富营养化湖泊典型水华蓝藻的固有光学特性

固有光学特性是水体光学特性的重要内容,掌握富营养化湖泊水体内典型水华蓝藻的固有光学特性,是开展不同水华蓝藻遥感识别的理论基础.利用AC-S吸收衰减仪、BB9后向散射仪,通过实验室纯藻培养,研究微囊藻（Microcystis）、鱼腥藻（Dolichospermum）和束丝藻（Aphanizomenon）3种典型水华蓝藻的固有光学特性,并探讨色素浓度、色素占比以及藻类等效粒径对不同水华蓝藻固有光学特性的影响.结果表明,3种典型水华蓝藻的吸收光谱曲线均具有440、620和675 nm吸收峰,微囊藻620和675 nm的比吸收系数最大,鱼腥藻440 nm处的比吸收系数最大;束丝藻单位色素浓度的散射和后向散射能力最高,鱼腥藻次之,微囊藻最低;固有光学特性影响因子分析表明,色素浓度和藻蓝素占比是影响3种水华蓝藻固有光学特性的主要因素.3种蓝藻的吸收系数、散射系数以及鱼腥藻、束丝藻的后向散射系数均随着色素浓度（叶绿素a或藻蓝素）的增加而增大;当蓝藻中藻蓝素占比增加时,3种蓝藻的单位色素浓度的后向散射系数逐渐下降;而藻细胞粒径与固有光学特性之间并未表现出很好的相关性.因此,3种水华蓝藻单位色素浓度的固有光学特性将为典型水华蓝藻的遥感识别提供重要的理论基础和数据支持.     

Morphological and molecular analysis of bloom-forming Cyanobacteria in two eutrophic, shallow Mediterranean lakes

We investigated the diversity of Cyanobacteria by microscopic observation and sequencing of cyanobacterial-specific amplified 16S rRNA genes in the water column of two shallow, eutrophic lakes (Doirani and Kastoria, northern Greece) during summer blooms. Previous phytoplankton studies in these lakes have shown that prolonged cyanobacterial blooms can occur, which are dominated by known toxic species, as well as other less known, co-occurring species. A total of 118 clones were sequenced which were grouped in 23 Cyanobacteria and 11 chloroplast-like phylotypes. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that each library included several unique phylotypes, as well as members of all common bloom-forming Cyanobacteria. Most of the phylotypes belonged to the genera Microcystis, Anabaena, Aphanizomenon, Cylindrospermopsis-Raphidiopsis group, Limnothrix and Planktothrix, comprising most of the diversity previously recognized by morphological observations in cyanobacterial morphospecies in these lakes. In addition, novel phylotypes belonging to the Chroococcales were recognized in both lakes. The structure of the cyanobacterial communities of the lakes were very similar, as revealed by the diversity index H (2.06 and 2.01 for L. Doirani and Kastoria, respectively) and LIBSHUFF analysis (XY₁₂P-value = 0.122 and YX₁₂P-value = 0.536), due to occurrence of groups of common phylotypes. This study gives an example for successful cyanobacterial bloom analysis by the combination of morphological and phylogenetic methods useful for monitoring cyanobacteria and water quality in freshwaters.     

Hydrology and geomorphology of the Upper White Nile lakes and their relevance for water resources management in the Nile basin

Remote sensing data and digital elevation models were utilized to extract the catchment hydrological parameters and to delineate storage areas for the Ugandan Equatorial Lakes region. Available rainfall/discharge data are integrated with these morphometric data to construct a hydrological model that simulates the water balance of the different interconnected basins and enables the impact of potential management options to be examined. The total annual discharges of the basins are generally very low (less than 7% of the total annual rainfall). The basin of the shallow (5 m deep) Lake Kioga makes only a minor hydrological contribution compared with other Equatorial Lakes, because most of the overflow from Lake Victoria basin into Lake Kioga is lost by evaporation and evapotranspiration. The discharge from Lake Kioga could be significantly increased by draining the swamps through dredging and deepening certain channel reaches. Development of hydropower dams on the Equatorial Lakes will have an adverse impact on the annual water discharge downstream, including the occasional reduction of flow required for filling up to designed storage capacities and permanently increasing the surface areas of water that is exposed to evaporation. On the basis of modelling studies, alternative sites are proposed for hydropower development and water storage schemes. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Evidence for toxic cyanobacteria in sediments and the water-sediment interface of a tropical drinking water reservoir

