Impact of Changes of Land Use on Water Quality, from Tropical Forest to Anthropogenic Occupation: A Multivariate Approach

Worldwide, it is acknowledged that changes of land use influence water quality; however, in tropical forests, the relationship between land use and water quality is still poorly understood. This study assessed spatial and seasonal variations in water quality, and the relationship between water quality and changes of land use in the Bobos-Nautla River, whose upper course runs across a patch of a tropical cloud forest. Spatial and seasonal variations in water quality and land use were assessed with multivariate tools. A cluster analysis, as well as a Principal Component Analysis (PCA-3D), identified three groups of sites: (1) an upper portion, which showed the best water quality and the broadest natural vegetation coverage; (2) a middle course, with high nitrogen and phosphorus concentrations associated with extensive agricultural uses; and (3) a lower course, characterized by the highest levels of total and fecal coliforms, as well as ammonia nitrogen, associated with the highest percentage of urbanization and human settlements. Our findings demonstrate the impact of changes of land use on water quality of rivers running through cloud forests in tropical zones, which are currently endangered ecosystems.

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A Study on the Relationship between Land Use Change and Water Quality of the Mitidja Watershed in Algeria Based on GIS and RS

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su12093510 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 12 (9) ◽

pp. 3510 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Dechao Chen ◽

Acef Elhadj ◽

Hualian Xu ◽

Xinliang Xu ◽

Zhi Qiao

Keyword(s):

Water Quality ◽

Land Use ◽

Land Use Change ◽

River Basin ◽

Agricultural Land ◽

Vegetation Coverage ◽

Water Quality Control ◽

Urban Settlement ◽

The Relationship

Many catchments in northern Algeria, including the coastal Mitidja Basin in the north central part of the country have been negatively affected by the deterioration of water quality in recent years. This study aims to discover the relationship between land use change and its impact on water quality in the coastal Mitidja river basin. Based on the data of land use and water quality in 2000, 2010 and 2017, the relationship between land use change and surface water quality index in the Mitidja Watershed was discussed through GIS and statistical analysis. The results show that the physical and chemical properties of the Mitidja river basin have obvious spatial heterogeneity. The water quality of upstream was better than that of downstream. There was a significant spatial relationship between the eight water quality indicators and three land use types, including urban residential land, agricultural land and vegetation. In most cases, settlements and agricultural land are the dominant factors leading to river pollution, and higher vegetation coverage helps to improve water quality. The regression model revealed that percentage of urban settlement area was a predictor for NH4-N, BOD5, COD, SS, PO4-P, DO and pH, while vegetation was a predictor for NO3-N. The analysis also showed that during this period, urban settlement areas increased sharply, which has a significant impact on water quality variables. Agricultural land only had a significant positive correlation with PO4-P. The results provide an effective way to evaluate river water quality, control water pollution and land use management by landscape pattern.

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Changes in Selected Water Quality Parameters in the Utrata River as a Function of Catchment Area Land Use

Water ◽

10.3390/w13212989 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (21) ◽

pp. 2989

Author(s):

Katarzyna Dębska ◽

Beata Rutkowska ◽

Wiesław Szulc ◽

Dariusz Gozdowski

Keyword(s):

Water Quality ◽

Land Use ◽

Dissolved Oxygen ◽

Total Phosphorus ◽

Surface Waters ◽

Nitrate Nitrogen ◽

Ammonia Nitrogen ◽

Limit Values ◽

The Impact

Surface waters are very important for society, as they are a source of potable water, as well a water supply for agricultural, industrial and recreational purposes. This paper presents changes in the quality of the water in the Utrata River, along its entire length, as a function of the catchment area’s land use. Water-quality measurements were carried out once a month for a total period of one year (April 2019–March 2020) at 24 measurement points. The concentrations of the following compounds were measured: total phosphorus, ammonia nitrogen and nitrate nitrogen, dissolved oxygen, and chemical oxygen demand. The results were compared with the limit values specified in the Regulation of the Minister of Maritime Economy and Inland Navigation. In order to determine the impact of land use on water quality in the Utrata River, principal component analyses (PCA) were conducted. The research demonstrated a considerably negative impact of agricultural land use and the presence of urban areas on the water quality of the Utrata River, with elevated concentrations of total phosphorus, ammonia nitrogen, nitrate nitrogen and COD, and decreasing concentrations of dissolved oxygen. The presented results point to the need for effective strategies to mitigate the adverse impact of agriculture and urbanisation on the environment and surface waters.

