Using NDVI to Assess Vegetative Land Cover Change in Central Puget Sound

We used the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) in the rapidly growing Puget Sound region over three 5-year time blocks between 1986–1999 at three spatial scales in 42 Watershed Administrative Units (WAUs) to assess changes in the amounts and patterns of green vegetation. On average, approximately 20% of the area in each WAU experienced significant NDVI change over each 5-year time block. Cumulative NDVI change over 15 years (summing change over each 5-year time block) was an average of approximately 60% of each WAU, but was as high as 100% in some. At the regional scale, seasonal weather patterns and green-up from logging were the primary drivers of observed increases in NDVI values. At the WAU scale, anthropogenic factors were important drivers of both positive and negative NDVI change. For example, population density was highly correlated with negative NDVI change over 15 years (r = 0.66, P < 0.01), as was road density (r = 0.71, P < 0.01). At the smallest scale (within 3 case study WAUs) land use differences such as preserving versus harvesting forest lands drove vegetation change. We conclude that large areas within most watersheds are continually and heavily impacted by the high levels of human use and development over short time periods. Our results indicate that varying patterns and processes can be detected at multiple scales using changes in NDVIa values.     

Assessing the Impact of Leather Industry to Water Quality in the Aojing Watershed in Zhejiang Province, China

The development of the leather industry in the Aojiang watershed of Zhejiang province increased the release of waste water. In the waste water, ammonium nitrogen (NH⁺ ₄-N) and germanium (Ge) are the main pollutants. In recent years, literature has documented that the intake of high concentrations of NH⁺ ₄-N and Ge harms human health and biological species. This paper focuses on assessing the trends of NH⁺ ₄-N and Ge concentrations in the released waste water in Aojiang watershed and on understanding their relationships with the released waste water using regression and correlation statistics. The paper also utilizes the integrated pollution index to evaluate the water quality in the watershed. Preliminary results show that, from 1992 to 1998, the concentrations of NH⁺ ₄-N and total Ge increased 13 and 14 times, respectively, and they decreased somewhat after 1998. The concentrations of NH⁺ ₄-N and total Ge are positively correlated to the amount of released waste water. These concentrations of NH⁺ ₄-N and Ge, respectively, exceed 12 and 3 times, of the water standards. The water quality in the watershed degraded from Type III in 1992 to over Type V in 2003 when they were compared with the national water quality standards. It appeared that the pollution had positive correlation with leather industry production. The degraded water has no doubt affected human health and the ecosystem health. These results can provide scientific information for the local government to reasonably adjust the industry structure and reduce the pollution to protect the environment.     

A Water Quality Monitoring Network Design Methodology for the Selection of Critical Sampling Points: Part I

The principal instrument to temporally and spatially manage water resources is a water quality monitoring network. However, to date in most cases, there is a clear absence of a concise strategy or methodology for designing monitoring networks, especially when deciding upon the placement of sampling stations. Since water quality monitoring networks can be quite costly, it is very important to properly design the monitoring network so that maximum information extraction can be accomplished, which in turn is vital when informing decision-makers. This paper presents the development of a methodology for identifying the critical sampling locations within a watershed. Hence, it embodies the spatial component in the design of a water quality monitoring network by designating the critical stream locations that should ideally be sampled. For illustration purposes, the methodology focuses on a single contaminant, namely total phosphorus, and is applicable to small, upland, predominantly agricultural-forested watersheds. It takes a number of hydrologic, topographic, soils, vegetative, and land use factors into account. In addition, it includes an economic as well as logistical component in order to approximate the number of sampling points required for a given budget and to only consider the logistically accessible stream reaches in the analysis, respectively. The methodology utilizes a geographic information system (GIS), hydrologic simulation model, and fuzzy logic.     