Cyanobacterial blooms in drinking water reservoirs constitute a health risk for humans and animals, especially in tropical zones where climate conditions may favour their prevalence throughout the year. The presence, viability, and toxicity of cyanobacteria were determined in the euphotic zone, in the water-sediment interface, and in the upper sediment fraction of the Riogrande II reservoir (Antioquia, Colombia), which provides drinking water for 1.4 million people. Cyanobacterial identification and quantification were performed in environmental samples of the euphotic zone and of the sediment-water interface. In addition, the effects of environmental parameters on occurrences of cyanobacteria were assessed and two microcystin synthetase (mcy) genes were extracted from water, interface, and sediment samples and quantified using qPCR. The viability of the cells in cultures from these different matrices was determined using chlorophyll-a measurements. Chlorophyll-a concentrations representing the biomass of cyanobacteria were higher at the interface than in the euphotic zone at all sampling sites. The potentially toxic genera Dolichospermum and Microcystis predominated in the euphotic zone and the interface, respectively. Moreover, the copy numbers of mcy genes was higher in cyanobacteria sampled at the interface and the upper sediment layers than in cyanobacteria sampled in the euphotic zone, which were correlated with the order Chroococcales. No impact of variation in environmental conditions on cyanobacterial abundance was observed. Viability of cyanobacterial cultures sampled from the interface and the upper sediment fraction showed the ability of cyanobacteria from several orders to proliferate under lab conditions. These results show that the surface sediment layer from Riogrande II serves as a sink for potentially toxic cyanobacteria which have the potential to recolonize and bloom in the water column.     

富营养化湖泊中硫酸盐对蓝藻衰亡产甲烷过程的影响

随着外源性硫酸盐（SO₄^2-）的持续性输入,富营养化湖泊水体的SO₄^2-浓度持续升高.野外长期监测结果表明,近几十年太湖水体的SO₄^2-浓度逐渐升高,达到了96 mg/L的水平.此外,富营养化湖泊中蓝藻水华衰亡会产生并释放大量的甲烷（CH₄）,湖泊水体的SO₄^2-浓度升高是否会对沉积物产CH₄过程造成影响仍缺乏相关研究.本实验构建了蓝藻水体沉积物微宇宙系统,通过添加30、60、90、120和150 mg/L五组浓度的硫酸盐,探究不同SO₄^2-浓度下蓝藻衰亡过程中水体的SO₄^2-、还原性硫化物（∑S^2-）和CH₄的变化规律.结果表明,蓝藻聚积衰亡的第6~9天硫酸盐还原作用最为强烈,此时水体中的SO₄^2-浓度快速下降到最低值,依次为7.65、8.87、21.21、41.14和56.54 mg/L.伴随着硫酸盐还原过程的进行,水柱中∑S^2-的浓度不断上升,并达到最高值,依次为4.77、6.98、7.49、7.49和7.43 mg/L.蓝藻聚积衰亡的第10~21天水体中的SO₄^2-浓度维持在较低水平,∑S^2-浓度逐渐下降,并趋近于0.培养开始时,CH₄增长缓慢,SO₄^2-浓度下降之后,CH₄浓度逐渐上升,并在第6~9天迅速上升,培养结束时,CH₄的最终浓度随着水体初始SO₄^2-浓度的增加而降低,依次为546.39、207.24、79.61、37.25和5.56 μmol/L,CH₄的浓度与初始水体SO₄^2-浓度呈指数型负相关关系.因此,对于精准评估富营养化湖泊的产甲烷过程,需要考虑不断上升的SO₄^2-浓度所带来的影响.     

Suspended sediment,nutrients, and chlorophyll in tropical floodplain lakes with different patterns of hydrological connectivity

The ecological functioning of floodplain lakes is largely influenced by the interaction with the river mainstem. In this study, seasonal variation in water chemistry and the relationship with the river conditions were compared between floodplain lakes that differ in the level of connection to the Usumacinta River, the largest river of Mesoamerica. Samples for suspended solids, nutrients, and chlorophyll a were collected through the year in lakes permanently connected to the river and in lakes that only received water from the Usumacinta for a short period during peak flow. Floodplain lakes showed higher total suspended solids than the river during the dry season while during the rainy season greater differences were observed between the river and the lakes, probably explained by higher concentrations in the river and greater sedimentation in the lakes. Greater organic matter content in the suspended solids was observed in the floodplain lakes, particularly in the more isolated lakes, likely related to high algal biomass. Nitrate concentrations were always higher in the river than in the lakes and lower nitrate concentrations occurred at the isolated lakes, suggesting that processes that remove nitrate occur through the year and are a common feature of floodplain lakes. Phosphorus in the connected lakes was higher than in the river only during the dry season, while in the isolated lakes concentrations were always greater than in the river. Chlorophyll a concentrations were higher in the connected lakes than in the river only during the dry season, while the more isolated lakes exhibited higher values through the year, showing signs of eutrophication. Suspended organic matter, nitrate, and chlorophyll showed larger differences between lake and river sites in the more isolated lakes, probably related to greater water residence time and its influence on primary production. Less connected lakes are more vulnerable to flow alteration because the brief period of connection to the river can be compromised and the effects of eutrophication exacerbated.     

