scholarly journals Managing the small stream network for improved water quality, biodiversity and ecosystem services protection (SSNet)

2019 ◽  
Vol 5 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mary Kelly-Quinn ◽  
Michael Bruen ◽  
Jens Carlsson ◽  
Angela Gurnell ◽  
Helen Jarvie ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Water Quality ◽  
Ecosystem Services ◽  
Environmental Protection Agency ◽  
Nutrient Retention ◽  
Integrated Approach ◽  
Stream Network ◽  
Management Options ◽  
Small Stream ◽  
Biological Water ◽  
Small Streams

This paper outlines the research being undertaken by the recently-initiated four-year (to March 2022) project on the small stream network in Ireland (SSNet) funded by the Irish Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The overarching objective of SSNet is to advance knowledge on the role of small streams in water quality, biodiversity and ecosystem services protection that will inform policy, measures and management options to meet water quality and other resources protection targets. The project will start with a synthesis of available information on the importance of small streams to initiate communication with stakeholders and introduce the project. This will be followed by a compilation and analysis of existing data on small streams in Ireland to inform the selection of sites for the proposed research. Three work packages will collect new data on hydrochemistry with a focus on the nutrient retention potential of headwater streams, hydromorphology and biodiversity. All three investigations will share common sites to enable interconnections between the three elements to be explored and provide an integrated approach to the research. Modelling based on the results from each of the aforementioned tasks will be used to estimate the level of intervention in the small stream network required to have measurable effects throughout a catchment on both water quality (N, P & sediment) and flows, and overall delivery/maintenance of ecosystem services. We will also engage volunteers in both biological water quality and hydromorphological assessments and evaluate the potential of citizen science in facilitating greater monitoring coverage of the small stream network.

scholarly journals Comparing Wetland Ecosystems Service Provision under Different Management Approaches: Two Cases Study of Tianfu Wetland and Nansha Wetland in China

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (16) ◽  
pp. 8710
Author(s):  
Yuchao Zhang ◽  
Steven Loiselle ◽  
Yimo Zhang ◽  
Qian Wang ◽  
Xia Sun ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Water Quality ◽  
Ecosystem Services ◽  
Wetland Management ◽  
Nutrient Retention ◽  
Limited Information ◽  
Urban Centers ◽  
Wetland Ecosystems ◽  
Fundamental Information ◽  
Management Approaches ◽  
Study Sites

The largest blue-green infrastructures in industrialized, urbanized and developed regions in China are often multiuse wetlands, located just outside growing urban centers. These areas have multiple development pressures while providing environmental, economic, and social benefits to the local and regional populations. Given the limited information available about the tradeoffs in ecosystem services with respect to competing wetland uses, wetland managers and provincial decision makers face challenges in regulating the use of these important landscapes. In the present study, measurements made by citizen scientists were used to support a comparative study of water quality and wetland functions in two large multiuse wetlands, comparing areas of natural wetland vegetation, tourism-based wetland management and wetland agriculture. The study sites, the Nansha and Tianfu wetlands, are located in two of the most urbanized areas of China: the lower Yangtze River and Pearl River catchments, respectively. Our results indicated that the capacity of wetlands to mitigate water quality is closely related to the quality of the surrounding waters and hydrological conditions. Agricultural areas in both wetlands provided the lowest sediment and nutrient retention. The results show that the delivery of supporting ecosystem services is strongly influenced by the location and use of the wetland. Furthermore, we show that citizen scientist-acquired data can provide fundamental information on quantifying these ecosystem services, providing needed information to wetland park managers and provincial wetland administrators.

scholarly journals Nutrient Limitation and Uptake Rates in Streams and Rivers of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem

2013 ◽  
Vol 36 ◽  
pp. 153-159
Author(s):  
Jennifer Tank ◽  
Alexander Reisinger
Keyword(s):  
Water Quality ◽  
Nutrient Limitation ◽  
Water Column ◽  
Nutrient Dynamics ◽  
Nutrient Retention ◽  
Light Limitation ◽  
Small Stream ◽  
Streams And Rivers ◽  
Greater Yellowstone ◽  
Uptake Studies

Nutrient pollution of aquatic ecosystems is a growing concern as the influence of human activities continues to increase on the landscape. Headwater streams have long been shown to process nutrients via the biofilm community growing on the bottom of streams. The growth and activity of these biofilms is often limited by the availability of nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), or co-limited by both N and P. Although small stream nutrient dynamics are relatively well understood, comparatively little is known about larger, non-wadeable rivers. Biofilms on the river bottom are likely still nutrient limited, but there becomes an increased potential for light limitation as rivers increase in depth. In addition to biofilms on the bottom of rivers, free-living microbial communities suspended in the water column also occur in rivers and process nutrients - a component of nutrient processing largely ignored in streams. In summer 2013 we worked in streams and rivers of the Greater Yellowstone Area (GYA) to establish the nutrient limitation status of minimally-impacted rivers, as well as the role of the water column in processing nutrients as streams increase in size. For both the nutrient limitation and water column uptake studies, we are using the GYA sites in addition to systems from other regions of the US to establish what controls the various aspects of nutrient dynamics in rivers. Our results from the GYA, in addition to Midwest and Southwest US rivers, will provide water quality managers with new strategies for improving water quality downstream, and clarify mechanisms controlling nutrient retention in rivers.

