River discharge,land use change,and surface water quality in the Xiangjiang River,China

To compare the impacts of river discharge on the surface water quality of the Xiangjiang River in China, 12 surface water quality parameters recorded at 31 sampling sites from January 1998 to December 2008 along the river and its main tributaries were analyzed. Significantly higher concentrations of total nitrogen, ammoniacal nitrogen, and total phosphorus, and biochemical oxygen demand were observed during low‐flow periods than during high‐flow periods, implying a higher risk to local residents drinking untreated water during low‐flow periods. Pollution indexes, including the inorganic pollution index and integrated pollution index (IPI), were negatively related to impervious surface area (ISA) and cropland area (CLA) when ISA (CLA) was less than 160 (3000) km². However, the relationship was positive when ISA (CLA) was larger than 160 (3000) km², which provided a reasonable explanation for the observed spatial patterns of water quality. Distinct increasing temporal trends for two kinds of pollution indexes were also found. The annual ISA was significantly related to the rapid degradation of water quality from 1998 to 2008, with correlation coefficient (r) values of 0.816 (p = 0.002) and 0.711 (p = 0.014) for the organic pollution index (OPI) and IPI, respectively. However, annual rainfall was negatively correlated with the two indexes with r values of 0.785 (p = 0.002) and 0.448 (p = 0.093) for OPI and IPI, respectively. Our study highlights that decision makers should be more aware of recent increases in the pollution of the Xiangjiang River, especially at downriver sites and during low‐flow periods. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The influence of land use patterns on water quality at multiple spatial scales in a river system

The influence of land use patterns on water quality in a river system is scale‐dependent. In this study, a four‐order hierarchical arrangement method was used to select water sampling sites and to delineate sub‐basins in the Daliao River Basin, China. The 20 sub‐basins were classified into four spatial scales that represented four different stream orders. Pearson correlation analysis was used to quantify relationships between land use composition and the river's physical‐chemical variables for all samples collected. This analysis showed that the presence of forest cover was associated with higher water quality at the scale of the whole basin. The scale effects of land use patterns on water quality were then examined using stepwise multiple regression analysis that compared different land use types with water quality variables. The results from this analysis showed that urban areas, as opposed to forest areas, became the most significant contributors of water pollutants when scale effects were considered. The influence of urban land cover on water pollution was significantly higher at larger scales. The lack of a significant regression correlation for the forest land use type at smaller scales revealed that forest located upstream of the Daliao River Basin did not provide a buffer for improved water quality. Further analysis showed that this result could be because of disproportionate spatial distributions for forest and urban land use types. The topographic characteristics of sub‐basins, such as average slope (S) and size (A), were determined to be secondary explanatory variables that affected land use impacts on stream water quality. Areas with steep slopes were associated with increased water oxygenation, whereas areas with flatter slopes were associated with higher concentrations of pollutants. These results are significant because they can provide a better understanding of the appropriate spatial scale required for effective river basin management in the future. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Effects of geomorphology and land use on stream water quality in southeastern Amazonia

Water quality in streams is determined by several factors, including geology, topography, climate, and anthropogenic changes. This study aimed to assess the effects of watershed physical, morphology, and precipitation seasonality on the water quality of two streams that supply drinking water to rural settlements and urban areas in the Cerrado-Amazonia transition region. We monitored 16 physico-chemical attributes of water at six different sample locations over three years (2013–2016). Our results indicate that eight of these physico-chemical attributes did not meet the standards for safe drinking water established by Brazilian legislation. Precipitation seasonality, degradation of riparian zones, stream length, and watershed slope were the most important predictors of impaired water quality. Our results highlight the importance of restoring and conserving riparian forests in order to maintain drinking water quality.     