富营养化湖泊蓝藻—芦苇碎屑堆积分解过程及其潜在的共代谢效应

为探究富营养化浅水湖泊所富集的有机物对湖泊碳循环和水质的影响,本研究构建微宇宙系统,模拟蓝藻和芦苇碎屑单独分解及混合分解过程.通过测定各组上覆水营养盐浓度、有机质含量及结构的变化,揭示富营养化湖泊藻草残体混合分解过程中养分和有机碳的释放特征.结果 表明,在实验0～88 h内,在添加相同的碳源条件下,蓝藻和芦苇混合处理组...     

富营养化浅水湖泊沉水水生植被的衰退与恢复

对国外近年来有关富营养化浅水湖泊的退化与恢复方面的研究进展以及生物操纵作用作了述评,对有关富营养化湖泊沉水植被衰退的有代表性的３种假说也作了介绍。根据“八五”期间武汉东湖水生植被重建的研究工作和多年积累的湖泊水生植被调查资料,提出了长江中下游浅湖富营养化过程中沉水植被演替的模式。     

南京市两个小型富营养湖泊浮游硅藻的季节性变化

为研究浅水富营养湖泊硅藻季节演替的规律,选择南京两个城市湖泊(前湖和月牙湖)作为对象,对水体硅藻和水质进行逐月采样和实验分析,结合数理统计分析手段,对2006年硅藻浓度、种群组合变化及其与环境因子的关系进行了讨论,结果表明:两湖硅藻都呈现较明显的季节演替特点,冬季浮游硅藻组合主要由Cyclostephanos的种类为主,代表了冷水富营养种组合类型:夏季和秋季以Cyclotella atomus和C.meneghiniana暖水耐营养种优势组合为主,硅藻和环境指标月富营养湖泊,春季硅藻丰度增加对初级生产量的贡献很小;随着营养程度的不断提高,温度对浮游硅藻的限制更为突出.     

Spatial distribution of cyanotoxins and ratios of microcystin to biomass indicators in the reservoirs of the Volga,Kama and Don Rivers,the European part of Russia

We studied the distribution of cyanotoxins and potential producers, as well as the variability of microcystin to biomass parameters (chlorophyll-a; MC/Chl-a; and biovolume; MC/BV) in 12 drinking water reservoirs of the world’s largest reservoir system, the Volga-Kama-Don cascade (European part of Russia) during the summers of 2016 and 2018. MC concentrations varied from below 0.1 μg L⁻¹ in June up to 16.4 μg L⁻¹ in August and exceeded 1 μg L^-1 in 25 % of the samples. This MC variability was associated to changes in the abundance of widespread bloom formers such as Microcystis spp., Dolichospermum spp. and Planktothrix agardhii. Ratios of MC/Chl-a and MC/BV_cyano ranged up to 0.88 μg μg⁻¹ and 4.5 μg mm⁻³, respectively. Together with microcystin profiles MC/BV_cyano ratios characterized cyanobacterial populations along the reservoir cascade and they indicated a potential toxin hazard better than MC/Chl-a. The neurotoxin anatoxin-a was observed only in the most southern and hypereutrophic Tsimlyansk Reservoir (maximum 0.01 μg L⁻¹). Toxin gene analysis revealed that MC mostly originated from Microcystis and Dolichospermum. During their co-existence up to 14 MC congeners co-occurred. Cuspidothrix issatschenkoi cf. Raphidiopsis mediterranea was identified as possible neurotoxin producers.     

