Linking Nitrogen Export to Landscape Heterogeneity: The Role of Infrastructure and Storm Flows in a Mediterranean Urban System

Urban ecosystems are often sources of nonpoint source (NPS) nitrogen (N) pollution to aquatic ecosystems. However, N export from urban watersheds is highly variable. Examples of densely urbanized watersheds are not well studied, and these may have comparatively low export rates. Commonly used metrics of landscape heterogeneity may obscure our ability to discern relationships among landscape characteristics that can explain these lower export rates. We expected that differences not often captured by these metrics in the relative cover of vegetation, structures, and impervious surfaces would better explain observed variation in N export. We examined these relationships during storms in residential watersheds. Contrary to expectations, land cover did not directly predict variation in N or water export. Instead, N export was strongly linked to drainage infrastructure density. Our research highlights the role of fine‐scaled landscape attributes, mainly infrastructure, in explaining patterns of N export from densely urbanized watersheds. Changes to hydrologic flow paths by infrastructure explained more variation in N export than land cover. Our findings support further development of landscape ecological models of urban N export that focus on hydrologic modification by infrastructure rather than traditional landscape measures such as land use, as indicators for evaluating patterns of NPS nitrogen pollution in densely urbanized watersheds.     

Connotation and principles of ecological compensation in water source reserve areas based on the theory of externality

Understanding the connotation and principles of ecological compensation in water source reserve areas is the basis and guarantee for establishing and improving the ecological compensation mechanism of water source reserve areas. First, this paper reviews the three stages of ecological compensation research progress. Based on the review, using the theory of externality, the ecological environment system of water source reserve areas is then analyzed. This paper argues that the connotation of ecological compensation in water source reserve areas is a kind of institutional arrangement, which is designed to internalize externalities. Finally, based on the understanding of the connotation of ecological compensation in water source reserve areas, five principles for establishing and improving the ecological compensation mechanism are proposed, including the principle of fairness and justice, the principle of equivalence of equality and responsibility, the principle of flexibility and effectiveness, the principle of “earmark funds, and implementation by law,” and the principle of government compensation supplemented with market compensation.     

巢湖水及沉积物中总磷的分布变化特征

磷是导致巢湖水体富营养化的主要营养物质。采集大量巢湖表层水和沉积物样品,通过检测上覆水和沉积物中总磷含量,分析巢湖水体中磷的时空变化及赋存特征。结果显示:巢湖南淝河和裕溪河河口的上覆水中总磷含量值时间变化特征为8月5月3月12月;且南淝河口总磷含量年均值超过地表水Ⅴ类水质标准,明显高于裕溪河口值;表层水和沉积物中总磷含量在空间分布上呈西高东低趋势,最高值均出现在靠近合肥市河口处。巢湖周边土壤及湖区磷的等值线分布表明:杭埠河流域农业污染、东巢湖东南部水土流失可能是巢湖磷面源污染的主要来源。巢湖上覆水和沉积物中总磷的相关系数为0.515,蓝藻爆发期全湖表层沉积物中总磷含量显著减少,揭示目前内源磷释放已是巢湖富营养化的主要因素。结果将对巢湖流域的污染综合防治及蓝藻治理工作提供科学依据。     

Evaluating anthropogenic N inputs to diverse lake basins: A case study of three Chinese lakes

The environmental degradation of lakes in China has become increasingly serious over the last 30 years and eutrophication resulting from enhanced nutrient inputs is considered a top threat. In this study, a quasi-mass balance method, net anthropogenic N inputs (NANI), was introduced to assess the human influence on N input into three typical Chinese lake basins. The resultant NANI exceeded 10 000 kg N km⁻² year⁻¹ for all three basins, and mineral fertilizers were generally the largest sources. However, rapid urbanization and shrinking agricultural production capability may significantly increase N inputs from food and feed imports. Higher percentages of NANI were observed to be exported at urban river outlets, suggesting the acceleration of NANI transfer to rivers by urbanization. Over the last decade, the N inputs have declined in the basins dominated by the fertilizer use but have increased in the basins dominated by the food and feed import. In the foreseeable future, urban areas may arise as new hotspots for nitrogen in China while fertilizer use may decline in importance in areas of high population density.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (doi:10.1007/s13280-015-0638-8) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

Screening risk areas for sediment and phosphorus losses to improve placement of mitigation measures

Identification of vulnerable arable areas to phosphorus (P) losses is needed to effectively implement mitigation measures. Indicators for source (soil test P, STP), potential mobilization by erosion (soil dispersion), and transport (unit-stream power length-slope, LS) risks were used to screen the vulnerability to suspended solids (SS) and P losses in two contrasting catchments regarding topography, soil textural distribution, and STP. Soils in the first catchment ranged from loamy sand to clay loam, while clay soils were dominant in the second catchment. Long-term SS and total P losses were higher in the second catchment in spite of significantly lower topsoil STP. A higher proportion of areas in the second catchment were identified with higher risk due to the significantly higher risk of overland flow generation (LS) and a significantly higher mobilization risk in the soil dispersion laboratory tests. A simple screening method was presented to improve the placement of mitigation measures.     

