboratory incubgation techniques were employed to estimate dissolved nitrogen uptake (NH₄ ⁺, NO₃ ^?, and urea) in surface samples collected from the estuary mouth. Nutrient uptake rates were at the low end of ranges for coastal and estuarine environments reported in the literature. Concentrations of chlorophyll and the availability of photosynthetically active radiation were identified as potentially important factors controlling the uptake rates of nutrients. Uptake rates of dissolved nitrogen in the Humber mouth appeared to be related to the location of smapling sites. Depletion rates of dissolved nutrients in situ were estimated on the basis of integrated water column nutrient uptake rates and indicated assimilation of up to 16% of nutrients in the entire water column. Estimated depletion rates did not indicate preferential loss of any of the nutrient species investigated.     

1985-2014年漓江流域景观格局动态变化研究

文章以漓江流域为研究对象,应用1985年、2000年和2014年3期遥感影像,提取土地利用数据,采用土地利用动态度、土地利用转移矩阵等方法,分析1985-2014年漓江流域土地利用的演变趋势;结合Fragstats4.2景观分析工具,识别了该流域景观格局的动态变化。结果表明：1985-2014年,漓江流域土地利用整体变化幅度不大,主要表现为林地、耕地和草地面积减小,湿地、居民及城乡建设用地和未利用土地面积增加,且变化集中发生在2000-2014年。同时景观水平上破碎化和复杂化程度加剧,聚集程度和斑块连续程度有待提高;类型水平上林地景观破碎化层度增加,耕地和草地斑块面积增加,湿地和居民及城乡建设用地的聚集度较高,分布集中。     

Impact of land use and land cover changes on landscape structure in the dry lands of Southern Africa: a case of the Zambezi Region,Namibia

GeoJournal - The study evaluated patterns of land use and land cover (LULC) change in the Zambezi Region, Namibia between 1984 and 2010 using geospatial tools. Spatio-temporal dynamics of LULC...     

Relationships between benthic community condition, water quality, sediment quality, nutrient loads, and land use patterns in Chesapeake Bay

Associations between macrobenthic communities, measures of water column and sediment exposure, and measures of anthropogenic activities throughout the watershed were examined for the Chesapeake Bay, U.S. The condition of the macrobenthic communities was indicated by a multimetric benthic index of biotic integrity (B-IBI) that compares deviation of community metrics from values at reference sites assumed to be minimally altered by anthropogenic sources of stress. Correlation analysis was used to examine associations between sites with poor benthic condition and measures of pollution exposure in the water column and sediment. Low dissolved oxygen events were spatially extensive and strongly correlated with benthic community condition, explaining 42% of the variation in the B-IBI. Sediment contamination was spatially limited to a few specific locations including Baltimore Harbor and the Southern Branch of the Elizabeth River and explained about 10% of the variation in the B-IBI. After removing the effects of low dissolved oxygen events, the residual variation in benthic community condition was weakly correlated with surrogates for eutrophication—water column concentrations of total nitrogen, total phosphorus, and chlorophylla. Associations between benthic conditions and anthropogenic inputs and activities in the watershed were also studied by correlation analysis. Benthic condition was negatively correlated with measures of urbanization (i.e., population density, point source loadings, and total nitrogen loadings) and positively correlated with watershed forestation. Significant correlations were observed with population density and nitrogen loading below the fall line, but not above it, suggesting that near-field activities have a greater effect on benthic condition than activities in the upper watershed. At the tributary level, the frequency of low dissolved oxygen events and levels of sediment contaminants were positively correlated with population density and percent of urban land use. Sediment contaminants were also positively correlated with point source nutrient loadings. Water column total nitrogen concentrations were positively correlated with nonpoint nutrient loadings and agricultural land use while total phosphorus concentrations were not correlated with land use or nutrient loadings. Chlorophylla concentrations were positively correlated with nitrogen and phosphorus concentrations in the water column and with agricultural land use but were not correlated with nutrient loads.     