安徽沿江两个富营养化浅水湖泊克氏原螯虾(Procambarus clarkii)遗传毒性比较

富营养化湖泊的蓝藻水华加剧了水体污染,影响湖泊生态系统的稳定.本研究针对安徽沿江富营养化程度不同的巢湖和菜子湖,2010年4--9月份,利用微核和彗星电泳实验检测水体污染物对克氏原螯虾(Procambarus clarkii)血细胞的微核率和DNA损伤,评价湖泊污染物的遗传毒性效应.巢湖和菜子湖细胞微核率最低值分别为0.316±0.131和0.243±0.063,最高值分别为0.624±0.136和0.360±0.081;巢湖DNA损伤三项指标TailDNA、TM和OTM最高值为7.59±1.58、2.75±1.55和3.12±1.45,菜子湖为5.02±1.42、1.07±0.16和1.19±0.26.两个湖泊克氏原螯虾血细胞微核率和DNA损伤都表现为随时间推移而增加,且巢湖6、7月份血细胞微核率和DNA损伤增加幅度最大.7、8、9三个月份,两湖泊细胞微核率和DNA损伤差异性达到极显著.彗星实验和微核实验结果一致,但前者更敏感.两种不同的遗传毒性检测方法结合能更好地检测污染物对机体产生的遗传毒性作用.     

浅水湖泊湖泛(黑水团)中的微生物生态学研究进展

"湖泛"是指湖泊水体中(包括沉积物)富含大量藻源性(或草源性)的生物质,在微生物的分解作用下,大量消耗氧气,出现厌氧分解,微生物在还原条件下,促进许多"黑臭"物质的形成,进而影响水质和湖泊生态系统结构与功能乃至造成环境灾难.与湖泛发生时的环境特征(如低溶解氧,低p H,高有机质,高总磷、总氮)相对应的是其简化的食物网结构和特殊的微生物类群.本文将主要针对湖泛中的微生物群落及其在物质循环中的作用展开综述.研究显示湖泛水体中主要微生物类群,如真菌、细菌厚壁菌门的梭菌以及产甲烷古菌等,在有机质的快速分解和厌氧矿化过程中发挥着重要作用;沉积物中主要的微生物功能群,如硫酸盐还原细菌、铁还原细菌、甲烷厌氧氧化菌和反硝化细菌等,是湖泛致黑物质形成的关键.缺氧及厌氧条件下碳、硫和铁等元素生物地球化学过程的相互关联以及多种微生物之间形成的互营共生可能是湖泛过程中功能微生物的重要特征.湖泛中微生物功能的进一步研究,亟需借鉴海洋低氧区及深海沉积物的经验,引用先进研究手段,提出可靠的生物地球化学证据.浅水湖泊湖泛(黑水团)中的微生物生态学探索将有助于从机理上揭示湖泛黑臭的成因.     

Microbial community of cyanobacteria mats in the intertidal zone of oil-polluted coast of Saudi Arabia

Cyanobacterial mats are found at various locations along the coast of the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia. Those mats were affected by severe oil pollution following 1991 oil spill. In this study, samples from Abu Ali Island were collected at three selected sampling sites across the intertidal zone (Lower, Middle, and Upper) in order to understand the effect of extreme environmental conditions of high salinity, temperature and desiccation on distribution of cyanobacteria along the oil polluted intertidal zone. Our investigation of composition of cyanobacteria and diatoms was carried out using light microscopy, and Denaturant Gradient Gel Electrophoresis (DGGE) technique. Light microscopy identification revealed dominant cyanobacteria to be affiliated with genera Phormidium, Microcoleus, and Schizothrix, and to a lesser extent with Oscillatoria, Halothece, and various diatom species. The analysis of DGGE of PCR-amplified 16S rRNA fragments showed that the diversity of cyanobacteria decreases as we proceed from the lower to the upper intertidal zone. Accordingly, the tidal regime, salinity, elevated ambient air temperature, and desiccation periods have a great influence on the distribution of cyanobacterial community in the oil polluted intertidal zone of Abu Ali Island.     

Variation in diet across an elevational gradient in the larvae of two Hydropsyche species (Trichoptera)

While specialized species are linked to a particular resource, omnivorous species may switch between food items according to the availability and the quality of resources. Here we use larvae of the omnivorous caddisfly genus Hydropsyche (Trichoptera) to analyse changes in diet composition across an elevational gradient. Periphyton and Hydropsyche larvae were sampled from 22 populations at stream orders from 2 to 5 on the German part of the Bohemian Forest. Elevations of sampling sites ranged between 300 m and 900 m a.s.l.. Diet composition was estimated by the analyses of the gut content of larvae as well as by stable nitrogen isotopes (δ¹⁵N). The δ¹⁵N values of the periphyton decreased and the C/N ratio of periphyton increased with increasing environmental harshness (decreasing water pH, temperature and conductivity with increasing elevation) indicating a decrease of periphyton food quality. Across individuals, the proportion of animals in the gut of Hydropsyche larvae was positively related to the difference of δ¹⁵N values between larvae and periphyton. The proportion of animals within the gut and (baseline corrected) δ¹⁵N values of Hydropsyche populations increased with increasing environmental harshness. We suggest that the (i) low primary production caused by shading, low temperatures and low nutrient levels, (ii) the low nutrient quality of periphyton and (iii) the availability of animal prey due to the input of allochthonous resources in headwaters caused the shift in the diet of Hydropsyche larvae along the river continuum.     