花江小流域石漠化过程中的土壤有机碳氮的变化

以花江峡谷区1.2 km2小流域为研究对象,通过设置不同喀斯特石漠化强度的样地,研究不同等级石漠化样地的土壤有机碳、全氮含量在石漠化过程中的变化。结果表明,喀斯特生境中土壤具有高度异质性,人为干扰方式对土壤有机碳、全氮含量变异性的影响很大;樵采石漠化样地小生境土壤有机碳、全氮含量维持在较高水平,开垦石漠化样地小生境土壤有机碳、全氮含量较低;随着石漠化程度的加剧,樵采和开垦系列样地土壤有机碳、全氮含量呈现不断降低的趋势,这在一定程度上体现了石漠化过程的土壤退化本质。小流域内石漠化成因类型的划分对揭示石漠化过程中的土壤退化是必须的。     

洱海10条入湖河流缓冲带三圈内氮含量沿程变化

2013年7月采集了10条洱海入湖河流缓冲带三圈(外圈、内圈、中圈)内沿程34个断面的表层水样,测定了水样中总氮、可溶性总氮和氨氮的含量,分析其空间分布特征.结果表明,缓冲带内3个采样点的水质变化规律有9种类型:连续升高型,连续降低型,先降低后升高的“V”字型,先升高后降低的倒“V”字型,平稳型,先升高后平稳型,先下降后平稳型,先平稳后降低型,先平稳后升高型,10条洱海入湖河流水体ρ(TN)较高,平均值为2.93mg/L,特别是内圈入湖河口处ρ(TN)平均值为3.74mg/L,对洱海威胁较大,应加大河道治理,完善缓冲带内圈村落管网收集系统和垃圾处理设施.其中,茫涌溪、黑龙溪和清碧溪流域缓冲带ρ(DTN)为0.30~2.31mg/L,占TN比例的平均值为81%,中圈水体中氮负荷明显较内圈和外圈的高,应通过测土平衡施肥以及有机肥增施来降低化肥使用量,减少农田污染物随径流流失.考虑入湖河流水质上游普遍较好,中游开始恶化,建议在缓冲带外圈建设生态砾石床、生态塘和地下渗透池等生态截蓄净化工程.     

密云水库小流域土地利用方式与氮磷流失规律

在密云水库石匣小流域对农田、林果地、荒草坡、村庄等4种不同类型的非点源污染发生区,进行降雨、径流量、径流水质同步监测,分析不同土地利用类型小区地表径流和泥沙中氮磷污染物的流失情况.结果表明,径流中总磷的浓度以村庄最高,其次为坡耕地、林果地和荒草坡.村庄径流的溶解态磷浓度为荒草坡径流的10倍.不同地表径流中的溶解态氮浓度的差别较大,村庄最高,其次是耕地、荒草坡、林果地.在降雨初期,随着径流量的增大,径流中总氮的浓度迅速降低,呈线性递减;此后随着径流的减少,总氮的浓度下降速度极其缓慢.不同土地利用类型中吸附态磷占总磷的比重都在90%以上,与泥沙结合的吸附态磷的浓度远大于溶解态磷的浓度,吸附态磷是磷流失的主要形态.      

SUSCEPTIBILITY OF INDIANA WATERSHEDS TO HERBICIDE CONTAMINATION1

ABSTRACT: An index of watershed susceptibility to surface water contamination by herbicides could be used to improve source water assessments for public drinking water supplies, prioritize watershed restoration projects, and direct funding and educational efforts to areas where the greatest environmental benefit can be realized. The goal of this study is to use streamflow and herbicide concentration data to develop and evaluate a method for estimating comparative watershed susceptibility to herbicide loss. United States Geological Survey (USGS) concentration data for five relatively water soluble herbicides (alachlor, atrazine, cyanazine, metolachlor, and simazine) were analyzed for 16 Indiana watersheds. Correlation was assessed between observed herbicide losses and: (1) a herbicide runoff index using GIS‐based land use, soil type, SCS runoff curve number, tillage practice, herbicide use estimates, and combinations of these factors; and (2) predicted herbicide losses from a non‐point source pollution model (NAPRA‐Web, an Internet‐based interface for GLEAMS). The highest adjusted R²value was found between herbicide concentration and the runoff curve number alone, ranging from 0.25 to 0.56. Predictions from the simulation model showed a poorer correlation with observed herbicide loss. This indicates potential for using the runoff curve number as a simple herbicide contamination susceptibility index.     