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The Upper James Estuary – A Study in Water Quality Management

Water Science & Technology ◽

10.2166/wst.1987.0061 ◽

1987 ◽

Vol 19 (9) ◽

pp. 1-7

Author(s):

K. C. Das

Keyword(s):

Water Quality ◽

Industrial Development ◽

Suspended Solids ◽

Water Quality Management ◽

Sewage Treatment ◽

Sewage Treatment Plant ◽

Treatment Plant ◽

Ammonia Nitrogen ◽

Fecal Coliforms ◽

Nitrogen And Phosphorus

The James River has its head waters in the Allegheny Mountains and flows generally southeasterly to Hampton Roads, Chesapeake Bay and thence to the Atlantic Ocean. Below Richmond, Virginia, the river is tidal with the channel meandering through the coastal plains. Below Hopewell it widens to a broad estuary, with a deep navigable channel bordered by tide marshes. The upper estuary, between Richmond and Hopewell, is heavily used for water supply, recreation, and industrial development. The water entering the estuary a few miles upstream of Richmond is of good quality. However, as one reaches Richmond, the quality of the water deteriorates. There are eleven major discharging municipalities and industries within a stretch of twenty two river miles between Richmond and Hopewell. The major factors contributing to water quality problems below the City of Richmond stem from the intermittent discharge from combined sewer overflows (CSOs) coupled with the continuous discharge from the City's sewage treatment plant. The CSOs contribute a large quantity of soluble BOD, suspended solids, settleable solids, and fecal coliforms to the estuary. The City's sewage treatment plant continuously discharges large quantities of ammonia-nitrogen and phosphorus, in addition to BOD and suspended solids. Rational Management and use of the waters of the upper James estuary appear to be critical. The objectives of this paper, therefore, are the discussion of the present water quality and the wastewater discharge reductions required in order to meet certain water quality and water use objectives.

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LAND USE IMPACT ON THE WATER QUALITY OF LIWAGU RIVER, SABAH

Journal of Tourism, Hospitality and Environment Management ◽

10.35631/jthem.519009 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 5 (19) ◽

pp. 118-133

Author(s):

Mohmadisa Hashim ◽

Erna Zuryena Ramli ◽

Dewi Liesnoor Setyowati ◽

Nasir Nayan ◽

Zahid Mat Said ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Water Quality ◽

Land Use ◽

Local Population ◽

Oxygen Demand ◽

Water Source ◽

River Pollution ◽

Ammonia Nitrogen ◽

Quality Parameters ◽

The Impact

This article aimed to identify the water quality of the Liwagu River, Sabah, due to the impact of land use activities in the sub-basin area. The Liwagu river provides the main water source for the local population for domestic purposes. Observations on the water quality of the Liwagu river and identification of the types of land use activities along the river were investigated. Assessment of the Liwagu river water quality engaging six parameters, namely biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), chemical oxygen demand (COD), dissolved oxygen (DO), alkaline index (pH), ammonia nitrogen (NH3N) and suspended solids (SS) in five stations that were selected. All of the parameters were analyzed against the Water Quality Index (WQI) standards by the Department of Environment (DOE) Malaysia. Water quality sampling was carried out three times, which were in February, March, and April 2019. The results showed that the average value of WQI in February 2019 was at a good level (Class I), and in March and April, 2019 was at a clean level (Class II). The COD parameter showed values that exceeded the standards set by DOE Malaysia. The decline in water quality parameters was also contributed by tourism, agriculture, settlements, and loging upstream and along the river. In conclusion, the impact of land use activities on the quality of the Liwagu river was still under control and planned in terms of its development. However, monitoring for river pollution should be conducted regularly by various parties as an early step in preventing the degradation of the Liwagu river's water quality since the water source is also used by the nearby villagers as a source for water supply.