火山活动对热带高空温度变化的影响

本文利用序列回归分析、对比分析和个例分析法分析了火山活动对热带高空大气的温度效应. 主要结论为：火山活动影响最显著的高度是平流层70 hPa约22 km高空,由此高度向上或向下,火山活动的影响都逐渐减小;火山活动将引起平流层大气升温、对流层大气降温,其分界线大致位于对流层顶300 hPa附近;火山活动对于热带70 hPa高空温度距平变化的影响超过了总方差的45.7%;单独考察几次强火山活动（如阿贡火山、皮纳图博火山和厄尔奇冲火山等）的温度效应表明,在热带地区强火山爆发后的20个月内,对热带高空温度的影响超过了其距平变化的80%！成为该时段高空温度变化的决定性因素.     

富营养化湖库天空地一体化监控平台系统设计与实践

湖泊和水库是我国的主要饮用水源地,但大都处于富营养化状态,蓝藻水华频发,已成为影响社会稳定、制约区域社会经济可持续发展的重大问题.蓝藻水华的整体应对策略,已经从被动应急转变为主动防御;但要做到主动防御,必须有现代化全方位的蓝藻灾害监测监控手段和体系,及时掌握蓝藻水华及其衍生灾害现状和动向,在未发生或者刚发生时及时觉察.本文针对富营养化湖库富营养化引起的蓝藻水华应急监控问题,按照"整个湖体、重点区域、关键位置"3个监测层次,利用中高分辨率卫星、无人机、岸基/平台视频、自动浮标、人工巡测等技术或手段,围绕"现状掌握、异常报警、原因追溯"的建设目标,提出了天-空-地一体化监控系统建设框架,明确了不同手段的协同方式和业务流程,并正在巢湖进行应用实践.相信本文提出的系统架构不仅在巢湖,在更多的富营养化湖库都具有重要的应用和推广价值.     

巢湖西湖心底泥蓝藻对水体蓝藻生物量的贡献

2018年10月-2019年10月对巢湖西湖心水体浮游藻类群落结构以及水体和底泥蓝藻生物量进行了月度调查.结果表明:巢湖西湖心浮游藻类的主要优势种属为微囊藻属、席藻属、十字藻、卵形隐藻和鱼腥藻属.蓝藻优势种属在5-10月为微囊藻属,11-12月为鱼腥藻属,1-4月为席藻属.巢湖水体和底泥蓝藻生物量峰值分别出现在9月和2月,水体蓝藻的衰亡下沉会导致底泥蓝藻生物量的上升.巢湖蓝藻主要分布在水体,底泥蓝藻生物量相对较低,单位面积水柱与底泥蓝藻生物量6月的比值大于100,在11-3月相对较低,最低值小于2.底泥蓝藻主要分布在底泥表层0～2 cm.通过安装原位捕获器,监测了蓝藻在西巢湖湖心水柱和底泥中的垂直迁移过程和通量.结果表明:11月和2月蓝藻有明显从水柱向底泥迁移的过程;底泥蓝藻全年向水体的静态迁移量都很低,而动态迁移在11月和6月出现两个峰值,主要受底泥蓝藻生物量和再悬浮的影响.本研究结果表明削减巢湖西湖心底泥种源的最佳时期为10月至来年2月,但是由于底泥蓝藻生物量远远小于水柱蓝藻生物量,底泥蓝藻向水体复苏迁移的通量也较低,即使削减了底泥种源,也不能有效降低水体蓝藻生物量.     