PROTECTING BEIJLNG'S MUNICIPAL WATER SUPPLY THROUGH WATERSHED MANAGEMEN AN ECONOMIC ASSESSMENT1

ABSTRACT: Watersheds above the Miyun reservoir, a principal source of surface water for Beijing, are designated to be managed for water production, but under the principle of multiple use. Because of the scarcity of arable land, these watersheds cannot be managed only for drinking water. Efforts are under way to reduce sediment delivery, improve the quality of water entering Miyun reservoir, and improve the welfare of watershed inhabitants. An economic appraisal of a watershed management project for the 3,298‐ha Shixia watershed above the Miyun reservoir, indicates a 24 percent economic rate of return on the investment made in the project. The net present value (NPV) of the project, calculated at a discount rate of 10 percent, is approximately US$3.49 million. Sensitivity analyses indicate that a doubling of labor costs lowers the NPV to US$2.07 million and a 10 percent decrease in benefits lowered the NPV to US$2.87. It is concluded that the implementation of conservation practices on the Shixia Demonstration Watershed represent an economically efficient use of resources.     

EFFECTS OF SCALE ON LAND USE AND WATER QUALITY RELATIONSHIPS: A LONGITUDINAL BASIN‐WIDE PERSPECTIVE1

ABSTRACT: Human land use is a major source of change in catchments in developing areas. To better anticipate the long‐term effects of growth, land use planning requires estimates of how changes in land use will affect ecosystem processes and patterns across multiple scales of space and time. The complexity of biogeochemical and hydrologic interactions within a basin makes it difficult to scale up from process‐based studies of individual reaches to watershed scales over multiple decades. Empirical models relating land use/land cover (LULC) to water quality can be useful in long‐term planning, but require an understanding of the effects of scale on apparent land use‐water quality relationships. We empirically determined how apparent relationships between water quality and LULC data change at different scales, using LIJLC data from the Willapa Bay watershed (Washington) and water quality data collected along the Willapa and North Rivers. Spatial scales examined ranged from the local riparian scale to total upstream catchment. The strength of the correlations between LTJLC data and longitudinal water quality trends varied with scale. Different water quality parameters also varied in their response to changes in scale. Intermediate scales of land use data generally were better predictors than local riparian or total catchment scales. Additional data from the stream network did not increase the strength of relationships significantly. Because of the likelihood of scale‐induced artifacts, studies quantifying land use‐water quality relationships performed at single scales should be viewed with great caution.     

RELATION BETWEEN FISH COMMUNITIES AND RIPARIAN ZONE CONDITIONS AT TWO SPATIAL SCALES1

ABSTRACT: The relation offish community composition to riparian cover at two spatial scales was compared at 18 streams in the agricultural Minnesota River Basin. The two spatial scales were: (1) local riparian zone (a 200 meter wide buffer extending 2 to 3 kilometers upstream of the sampling reach); and (2) the upstream riparian zone (a 200 m wide buffer on the mainstem and all perennial tributaries upstream of the sampling reach). Analysis of variance indicated that streams with wooded‐local riparian zones had greater fish species richness (means = 20 and 15, respectively) and Index of Biotic Integrity (IBI) scores (means = 40 and 26, respectively) than streams with open‐local riparian zones. Streams with wooded‐upstream riparian zones tended (were not statistically significant) to have greater numbers of species (means = 19 and 15, respectively) and IBI scores (means = 33 and 28, respectively) than streams with open‐upstream riparian zones. There was no significant interaction between the riparian zone conditions at the two scales. This study suggests that maintenance of wooded riparian cover along streams could be effective in maintaining or improving fish community composition in streams draining heavily agricultural areas.