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Effect of Maritime Traffic on Water Quality Parameters in Santa Marta, Colombia

Journal of Marine Science and Engineering ◽

10.3390/jmse9050474 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 9 (5) ◽

pp. 474

Author(s):

René Rodríguez-Grimón ◽

Nestor Hernando Campos ◽

Ítalo Braga Castro

Keyword(s):

Water Quality ◽

Petroleum Hydrocarbons ◽

Quality Parameters ◽

Water Quality Parameters ◽

Maritime Traffic ◽

Natural Park ◽

High Concentrations ◽

The Impact ◽

The Relationship ◽

Multiple Chemical

Since 2013, there has been an increase (>23%) in naval traffic using maritime routes and ports on the coastal fringe of Santa Marta, Colombia. Of major concern, and described by several studies, is the relationship between maritime traffic and coastal contamination. This study proposed a maritime traffic indicator considering the simultaneous effects of several relevant measurements of water quality parameters to estimate the impact of naval activity. The approach involved developing a model including the number of vessels, hull length, and permanence time in berths. In addition, water quality variables, considering climatic seasons, were used to verify association with maritime traffic and touristic activities. The high concentrations of total coliforms (TC) and dissolved/dispersed petroleum hydrocarbons in chrysene equivalents (DDPH) reported by the International Marina of Santa Marta (SM) were affected by the local anthropic activities, including tourism, naval traffic, and urban wastewater discharges. Moreover, our results suggest the occurrence of multiple chemical impacts within Tayrona National Natural Park (PNNT) affecting conservation goals. The estimation of the maritime traffic indicator proposed in this study may be an easy and more complete tool for future studies evaluating the impact of naval activities on environmental quality.

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Graphene-Modulated Removal Performance of Nitrogen and Phosphorus Pollutants in a Sequencing Batch Chlorella Reactor

Materials ◽

10.3390/ma11112181 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 11 (11) ◽

pp. 2181 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Gonghan Xia ◽

Wenlai Xu ◽

Qinglin Fang ◽

Zishen Mou ◽

Zhicheng Pan

Keyword(s):

Optical Microscopy ◽

Sewage Treatment ◽

Ammonia Nitrogen ◽

Pollutant Removal ◽

Plate Count ◽

Nitrogen And Phosphorus ◽

Removal Rates ◽

Practical Support ◽

Plate Count Method ◽

The Impact

In this work, the influence of graphene on nitrogen and phosphorus in a batch Chlorella reactor was studied. The impact of graphene on the removal performance of Chlorella was investigated in a home-built sewage treatment system with seven identical sequencing batch Chlorella reactors with graphene contents of 0 mg/L (T1), 0.05 mg/L (T2), 0.1 mg/L (T3), 0.2 mg/L (T4), 0.4 mg/L (T5), 0.8 mg/L (T6) and 10 mg/L (T7). The influence of graphene concentration and reaction time on the pollutant removal performance was studied. The malondialdehyde (MDA) and total superoxide dismutase (SOD) concentrations in each reactor were measured, and optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) characterizations were performed to determine the related mechanism. The results show that after 168 h, the total nitrogen (TN), ammonia nitrogen (AN) and total phosphorus (TP) removal rates of reactors T1–T7 become stable, and the TN, AN and TP removal rates were gradually reduced with increasing graphene concentration. At 96 h, the concentrations of both MDA and SOD in T1–T7 gradually increased as the graphene concentration increased. In optical microscopy and SEM measurements, it was found that graphene was adsorbed on the surface of Chlorella, and entered Chlorella cells, deforming and reducing Chlorella. Through the blood plate count method, we estimated an average Chlorella reduction of 16%. According to the water quality and microscopic experiments, it can be concluded that the addition of graphene causes oxidative damage to microalgae and destruction of the Chlorella cell wall and cell membrane, inhibiting the nitrogen and phosphorus removal in Chlorella reactors. This study provides theoretical and practical support for the safe use of graphene.