Predicting the impact of land use on the major element and nutrient fluxes in coastal Mediterranean rivers: The case of the Têt River (Southern France)

This study presents a detailed discrimination between the natural and anthropogenic sources of dissolved major elements in the Têt River, a typical small coastal river in the south of France. The main objectives were to quantify the materials that were released by human activities in the basin, and to determine the specific element inputs for the major land use forms. The dissolved material fluxes were estimated by weekly monitoring over a hydrological year (2000–2001) along the major water gauging stations, and the flux relationships were examined in the context of anthropogenic and natural basin characteristics as determined by a Geographical Information System (GIS). Intensive agricultural land use in the form of fruit tree cultures and vineyards has a strong control on the dissolved element fluxes in the river. Area specific element releases for these cultures are greatest for SO₄, with an estimated average of about 430 ± 18 keq km⁻² a⁻¹. This is ?11 times the natural SO₄ release by rock weathering. Also for K, NO₃, PO₄ and Mg, the specific releases were ?6 times the natural weathering rates (respectively about 44, 60, 4 and 265 keq km⁻² a⁻¹). Waste-waters are the other major source of anthropogenic elements in the river. They have an important role for the fluxes of inorganic P and N, but they are also a considerable source of Cl and Na to the river. For example, the average annual release of Cl is around 150 moles/inhabitant in the rural basin parts. Further downstream, however, where population density strongly increases, industrial effluents can enhance this value (>300 moles/inhabitant). The waste-waters contribute more than 70% of the dissolved inorganic N export to the sea, although their contribution to the average DOC export is almost negligible (3%).     

Effects of land use changes on soil erosion in a fast developing area

Land use changes extensively affect soil erosion, which is a great environmental concern. To evaluate the effect of land use change on soil erosion in fast economic developing areas, we studied land use changes of Guangdong, China, from 2002 to 2009 using remote sensing and estimated soil erosion using the Universal Soil Loss Equation. We calculated the areas and percentage of each land use type under different erosion intensity and analyzed soil erosion changes caused by transitions of land use types. In addition, the impact of land use change on soil erosion in different river catchments was studied. Our results show that forest and wasteland land conversions induce substantial soil erosion, while transition from wasteland to forest retards soil loss. This suggests that vegetation cover changes significantly influence soil erosion. Any conversion to wasteland causes soil erosion, whereas expansion of forests and orchards mitigates it. The most significant increase in soil erosion from 2002 to 2009 was found in the Beijiang catchment corresponding to the transition from forest/orchard to built-up and wasteland. Soil erosion in the Xijiang catchment accelerated in this period due to the enormous reduction in orchard land. In Hanjiang catchment, erosion was alleviated and vegetation coverage greatly expanded owing to considerable transitions from wasteland and cropland to orchards. Field investigations validated our estimations and proved the applicability of this method. Measures including protecting vegetation, strict control of mining as well as reasonable urban planning should be taken to prevent successive soil erosion.     

Effects of stormwater nutrient discharges on eutrophication processes in nearshore waters of the Florida keys

Rainfall events cause episodic discharges of groundwaters contaminated with septic tank effluent into nearshore waters of the Florida keys, enhancing eutrophication in sensitive coral reef communities. Our study characterized the effects of stormwater discharges by continuously (30-min intervals) measuring salinity, temperature, tidal stage, and dissolved oxygen (DO) along an offshore eutrophication gradient prior to and following heavy rainfall at the beginning of the 1992 rainy season. The gradient included stations at a developed canal system (PP) on Big Pine Key, a seagrass meadow in a tidal channel (PC), a nearshore patch reef (PR), a bank reef at Looe Key National Marine Sanctuary (LK), and a blue water station (BW) approximately 9 km off of Big PIne Key. Water samples were collected at weekly intervals during this period to determine concentrations of total nitrogen (TN), ammonium (NH₄ ⁺), nitrate plus nitrite NO₃ ^? plus NO₂ ^?), total phosphorus (TP), total dissolved phosphorus (TDP), soluble reactive phosphorus (SRP), and chlorophyll a (chl a). Decreased salinity immediately followed the first major rainfall at Big Pine Key, which was followed by anoxia (DO <0.1 mg I^?1), high concentrations of NH₄ ⁺ (≈24 μM), TDP (≈1.5 μM), and chl a (≈20 μg I^?1). Maximum concentration of TDP (≈0.30 μM) also followed the initial rainfall at the PC, PR, and LK stations. In contrast, NH₄ ⁺ (≈4.0 μM) and chl a (0.45 μg I^?1) lagged the rain event by 1–3 wk, depending on distance from shore. The highest and most variable concentrations of NH₄ ⁺, TDP, and chl a occurred at PP, and all nutrient parameters correlated positively with rainfall. DO at all stations was positively correlated with tide and salinity and the lowest values occurred during low tide and low salinity (high rainfall) periods. Hypoxia (DO <2.5 mg I^?1) was observed at all stations follwing the stormwater discharges, including the offshore bank reef station LK. Our study demonstrated that high frequency (daily) sampling is necessary to track the effects of episodic rainfall events on water quality and that such effects can be detected at considerable distances (12 km) from shore. The low levels of DO and high levels of nutrients and chl a in coastal waters of the Florida Keys demand that special precautions be exercised in the treatment and discharge of wastewaters and land-based runoff in order to preserve sensitive coral reef communities.     