scholarly journals The effect of future land use changes on hydrologic ecosystem services: a case study from the Zala catchment, Hungary

2020 ◽  
Vol 71 (4) ◽  
pp. 405-418 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bence Decsi ◽  
Ágnes Vári ◽  
Zsolt Kozma
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Ecosystem Services ◽  
Flood Control ◽  
Land Use Changes ◽  
Ecological Status ◽  
Nutrient Retention ◽  
Lake Balaton ◽  
Stream Network ◽  
Invest Model ◽  
Low Performance

AbstractMaintaining and, where possible, improving the ecological status of our water resources are of particular importance for the future. So, one of the main drivers of landscape design must be to protect our waters. In this study, we carried out an evaluation of four hydrologic ecosystem services (HES) in the Zala River catchment area, the largest tributary of Lake Balaton (more than half of the lake’s surface inflow comes from the Zala River), Hungary. The lake has great ecological, economic and social importance to the country. We used the cell-based InVEST model to quantify the spatial distribution of flood control, erosion control and nutrient retention ecosystem services for phosphorus and nitrogen; then, we carried out an aggregated evaluation. Thereby, we localized the hot spots of service delivery and tested the effect of focused land use changes in critical areas of low performance on the examined four HES. Forests proved to have the best aggregated result, while croplands near the stream network performed poorly. The modelled change in land use resulted in significant improvement on nutrient filtration and moderate to minimal but improving change for the other HES in most cases. The applied method is suitable as a supporting tool at the watershed level for decision-makers and landscape designers with the aim of protecting water bodies.

scholarly journals Prioritizing riparian corridors for ecosystem restoration in urbanizing watersheds

PeerJ ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
pp. e8174 ◽  
Author(s):  
Samuel F. Atkinson ◽  
Matthew C. Lake
Keyword(s):  
Water Quality ◽  
Drinking Water ◽  
Ecosystem Services ◽  
Watershed Management ◽  
Water Reservoir ◽  
Riparian Restoration ◽  
Surface Slope ◽  
Management Options ◽  
Riparian Corridors ◽  
Drinking Water Reservoir

Background Riparian corridors can affect nutrient, organic matter, and sediment transport, all of which shape water quality in streams and connected downstream waters. When functioning riparian corridors remain intact, they provide highly valued water quality ecosystem services. However, in rapidly urbanizing watersheds, riparian corridors are susceptible to development modifications that adversely affect those ecosystem services. Protecting high quality riparian corridors or restoring low quality corridors are widely advocated as watershed level water quality management options for protecting those ecosystem services. The two approaches, protection or restoration, should be viewed as complementary by watershed managers and provide a foundation for targeting highly functioning riparian corridors for protection or for identifying poorly functioning corridors for restoration. Ascertaining which strategy to use is often motivated by a specific ecosystem service, for example water quality, upon which watershed management is focused. We have previously reported on a spatially explicit model that focused on identifying riparian corridors that have specific characteristics that make them well suited for purposes of preservation and protection focused on water quality. Here we hypothesize that focusing on restoration, rather than protection, can be the basis for developing a watershed level strategy for improving water quality in urbanizing watersheds. Methods The model described here represents a geographic information system (GIS) based approach that utilizes riparian characteristics extracted from 40-meter wide corridors centered on streams and rivers. The model focuses on drinking water reservoir watersheds that can be analyzed at the sub-watershed level. Sub-watershed riparian data (vegetation, soil erodibility and surface slope) are scaled and weighted based on watershed management theories for water quality, and riparian restoration scores are assigned. Those scores are used to rank order riparian zones –the lower the score the higher the priority for riparian restoration. Results The model was applied to 90 sub-watersheds in the watershed of an important drinking water reservoir in north central Texas, USA. Results from this study area suggest that corridor scores were found to be most correlated to the amount of: forested vegetation, residential land use, soils in the highest erodibility class, and highest surface slope (r2 = 0.92, p < 0.0001). Scores allow watershed managers to rapidly focus on riparian corridors most in need of restoration. A beneficial feature of the model is that it also allows investigation of multiple scenarios of restoration strategies (e.g.,  revegetation, soil stabilization, flood plain leveling), giving watershed managers a tool to compare and contrast watershed level management plans.

scholarly journals Land-Management Options for Greenhouse Gas Removal and Their Impacts on Ecosystem Services and the Sustainable Development Goals