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FOREST CERTIFICATION AS A TOOL TO ENSURE THE BALANCE OF FORESTRY LAND USE

Scientific Notes of Taurida National V.I. Vernadsky University. Series: Economy and Management ◽

10.32838/2523-4803/71-3-16 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 71 (3) ◽

Author(s):

Stepan Dankevych

Keyword(s):

Land Use ◽

Regional Scale ◽

Environmental Indicators ◽

Statistical Characteristics ◽

Forest Certification ◽

Capital Investments ◽

Forest Lands ◽

The Impact ◽

The Relationship ◽

Over Time

The problem of ensuring the balanced use of forest lands determines the search for new economic and environmental tools that can influence this process. The need to improve the certification tool as part of the financial and economic mechanism for ensuring balanced forestry land use corresponds to the directions of state policy and European integration intentions of Ukraine, modern requirements of the ecological aspect of forestry land use. The work examines the practice in the field of forest certification in Ukraine from the point of view of balanced land use. Spatial-temporal analysis and assessment of the scale and dynamics of the spread of forest FSC certification in Ukraine has been carried out. The study was formed in three stages: (I) study of changes over time in the volume of forest certification on a national scale, (II) assessment of trends over time for indicators on a regional scale, (III) study of the relationship between individual indicators. The analysis of the impact of FSC-certification of forest management in Ukraine on the environmental indicators of forestry land use based on the results of the correlation between the statistical characteristics of certain economic and environmental indicators, such as the area of certified forests, capital investments, reforestation. Analysis of statistical data showed the relationship between environmental and economic performance over time and changes in specific characteristics on a regional scale. The study makes it possible, on the basis of an objectively existing causal relationship between phenomena and indicators, to identify the course of certain positive or negative processes in forestry land use. Forest certification can play a role in maintaining a balanced use of forest lands, preventing illegal logging, forest degradation and contributing to reforestation and capital investments. The study helps to identify certain key variables that limit the ability of forestry operators to ensure balanced use of forest lands and how forest certification can affect this. Foreign experience in stimulating forest certification has been investigated for the possibility of borrowing the experience of using management tools in order to motivate forest certification in Ukraine. It has been proven that certification is a significant environmental tool for ensuring a balanced level of land use and has the potential for further development.

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Impact of Partially Treated Wastewater on Downstream Water Quality of Notwane River in Botswana

Journal of Engineering Research and Reports ◽

10.9734/jerr/2018/v1i49882 ◽

2018 ◽

pp. 1-9

Author(s):

Gilbert K. Gaboutloeloe ◽

Gugu Molokwe ◽

Benedict Kayombo

Keyword(s):

Water Quality ◽

Pearson Correlation ◽

Oxygen Demand ◽

Ammonia Nitrogen ◽

Treated Wastewater ◽

Nitrate N ◽

River Stretch ◽

Ph Range ◽

The Impact

The impact of partially treated wastewater on the water quality of Notwane river stretch in the Gaborone region of Botswana was investigated. Water samples collected at effluent discharge point and three other sampling sites downstream were analyzed for pH, temperature, Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD5), Ammonia-nitrogen (Ammonia-N) and Nitrate-nitrogen (Nitrate-N). Sampling was conducted bi-weekly between February 2013 and April 2013. The ranges of measured parameters were: pH (7.6-8.5), temperature (22-23ºC), BOD5 (11.2-27.0 mg/l), Ammonia-N (2.4-60.5 mg/l), Nitrate-N (20.6-28.6 mg/l). Analysis of variance, Games-Howel multiple comparisons and Pearson correlation were used to separate variable means. The results signal river non-point pollution due to runoff inflow of organics mainly from land use and domestic waste dumping by nearby dwellings. Temperature, BOD5, and pH range values were all within the Botswana Bureau of Standards (BOBS) limit while the maximum Ammonia-N and Nitrate-N were above BOBS limit by 50.5 mg/l and 6.6 mg/l, respectively. Regulations on indiscriminate waste dumping and discharge standards adherence should be enforced.