农业源水污染物削减技术探讨

农业面源污染是水体中COD、氮、磷等指标的主要来源。它包括农药化肥施用、畜禽养殖和农村生活污水排放。对农业源水污染物进行削减是实现污染物总量控制的重要手段。通过详细总结国内外现有农业源水污染物削减技术方法,分析对比其优缺点和实用性,筛选出适用于不同农业污染来源的污水处理技术。结果表明,畜禽养殖废水的适宜处理技术有厌氧/缺氧/好氧(A/A/O)、序批式活性污泥法(SBR)、膜生物反应器(MBR)、升流式厌氧污泥床(UASB)、厌氧沼气池;农地施肥污水的适宜处理技术有SBR、MBR、UASB;农村生活污水的适宜处理技术有厌氧沼气池、生物滴滤池、人工湿地、稳定塘。     

以聚己内酯作为生物反硝化固体碳源的研究

为解决水体因低碳氮比而导致脱氮效率差的问题,将颗粒聚己内酯(PCL)重新塑形为阶梯环状,研究其作为反硝化过程的生物膜载体与固相碳源的反硝化性能。结果表明,在静态实验中,平均反硝化速率为8.57 mg NO3-N/(L·h);反硝化过程为零级反应。连续填充床实验中,超过90%的硝酸盐可被去除,出水NO2-N质量浓度低于0.20 mg/L;出水NH3-N质量浓度略有上升;出水溶解性有机碳(DOC)先上升后降低至1 mg/L左右。电子扫描显微镜扫描显示,PCL阶梯环反应表面空隙率较高,表面生物膜以杆菌为主,反应后被明显腐蚀;液相色谱检测显示PCL阶梯环分子量反应前后略有下降,其结构未受到破坏;表明该材料适合作为反硝化反应的碳源的同时,又可以作为载体供微生物附着生长。     

美国AERMOD模型与中国大气导则推荐模型点源比较

介绍了美国AERMOD模型和中国大气导则推荐模型一般浓度公式,通过大气稳定度和扩散参数的确定、复杂地形处理和对流条件下污染物扩散等原理方面的比较认为,AERMOD模型优于大气导则推荐模型.以美国环境保护局(USEPA)2个试验场Clifty Creek(平坦地形)和Lovett(复杂地形)的数据资料为比较数据,分别用AERMOD模型和大气导则推荐模型计算SO₂小时质量浓度,在Pasquill 6类稳定度下用相对偏差(FB)、预测值与观测值的比率(RHC_R)及图形法(Q-Q图)等进行模型比较,结果表明:在RHC_R和FB中,AERMOD模型除个别值外,其他均好于大气导则推荐模型;而大气导则推荐模型存在接近或大于模型可靠性界限0.67(0.66和0.74),说明其可靠性比AERMOD模型差;图形法比较中,强不稳定和不稳定下AERMOD模型明显好于大气导则推荐模型,而大气导则推荐模型预测值明显偏低,其他稳定度下结果相差不大.研究认为:在平坦地形和复杂地形条件下,AERMOD模型点源预测值均优于大气导则推荐模型,并从原理上进行了解释.      

面源模式的通用算法探讨

提出了矩形面源扩散模拟计算的数值积分法和中心虚点源法,以及二者结合的综合法,并用算例进行了计算精度、计算速度和结果连续性的对比.结果表明:与传统的后置虚点源法及其改进算法——谷清经验法相比,该算法与理论真值的相对误差可从20%以上降低到3%以下,并且可以准确地反映风向和面源的形状,但在计算量上要增大十几倍到上百倍.对于任意不规则面源,提出了正方形分割算法,并对分割正方形的取舍采用简便的重心判断法,以准确方便地模拟其形状.综合运用笔者提出的适于机算的通用面源算法,对不同的计算任务权衡速度和精度采用合适的算法,可以处理各种气象条件下任意形状面源的扩散计算,并可取得理想的计算精度.      

多热源分散程度的数学模拟及对置换通风影响

通过建立多污染热源置换通风的三维数学模型,根据数值解分析三热源位置变化对多污染源置换通风效果的影响,结果表明:热源的位置变化对多污染热源置换通风效果的影响是很大的,房间内热源应紧凑布置以利于提高通风效果和节能。