2019 ◽  
Vol 44 (1) ◽  
pp. 255-286 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pete Smith ◽  
Justin Adams ◽  
David J. Beerling ◽  
Tim Beringer ◽  
Katherine V. Calvin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Ecosystem Services ◽  
Greenhouse Gas ◽  
Land Management ◽  
Wetland Restoration ◽  
Sustainable Development Goals ◽  
Management Options ◽  
Gas Removal ◽  
Development Goals ◽  
Greenhouse Gas Removal

Land-management options for greenhouse gas removal (GGR) include afforestation or reforestation (AR), wetland restoration, soil carbon sequestration (SCS), biochar, terrestrial enhanced weathering (TEW), and bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS). We assess the opportunities and risks associated with these options through the lens of their potential impacts on ecosystem services (Nature's Contributions to People; NCPs) and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). We find that all land-based GGR options contribute positively to at least some NCPs and SDGs. Wetland restoration and SCS almost exclusively deliver positive impacts. A few GGR options, such as afforestation, BECCS, and biochar potentially impact negatively some NCPs and SDGs, particularly when implemented at scale, largely through competition for land. For those that present risks or are least understood, more research is required, and demonstration projects need to proceed with caution. For options that present low risks and provide cobenefits, implementation can proceed more rapidly following no-regrets principles.

scholarly journals Smart Nutrient Retention Networks: a novel approach for nutrient conservation through water quality management

Inland Waters ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. 1-16
Author(s):  
Dianneke van Wijk ◽  
Sven Teurlincx ◽  
Robert J. Brederveld ◽  
Jeroen J. M. de Klein ◽  
Annette B. G. Janssen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Water Quality ◽  
Quality Management ◽  
Water Quality Management ◽  
Nutrient Retention ◽  
Novel Approach ◽  
Nutrient Conservation

scholarly journals Historical Assessments of Inorganic Pollutants in the Sinkhole Region of Winkler County, Texas, USA

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (13) ◽  
pp. 7513
Author(s):  
Joshua Lozano ◽  
Joonghyeok Heo ◽  
Mijin Seo
Keyword(s):  
Water Quality ◽  
Environmental Protection Agency ◽  
Water Contamination ◽  
Oil And Gas ◽  
Anthropogenic Activities ◽  
Inorganic Pollutants ◽  
Safety Standards ◽  
The Public ◽  
West Texas ◽  
Contamination Levels

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the public water contamination levels of Winkler County, in West Texas. With water scarcity becoming more prevalent in arid climates like West Texas, it is important to ensure the water quality in these areas. The Dockum and Pecos Valley aquifers were analyzed for inorganic pollutants that could inhibit the water. The parameters such as copper, lead, arsenic, nitrate, chloride, and chromium level reports were provided from 1972 to 2018 to analyze and compare to other studies such as the ones conducted in the Midland/Odessa area. The results were compared to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) safety standards, and conclusions were made for the safety consumption of water within the county. We found that inorganic pollutants resulted mainly from the mobilization of the contaminant from anthropogenic activities such as chemical fertilizers, oil and gas developments. This research provides important information for inorganic pollutants in the sinkhole region of Winkler County and contributes to understanding the response to the aquifers. The significance of water quality in West Texas is now more important than ever to ensure that everyone has clean drinking water.

scholarly journals Evaluation of Groundwater Using an Integrated Approach of Entropy Weight and Stochastic Simulation: A Case Study in East Region of Beijing

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (14) ◽  
pp. 7703
Author(s):  
Yongxiang Zhang ◽  
Ruitao Jia ◽  
Jin Wu ◽  
Huaqing Wang ◽  
Zhuoran Luo
Keyword(s):  
Water Quality ◽  
Stochastic Simulation ◽  
Water Quality Index ◽  
Quality Index ◽  
Integrated Approach ◽  
Total Hardness ◽  
Chemical Components ◽  
Wet Season ◽  
Entropy Weight ◽  
Weakly Alkaline

Groundwater is an important source of water in Beijing. Hydrochemical composition and water quality are the key factors to determine the availability of groundwater. Therefore, an improved integrated weight water quality index approach (IWQI) combining the entropy weight method and the stochastic simulation method is proposed. Through systematic investigation of groundwater chemical composition in different periods, using a hydrogeochemical diagram, multivariate statistics and spatial interpolation analysis, the spatial evolution characteristics and genetic mechanism of groundwater chemistry are discussed. The results show that the groundwater in the study area is weakly alkaline and low mineralized water. The south part of the study area showed higher concentrations of total dissolved solids, total hardness and NO3−-N in the dry season and wet season, and the main hydrochemical types are HCO3−-Ca and HCO3−-Ca-Mg. The natural source mechanism of the groundwater chemical components in Chaoyang District includes rock weathering, dissolution and cation exchange, while the human-made sources are mainly residents and industrial activities. Improved IWQI evaluation results indicate that water quality decreases from southwest to northeast along groundwater flow path. The water quality index (WQI) method cannot reflect the trend of groundwater. Sensitivity analysis indicated that the improved IWQI method could describe the overall water quality reliably, accurately and stably.

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