Retention and Removal Efficiency of Riparian Wetlands on Non-Point Source Pollutants
Riparian wetlands is a very important buffer and transition zone between terrestrial ecosystems and aquatic ecosystems in the lake basin system. Its edge effects played a crucial ecological role in energy flow and material cycling. Riparian wetlands have been widely used as the treatment of wastewaters, pollution control and environmental enhancement have been gainning increasing interest and application. In this paper, a typical riparian wetland was selected as case study for retention and removal efficiency on non-point source pollutants. The experimental results showed that there was certain removal efficiency for nitrogen and phosphorus. But slight effectiveness improvements took place after wetlands have been operated for a few years. So their restoration should be implemented also with the objectives of increasing the purification efficiency of pollutants. Results in this study were helpful in providing the basis for theoretical basis of designing cost-effective lakeside buffer zone and in revealing the removal mechanism of nitrogen and phosphorus in reparian wetlands.