Effects of land‐use changes on hydrological processes in the middle basin of the Heihe River,northwest China

The effects of land‐use changes on the runoff process in the midstream plain of this arid inland river basin are a key factor in the rational allocation of water resources to the middle and lower reaches. The question is whether and by how much increasingly heavy land use impacts the hydrological processes in such an arid inland river basin. The catchment of the Heihe River, one of the largest inland rivers in the arid region of northwest China, was chosen to investigate the hydrological responses to land‐use change. Flow duration curves were used to detect trends and variations in runoff between the upper and lower reaches. Relationships among precipitation, upstream runoff, and hydrological variables were identified to distinguish the effects of climatic changes and upstream runoff changes on middle and downstream runoff processes. The quantitative relation between midstream cultivated land use and various parameters of downstream runoff processes were analysed using the four periods of land‐use data since 1956. The Volterra numerical function relation of the hydrological non‐linear system response was utilized to develop a multifactor hydrological response simulation model based on the three factors of precipitation, upstream runoff, and cultivated land area. The results showed that, since 1967, the medium‐ and high‐coverage natural grassland area in the midstream region has decreased by 80·1%, and the downstream runoff has declined by 27·32% due to the continuous expansion of the cultivated land area. The contribution of cultivated land expansion to the impact on the annual total runoff is 14–31%, on the annual, spring and winter base flow it is 44–75%, and on spring and winter discharge it is 23–64%. Once the water conservation plan dominated by land‐use structural adjustments is implemented over the next 5 years, the mean annual discharge in the lower reach could increase by 8·98% and the spring discharge by 26·28%. This will significantly alleviate the imbalance between water supply and demand in both its quantity and temporal distribution in the middle and lower reaches. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

极端天气下三峡库区土地利用对河流水质的多时空尺度影响

为探究极端天气下流域内水质对土地利用的响应关系,本研究基于不同空间尺度(1000 m河段缓冲区、500 m河岸带缓冲区及子流域)的土地利用指数以及旱季(2019年11月)、雨季-洪水期(2020年7月)和雨季-干旱期(2022年8月)的水质数据,探究流域内土地利用对水质的多时空尺度影响,从而得到保护流域水质和规划流域内土地利用格局的最佳时空尺度和对水质影响最显著的预测因子。研究表明:(1)流域水质受极端天气影响,降雨会增强水体的稀释能力,高温会加快水中微生物反应速率,具体表现为雨季-洪水期的水质较好,雨季-干旱期次之,旱季较差。(2)土地利用对水质指标的影响存在时空尺度效应,土地利用在子流域和旱季尺度下对河流水质影响最显著。(3)不同土地利用指数对流域水质影响存在差异,耕地、林地、斑块密度、最大斑块指数和边缘密度是影响水质指标最显著的解释变量。其中林地与多数水质指标具有负相关关系,建设用地、耕地、斑块密度与较多水质指标存在正相关关系。本研究结果为合理规划土地利用格局以及保护河流水质提供科学依据,对三峡库区环境可持续发展及生态保护具有一定意义。     

流域土地利用分区空间管制研究与初步实践——以太湖流域为例

流域空间开发和土地利用在推动经济社会发展的同时,对流域生态系统的健康和安全造成了剧烈影响,迫切需要在流域综合管理中充实完善土地利用分区与管制等研究内容,因而成为推动湖泊-流域相互作用研究的重要科学问题之一.本文在回顾相关土地利用分区与管制研究基础上,从流域自然地理单元特殊性和管理目标复杂性出发,探讨了流域水陆系统相互作用机制,分析了流域土地利用分区与空间管制的研究重点与基本思路,提出了流域土地利用分区的技术路线及关键方法,并以太湖流域为例进行了初步的实践探索,提出严格保护区、适度发展区、开发利用区和保留发展区四种类型区及其空间管制要求,符合流域资源环境与经济社会发展实际,为流域可持续开发和保护提供指导.最后,讨论了未来流域土地利用分区空间管制需要进一步研究的重点方向与关键问题.     