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Relating Land Use/Cover and Landscape Pattern to the Water Quality under the Simulation of SWAT in a Reservoir Basin, Southeast China

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su131911067 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (19) ◽

pp. 11067

Author(s):

Kaige Lei ◽

Yifan Wu ◽

Feng Li ◽

Jiayu Yang ◽

Mingtao Xiang ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Water Quality ◽

Land Use ◽

Google Earth ◽

Landscape Patterns ◽

Buffer Size ◽

Construction Land ◽

Drinking Water Standard ◽

Reservoir Basin ◽

The Impact ◽

Cover Pattern

Understanding the relationship between land use/cover pattern and water quality could provide guidelines for non-point source pollution and facilitate sustainable development. The previous studies mainly relate the land use/cover of the entire region to the water quality at the monitoring sites, but the water quality at monitoring sites did not totally reflect the water environment of the entire basin. In this study, the land use/cover was monitored on Google Earth Engine in Tang-Pu Reservoir basin, China. In order to reflect the water quality of the whole study area, the spatial distribution of the determinants for water quality there, i.e., the total nitrogen and total phosphorus (TN&TP), were simulated by the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT). The redundancy analysis explored the correlations between land use/cover pattern and simulated TN&TP. The results showed that: (1) From 2009 to 2019, forest was the dominant land cover, and there was little land use/cover change. The landscape fragmentation increased, and the connectivity decreased. (2) About 25% TP concentrations and nearly all the TN concentrations at the monitoring points did not reach drinking water standard, which means nitrogen and phosphorus pollution were the most serious problems. The highest output per unit TN&TP simulated by SWAT were 44.50 kg/hm2 and 9.51 kg/hm2 and occurred in areas with highly fragile landscape patterns. (3) TN&TP correlated positively with cultivated and construction land but negatively with forest. The correlation between forest and TN&TP summited at 500–700-m buffer and construction land at 100-m buffer. As the buffer size increased, the correlation between the cultivated land, and the TN weakened, while the correlation with the TP increased. TN&TP correlated positively with the Shannon’s Diversity Index and negatively with the Contagion Index. This study provides a new perspective for exporting the impact of land use/cover pattern on water quality.

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Land use influences stream bacterial communities in lowland tropical watersheds

Scientific Reports ◽

10.1038/s41598-021-01193-7 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Karina A. Chavarria ◽

Kristin Saltonstall ◽

Jorge Vinda ◽

Jorge Batista ◽

Megan Lindmark ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Water Quality ◽

Land Use ◽

Bacterial Communities ◽

Secondary Forest ◽

Stream Water ◽

Community Diversity ◽

Forested Catchments ◽

Unifrac Distance ◽

Cattle Pasture ◽

The Impact

AbstractLand use is known to affect water quality yet the impact it has on aquatic microbial communities in tropical systems is poorly understood. We used 16S metabarcoding to assess the impact of land use on bacterial communities in the water column of four streams in central Panama. Each stream was influenced by a common Neotropical land use: mature forest, secondary forest, silvopasture and traditional cattle pasture. Bacterial community diversity and composition were significantly influenced by nearby land uses. Streams bordered by forests had higher phylogenetic diversity (Faith’s PD) and similar community structure (based on weighted UniFrac distance), whereas the stream surrounded by traditional cattle pasture had lower diversity and unique bacterial communities. The silvopasture stream showed strong seasonal shifts, with communities similar to forested catchments during the wet seasons and cattle pasture during dry seasons. We demonstrate that natural forest regrowth and targeted management, such as maintaining and restoring riparian corridors, benefit stream-water microbiomes in tropical landscapes and can provide a rapid and efficient approach to balancing agricultural activities and water quality protection.

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