Assessment of extrinsic and intrinsic influences on water quality variation in subtropical agricultural multipond systems

Chen, W; Nover, D; Xia, Y; Zhang, G; Yen, H; He, B

HERO ID

8044193

Reference Type

Journal Article

Year

2021

Language

English

PMID

33592448

HERO ID 8044193
In Press No
Year 2021
Title Assessment of extrinsic and intrinsic influences on water quality variation in subtropical agricultural multipond systems
Authors Chen, W; Nover, D; Xia, Y; Zhang, G; Yen, H; He, B
Journal Environmental Pollution
Volume 276
Page Numbers 116689
Abstract Understanding wetland water quality dynamics and associated influencing factors is important to assess the numerous ecosystem services they provide. We present a combined self-organizing map (SOM) and linear mixed-effects model (LMEM) to relate water quality variation of multipond systems (MPSs, a common type of non-floodplain wetlands in agricultural regions of southern China) to their extrinsic and intrinsic influences for the first time. Across the 6 test MPSs with environmental gradients, ammonium nitrogen (NH4+-N), total nitrogen (TN), and total phosphate (TP) almost always exceeded the surface water quality standard (2.0, 2.0, and 0.4 mg/L, respectively) in the up- and midstream ponds, while chlorophyll-a (Chl-a) exhibited hypertrophic state (≥28 μg/L) in the midstream ponds during the wet season. Synergistic influences explained 69±12% and 73±10% of the water quality variations in the wet and dry season, respectively. The adverse, extrinsic influences were generally 1.4, 6.9, 3.2, and 4.3 times of the beneficial, intrinsic influences for NH4+-N, nitrate nitrogen (NO3--N), TP, and potassium permanganate index (CODMn), respectively, although the influencing direction and degree of forest and water area proportion were spatiotemporally unstable. While CODMn was primarily linked with rural residential areas in the midstream, higher TN and TP concentrations in the up- and midstream were associated with agricultural land, and NH4+-N reflected a small but non-negligible source of free-range poultry feeding. Pond surface sediments exhibited consistent, adverse effects with amplifications during rainfall, while macrophyte biomass can reflect the biological uptake of CODMn and Chl-a, especially in the mid- and downstream during the wet season. Our study advances nonpoint source pollution (NPSP) research for small water bodies, explores nutrient "source-sink" dynamics, and provides a timely guide for rural planning and pond management. The modelling procedures and analytical results can inform refined assessment of similar NFWs elsewhere, where restoration efforts are required.
Doi 10.1016/j.envpol.2021.116689
Pmid 33592448
Wosid WOS:000630774100028
Is Certified Translation No
Dupe Override No
Is Public Yes
Language Text English