The impact of land use change on soil water holding capacity and river flow modelling in the Nakambe River, Burkina-Faso

The annual hydrological regime of the Nakambe River shows substantial changes during the period 1955–1998 with a shift occurring around 1970. From 1970 to the mid-1990s, despite a reduction in rainfall and an increase in the number of dams in the basin, average runoff and maximum daily discharges increased. This paper reviews the hydrological behaviour of the Nakambe River from 1955 to 1998 and examines the potential role of land use change on soil water holding capacity (WHC) in producing the counter-intuitive change in runoff observed after 1970. We compare the results of two monthly hydrological models using different rainfall, potential evapotranspiration and WHC data sets. Model simulations with soil WHC values modified over time based upon historical maps of land use, are compared against simulations with a constant value for WHC. The extent of natural vegetation declined from 43 to 13% of the total basin area between 1965 and 1995, whilst the cultivated areas increased from 53 to 76% and the area of bare soil nearly tripled from 4 to 11%. The total reduction in WHC is estimated to range from 33 to 62% depending on the method used, either considering that the WHC values given by the FAO stand for the environmental situation in 1965 or before. There is a marked improvement in river flow simulation using the time-varying values of soil WHC. The paper ends with a discussion of the role of other factors such as surface runoff processes and groundwater trends in explaining the hydrological behaviour of the Nakambe River.     

三峡库区土地利用对河流溶解性有机质的多时空尺度影响

三峡库区拥有目前世界上规模最大的水利枢纽工程,自投入使用以来,为长江流域提供了丰富的水源及电力,促进了经济的发展,但同时也对该区域的生态环境造成了严重的冲击。澎溪河流域作为三峡库区长江流域干流的典型回水区和消落带,是众多学者研究三峡库区生态环境变化的重点区域。为探究不同时空尺度下土地利用对河流溶解性有机质（DOM）的影响,以澎溪河流域为研究对象,基于紫外-可见光谱分析和三维荧光光谱矩阵-平行因子分析,结合河段缓冲区、河岸带缓冲区及子流域3种空间尺度的二级土地利用类型,解析了旱雨季水体DOM的组成及来源特征,并采用相关分析和冗余分析方法探讨了3种空间尺度下土地利用方式对旱雨季水体DOM的多时空尺度影响。结果表明：（1）旱季水体DOM荧光组分以陆源类腐殖质所占比例更大,雨季水体DOM荧光组分以富里酸贡献为主。（2）流域内陆源输入和内源产生对水体DOM丰度均有贡献,雨季较旱季水体DOM的陆源性更强,自生源特征较弱。（3）土地利用在雨季和子流域尺度下对水体DOM的影响更显著,其中,雨季子流域尺度下,土地利用指数对水体DOM参数的解释率为90.35%。（4）不同土地利用方式对水体DOM产生的影响...     

山地城市河流土地利用结构对水质的影响--以重庆市为例

以重庆主城区6条次级河流为研究区域,运用遥感和地理信息系统计算研究区土地利用构成,借助相关性分析和冗余分析等数理统计手段,分析监测断面汇水区内不同尺度土地利用结构与水质指标间的相关关系.结果表明:研究区土地利用结构以建设用地和林地为主,未利用地和农业用地所占面积比例较少;研究区土地利用结构对各水质指标有重要影响,其中建设用地和农业用地对河流水质恶化具有明显的作用,河流沿岸林地布局能显著改善水质,但随着雨季的到来林地将成为硝态氮的来源.冗余分析进一步证实土地利用类型对水环境有一定影响.研究成果对重庆市河流水环境管理具有重要的实际指导意义,并可为山地城市河流水环境研究提供借鉴.     

土地利用结构与景观格局对鄱阳湖流域赣江水质的影响

于2015年1月和7月采集赣江干流及支流34个采样点水样,测定电导率、水化学离子、无机氮等水质指标.利用赣江流域2014年30 m分辨率的土地利用数据,以流域景观类型占比表征土地利用结构,景观指数表征景观格局;采用Pearson相关分析、Bioenv分析、Mantle检验与方差分解等方法分析流域土地利用结构与景观格局对赣江水质的影响.结果表明:上游Cl^-、Na⁺浓度最高,中游电导率、Cl^-、Na⁺、K⁺、Ca²⁺等水质指标最低,下游电导率、HCO₃^-、SO₄^2-、Mg²⁺、Ca²⁺、NO₃^--N等水质指标最高.居民建设用地是对水质影响最显著的单一土地利用类型.林地、水田与居民建设用地是对水质影响最显著的土地利用类型组合.平均最近邻体指数是对水质影响最显著的单一景观指数,斑块个数、斑块...     