Mixing regimes in the equatorial crater lakes of western Uganda

In order to understand the ecological functioning of lake ecosystems, little is more crucial than knowledge of their mixing regime. However in tropical regions, this information is scarce for all except the largest lakes, and often inferred from occasional observation of physical water-column properties. In this study, a total of 276 water-column profiles of temperature, conductivity and dissolved oxygen collected between 2000 and 2017 in 60 volcanic crater lakes in equatorial western Uganda are used to classify these lakes according to mixing regime. Most study lakes are small (on average 29 ha), but together they cover a spectacularly large gradient in maximum depth (Z_max) between 1.4 m and > 220 m, and consequently they display a wide range of mixing regimes. We identified four lakes as continuous warm polymictic, 12 as discontinuous warm polymictic, and 11 other lakes mix completely once or twice each year. We classify these 11 lakes as equatorial dimictic, because they experience deep mixing during both dry seasons separated by long periods of stable stratification, while the season of complete mixing may differ between years and among neighbouring lakes. The 33 remaining lakes do not usually mix completely and are thus meromictic. Relative depth (Z_r) is the main factor controlling the mixing regime of these lakes. The presence of a shallow permanent chemocline reduces mixing depth, and the smallest meromictic lakes (< 3 ha) tend to occasionally mix deeper than predicted by Z_r. Based on these variables, predictions can be made about the mixing dynamics of Ugandan crater lakes not covered by our dataset. Previous suggestions that the mixing depth of tropical crater lakes is strongly influenced by the wind shelter provided by a high crater rim or by water-column transparency could not be confirmed.     

The role of fault reactivation in the development of tropical montane lakes

This work details the role of fault reactivation in the development of tropical montane lakes by using basin morpho-structural analysis and seismostratigraphic studies. The upland lakes are severely faulted sinkholes, whose faults penetrate the Quaternary sedimentary units. Four main stages are related to the lake formation: (i) an Early Proterozoic tectonic deformation of the rocks along the southern border of the Carajás Structure, where the lake is placed; (ii) differential erosion by – and building of – the formation of the South Carajás Hill; (iii) Fe-rich crust formation by weathering and gravitational collapse faults following the E–W plateau border and the start of Violão Lake formation during the Pliocene–Pleistocene; and (iv) episodic fault-fracture reactivation by gravitational collapse causing pulses of subsidence in the lake and outlining its faulted borders. Dissolution of the lateritic crust and erosion by runoff drainage under wet climate conditions were coeval with fault activities, which allowed the deposition of relatively thick clastic deposits organized in three main seismostratigraphic units associated with major lake-level fluctuations. Initial fault reactivation under low-level water started lacustrine basin development with deposition of prograding fan deltas related to the main drainage. A second fault reactivation by gravitational collapse increased the lake accommodation space and resulted in the deposition of fine-grained sediments from dilute interflows or overflows until 36 000 cal year BP. At about 31 000 cal year BP, rapid decreases in the lake water level under redox conditions at the sediment/water interface allowed widespread siderite formation. A third gravitational collapse episode was responsible for the increase in the lake area and depth and the returning of clastic/organic deposition up to the present. This tropical montane lake can be seen as a representative example for understanding the formation of other upland lakes controlled by fault reactivation. © 2020 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Shift from transport limited to supply limited sediment concentrations with the progression of monsoon rains in the Upper Blue Nile Basin

Long‐term erosion monitoring data in the Ethiopian highlands are only available from the Soil Conservation Research Program (SCRP) watersheds including the Anjeni watershed. The 113 ha Anjeni watershed was established in 1984 and fanya juu terraces were installed in 1986. Runoff and erosion data are available from three different plot sizes and at the watershed outlet. The objective of this study was to investigate how erosion processes and sediment rating parameters vary with plot size and the progression of the rainy monsoon phase. We analyzed runoff and sediment loss data from 40 plots and the watershed outlet. The dataset included erosion data from 24 newly constructed plots (3 m length) during the rainy monsoon phase of 2012 and 2013, and 16 long‐term plots (with 12, 16, 22, and 24% slopes and 3, 15 and 30 m lengths) and the watershed outlet during the period between 1986 to 1990. Sediment concentration (C) was fitted to runoff (Q) using a power regression equation (C = aQ^b). Sediment concentration and yield increased with increasing plot length from 3 m to 15 m, but sediment yield decreased as plot length increased to 30 m.The coefficients (a and b) were affected by plot size and the progression of the rainy monsoon phase. As plot size increases, the a value increased, while the b value decreased. Greater a values were observed during the beginning of the monsoon phase, while values of b were greater towards the end of the monsoon phase. Overall findings suggest that erosion from cultivated fields is primarily controlled by transport limitations at the beginning of the monsoon phase, while towards the end of the monsoon phase, as surface covers emerge, sediment availability will be reduced, and thus sediment source would be a limitation. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.