Spatial heterogeneous response of land use and landscape functions to ecological restoration: the case of the Chinese loess hilly region

Ecological restorations over time may have profound effects on ecological and socio-economic systems. However, land-use changes and landscape functions that accompany ecological restorations can have spatial differentiations due to varied biophysical and socio-economic contexts. Therefore, these spatial differentiations caused by ecological restoration must be understood for better planning and management of restoration activities. The Baota District, with 576 villages in the center of the Chinese Loess Plateau, was selected as the study area because of its dramatic transition from cropland to grassland and shrubland from 1990 to 2010. Using the ArcGIS software and a k-means clustering analysis, an approach to identify types of land-use change patterns (TLCPs) at the village level was developed, and four TLCPs were delineated. The analysis indicated a general pattern of cropland decline by 21.6 %, but revealed significant spatial variations between villages in different TLCPs. Vegetation cover and soil retention, which are key proxies for landscape functions, increased by 22.70 and 108 %, respectively, from 2000 to 2010 with significant spatial heterogeneity. The Universal Soil Loss Equation was employed for the assessment of soil retention. The analysis of landscape metrics revealed a major trend of fragmentation and regularity on the county and village scale; however, spatial variations remained. Physical attributes were used to characterize different TLCPs, and notable differences were found. The spatial heterogeneous change in land use and landscape functions on the village scale may be useful for land use and ecological restoration management policy makers.     

Effects of poor quality irrigation waters on the nutrient leaching and groundwater quality from sandy soil

Sodium (Na⁺) in poor quality irrigation water participate in ion-exchange processes results in the displacement of base cations into solution and a raised concentration in groundwater. Knowledge of the rate of decrease of nutrients from soils resulting from poor water quality application is essential for long-term planning of crop production while minimizing the impact on groundwater quality. In this study, we examined the effect of sodium adsorption ratio (SAR) of irrigation water on nutrients leaching and groundwater quality in columns of sandy soil. Three types of irrigation waters at three NaCl–CaCl₂ solutions with the following levels of SAR (5, 15, and 30) were synthesized in laboratory. With the application of solutions, exchange occurred between solution Na⁺ and exchangeable cations (Ca²⁺, Mg²⁺, and K⁺), resulting in the displacement of these cations and anions into solution. Increasing the level of SAR from 5 to 15 and 30 resulted in increase in the average exchangeable sodium percentage (ESP) of the soil from 10.4 to 20.3, and 32.5, respectively. Adverse effect of high Na⁺ concentration in the solutions on raising ESP was less pronounced in solution having low SAR. Leaching of Ca²⁺, Mg²⁺, K⁺, and P from soil with the application of solutions represents a significant loss of valuable nutrients. This sandy soil showed the high risk for nutrients transfer into groundwater in concentrations exceeding the groundwater quality standard. Irrigation with poor quality water, which is generally more sodic and saline than regional groundwater, increases the rate of sodification and salinization of shallow groundwater.     

The influence of geology and land use on arsenic in stream sediments and ground waters in New England,USA

Population statistics for As concentrations in rocks, sediments and ground water differ by geology and land use features in the New England region, USA. Significant sources of As in the surficial environment include both natural weathering of rocks and anthropogenic sources such as arsenical pesticides that were commonly applied to apple, blueberry and potato crops during the first half of the 20th century in the region. The variation of As in bedrock ground water wells has a strong positive correlation with geologic features at the geologic province, lithology group, and bedrock map unit levels. The variation of As in bedrock ground water wells also has a positive correlation with elevated stream sediment and rock As chemistry. Elevated As concentrations in bedrock wells do not correlate with past agricultural areas that used arsenical pesticides on crops. Stream sediments, which integrate both natural and anthropogenic sources, have a strong positive correlation of As concentrations with rock chemistry, geologic provinces and ground water chemistry, and a weaker positive correlation with past agricultural land use. Although correlation is not sufficient to demonstrate cause-and-effect, the statistics favor rock-based As as the dominant regional source of the element in stream sediments and ground water in New England. The distribution of bedrock geology features at the geologic province, lithology group and map unit level closely correlate with areas of elevated As in ground water, stream sediments, and rocks.