Detecting water yield variability due to the small proportional land use and land cover changes in a watershed on the Loess Plateau,China

Soil conservation practices have been widely implemented on the Loess Plateau to reduce severe soil erosion in north‐central China over the past three decades. However, the hydrologic impacts of these practices are not well documented and understood. The objective of this study was to examine how water yield has changed after implementing soil conservation practices that resulted in changes in land use and land cover in a small agriculture‐dominated watershed, the LuErGou Watershed in Tianshui City, Gansu Province, China. We collected 23 years of hydro‐meteorological data along with three land use surveys of 1982, 1989, and 2000. The land use survey in 2000 suggested that the soil conservation efforts resulted in a 16·6%, 4%, and 16% increase in area of grassland, forested land, and terraces respectively over the two periods from 1982 to 1988 (baseline) and 1989 to 2003 (soil conservation measures implemented). Rainfall–runoff regression models developed for both time periods at the annual and monthly time steps were used to examine the significance of change in water yield in the second time period. The averaged annual run‐off coefficient over 1989–2003 did not change significantly (at the α = 0·05 level) as compared to that in the period 1982–1988. However, we found that soil conservation practices that included re‐vegetation and terracing reduced water yield during wet periods. This study highlights the importance of the precipitation regime in regulating hydrologic effects of soil conservation measures in a semi‐arid environment. We concluded that adequately evaluating the effects of land use change and soil conservation measures on water yield must consider the climatic variability under an arid environment. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Modelling of water withdrawal for pollutant flushing in the tidal river network,Pearl River Delta,China

Abstract

A one-dimensional water quantity and quality mathematical model was developed to evaluate the effects of joint gate–pump operation in terms of water withdrawal for pollutant flushing. The study was carried out in dry seasons in the Foshan River channel, China. The results indicate that the input of freshwater into the upper and middle reaches of the Foshan River can improve the water quality of the lower reaches. However, the backwater effect due to water diversion in the middle reaches of the river can greatly offset the cleaning processes in the upper reaches of the Foshan River. The results indicate that water quality in the upper Foshan River (Jiebian) may degrade with an increase in the rate of water withdrawal from the middle river when the discharge pumped from the upper Foshan River is less than 10m³/s; optimal water quality improvement is obtained with discharge values of 30 and 20 m³/s, respectively, at the upper and middle reaches of the Foshan River.

Editor D. Koutsoyiannis

Citation Liu, C.-L., Jiang, T., Zhang, Q., Zhu, S. and Li, K., 2012. Modelling of water withdrawal for pollutant flushing in the tidal river network, Pearl River Delta, China. Hydrological Sciences Journal, 57 (3), 576–590.     

Environmental and land use factors affecting phosphate hysteresis patterns of stream water during flood events (Carpathian Foothills,Poland)

Flood events play a substantial role in the circulation of catchment phosphate (PO₄^3?). The purpose of the research was to analyze the factors determining PO₄^3? hysteresis patterns (direction and width) during four types of floods: short and long rainfall floods and snowmelt floods on frozen and thawed soil. The research took place in small catchments (forested, agricultural, mixed‐use) in the Carpathian Foothills in Poland. Anticlockwise hysteresis was identified in the forested catchment during short and long rainfall floods. Under the same conditions, the clockwise direction was observed in the agricultural catchment. In the mixed‐use catchment, the direction of PO₄^3? hysteresis loops was various, driven by the share of water flowing from each part of the catchment. For snowmelt floods, the PO₄^3? hysteresis pattern was similar in all the streams studied (usually clockwise). The direction of PO₄^3? hysteresis loops depends on water circulation patterns, which are determined by the different influx times of particular runoff components. The stream recharge mechanism during a flood event is affected both by the factor initiating the event (precipitation, snowmelt) as well as by land use in the given catchment. Hysteresis loop width was determined by the pool of PO₄^3? in a given catchment during the time period immediately preceding a flood event as well as by the quantity of PO₄^3? flushed out of the soil. The greater a catchment's pool of PO₄^3? and the greater its ability to flush PO₄^3? out of the soil and into surface flow, the wider the hysteresis loops. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Influence of sea salt on stream water chemistry in an upland afforested catchment

The chemistry of bulk precipitation and stream water was monitored in an acidic afforested catchment at Llyn Brianne in upland Wales between 1985 and 1990. Throughfall, stemflow and soil water chemistry were also monitored between 1988 and 1989. Marine-derived solutes dominated the ionic composition of precipitation and stream water, which had mean Cl concentrations of 113 μequiv. 1^?1 and 245 μequiv. 1^?1, respectively. The higher concentrations in stream water reflect occult and dry deposition on the forest canopy and the effect of interception and transpiration losses. Chloride variations in stream water (112-454μequiv. 1^?1) were damped compared with bulk precipitation (28-762μequiv. 1^?1) due to the mixing of event (‘new’) water with pre-event (‘old’) water in the catchment soils. A storm episode monitored in the catchment in April 1989 was associated with high sea salt inputs and Cl concentrations in throughfall (1466μequiv. 1^?1) and storm runoff were exceptionally high (392μequiv. 1^?1). The Cl signal in stream water during the episode was consistent with an event (‘new’) water contribution to the storm response. However, a short-term hydrochemical budget estimated that although Cl outputs from the catchment during the event (1.17 kg ha^?1) were equivalent to 8% of inputs in throughfall and stemflow, the storm runoff was equivalent to 32% of effective precipitation. This indicates that pre-event (‘old’) water was the dominant source (> 75%) of storm runoff. Although sea salt inputs during the event had a marked impact on stream water chemistry, the anomalously high levels of acidity sometimes associated with sea salt events were not observed in this particular study.     

Isotopic analysis of water sources of mountainous plant uptake in a karst plateau of southwest China

Ecosystem in the karst region of southwest China is very fragile due to a very limited amount of water storage for plant uptake in the thin and rocky soils underlain by rock fractures. Plants in these karst regions are thought to take water from the soils and shallow fractured rock zone (subcutaneous zone) as well. However, the role of subcutaneous water in maintaining karst vegetation remains unclear, and proportions of the water sources for plant uptake in different environment conditions are unknown. In this study, five typical species of plants at two sites were selected in a karst plateau of Qingzhen, central Guizhou Province of China. Proportions of the possible water sources contributed for the plant uptake from two soil layers and subcutaneous zone were determined on the basis of δD and δ¹⁸O values of plant stem water, soil water and subcutaneous water. The analysis reveals that most plants take water from the soil layers and the subcutaneous zone as well, but proportions of these water contributions for plant uptake vary seasonally and depend on site‐specific conditions and plant species. Plant uptake of the subcutaneous water for all species averages less than 30% of the total monthly amount in June and September, compared with more than 60% in dry December. Plants tend to take a larger proportion of water from the upper soil layer at the bush site than at the forest site in June and September (63 vs 28% in July; 66 vs 54% in September for all species in average). In December, however, 98% of water is taken from the subcutaneous zone at the bush site which is much greater than 68% at the forest site. Compared to deciduous arbor, evergreen shrub takes a greater proportion of subcutaneous water in the December drought. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Organic carbon transport in the Songhua River,NE China: Influence of land use

Carbon transported by rivers is an important component of the global carbon cycle. Here, we report on organic carbon transport along the third largest river in China, the Songhua River, and its major tributaries. Water samples were collected seasonally or more frequently to determine dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and particulate organic carbon (POC) concentrations and C/N and stable carbon isotopic ratios. Principal component analysis and multiple regression analysis of these data, in combination with hydrological records for the past 50 years, were used to determine the major factors influencing the riverine carbon fluxes. Results indicate that the organic carbon in the Songhua River basin is derived mainly from terrestrial sources. In the 2008–2009 hydrological year, the mean concentrations of DOC and POC were 5.87 and 2.36 mg/L, and the estimated fluxes of the DOC and POC were 0.30 and 0.14 t·km^?2·year^?1, respectively. The riverine POC and DOC concentrations were higher in subcatchments with more cropland, but the area‐specific fluxes were lower, owing to decreased discharge. We found that hydrological characteristics and land‐use type (whether forest or cropland) were the most important factors influencing carbon transport in this system. Agricultural activity, particularly irrigation, is the principal cause of changes in water discharge and carbon export. Over the last 50 years, the conversion of forest to cropland has reduced riverine carbon exports mainly through an associated decrease in discharge following increased extraction of water for irrigation.     

Influences of climate,terrain and land cover on stream salinity in southeastern Australia,and implications for management through reforestation

Reforestation of cleared land has the potential to reduce groundwater recharge, salt mobilization and streamflow. Stream salinity change is the net result of changes in stream salt load and streamflow. The net effect of these changes varies spatially as a function of climate, terrain and land cover. Successful natural resource management requires methods to map the spatial variability of reforestation impacts. We investigated salinity data from 2000 bores and streamflow and salinity measurements from 27 catchments in the Goulburn–Broken region in southeast Australia to assess the main factors determining stream salinity and opportunities for management through reforestation. For groundwater systems of similar geology, relationships were found between average annual rainfall and groundwater salinity and between groundwater salinity and low‐flow salinity. Despite its simplicity, we found that the steady‐state component of a simple conceptual coupled water–salt mass balance model (BC2C) adequately explained the spatial variation in streamflow and salinity. The model results suggest the efficiency of afforestation to reduce stream salinity could be increased by more than an order of magnitude through spatial planning. However, appreciable reductions in stream salinity in large rivers through land cover change alone would still require reforestation on an unprecedented scale. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Using hydrochemical,stable isotope,and river water recharge data to identify groundwater flow paths in a deeply buried karst system

The deeply buried river‐connected Xishan karst aquifer (XKA) in western Beijing, China, has been suffering from diminishing recharge for several decades, which in turn leads to the disappearing of spring water outflows and continuously lowering of groundwater level in the area. Thus, it is important to correctly recognize the groundwater recharge and flow paths for the sustainable development of the XKA. To investigate these issues, the hydrochemical and isotopic compositions are analysed for both surface water and groundwater samples collected over an area of about 280 km². Results show that (a) the river water is characterized by high Na contents; (b) the δ²H and δ¹⁸O values in the river water are distinctively higher than those of groundwater samples, after experiencing the long‐time evaporative enrichment in the upstream reservoir; (c) the Sr concentrations and ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr ratios of groundwater clearly indicated the interaction between water and carbonate minerals but excluded the water–silicate interaction; and (d) the groundwater samples in the direct recharge area of the XKA have the lowest Na concentrations and the δ²H and δ¹⁸O values. Based on the large differences in the Na contents and ¹⁸O values of groundwater and surface water, a simple two‐component mixing model is developed for the study area and the fractions of the river water are estimated for groundwater samples. We find that the distribution pattern of the river water fractions in the XKA clearly shows a change of directions in the preferential flow path of the groundwater from its source zone to the discharge area. Overall, our results suggest that the recharged surface water can be a useful evidence for delineating the groundwater flow path in river‐connected karst aquifer. This study improves our understanding of the heterogeneity in karst groundwater systems.     

High-resolution simulation of the spatial pattern of water use in continental China

ABSTRACT

High-resolution data on the spatial pattern of water use are a prerequisite for appropriate and sustainable water management. Based on one well-validated hydrological model, the Distributed Time Variant Gains Model (DTVGM), this paper obtains reliable high-resolution spatial patterns of irrigation, industrial and domestic water use in continental China. During the validation periods, ranges of correlation coefficient (R) and Nash-Sutcliffe efficiency (NSE) coefficient are 0.67–0.96 and 0.51–0.84, respectively, between the observed and simulated streamflow of six hydrological stations, indicating model applicability to simulate the distribution of water use. The simulated water use quantities have relative errors (RE) less than 5% compared with the observed. In addition, the changes in streamflow discharge were also correctly simulated by our model, such as the Zhangjiafen station in the Hai River basin with a dramatic decrease in streamflow, and the Makou station in the Pearl River basin with no significant changes. These changes are combined results of basin available water resources and water use. The obtained high-resolution spatial pattern of water use could decrease uncertainty of hydrological simulation and guide water management efficiently.

Editor M.C. Acreman; Associate editor X. Fang