Influence of landscape structures on river water quality at multiple spatial scales: A case study of the Yuan river watershed, China

Significant attention has recently been given towards understanding the hydrological effects of landscape structures. However, few studies have quantified the relationships between landscape structures and river water quality at different spatial scales. Here, we evaluated the influence of landscape...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Qiyu Xu, Peng Wang, Wang Shu, Mingjun Ding, Hua Zhang
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2021-02-01
Series:Ecological Indicators
Subjects:
Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1470160X20311651
_version_ 1818691106224734208
author Qiyu Xu
Peng Wang
Wang Shu
Mingjun Ding
Hua Zhang
author_facet Qiyu Xu
Peng Wang
Wang Shu
Mingjun Ding
Hua Zhang
author_sort Qiyu Xu
collection DOAJ
description Significant attention has recently been given towards understanding the hydrological effects of landscape structures. However, few studies have quantified the relationships between landscape structures and river water quality at different spatial scales. Here, we evaluated the influence of landscape structures, including structural composition and spatial configuration, on river water quality at scales ranging from riparian zones to entire regions. Water quality parameters (pH, Cl−, SO42−, DO, NO3−−N, NH4+−N, TP, and heavy metals) were determined from 38 sample sites in August 2018 during the wet season and January 2019 during the dry season. Landscape structures explained more of the water quality variation (ranging from 7% to 36%) in the near-distance buffer zones (100, 300, and 500 m), but slightly less (ranging from 2% to 27%) in the long-distance buffer zones (1000 m and entire regions). Landscape structures had the greatest impact on water quality at the 300-m buffer zone, and of all explanatory variables of landscape, joint effects between landscape composition and landscape configuration accounted for more than half of the variation in water quality. Moreover, different regional division methods considerably impacted the measured correlation between landscape structures and water quality. Compared with zonal division, a larger basin area division of sub-basin enhanced the correlation and associated significance between landscape composition and water quality. Concomitantly, the input of exogenous pollutants weakened the influence of mean dendritic stream length on the relationships between landscape structures and water quality. Overall, this study provides new insights into the relationships between landscape structures and river water quality. In future studies, selecting an appropriate regional division method is critical for revealing the effects of landscape structures on water quality. Furthermore, strengthening land-use management in the buffer zones near river banks is critical for protecting river water quality.
first_indexed 2024-12-17T12:36:37Z
format Article
id doaj.art-e850e4dbacf641abbbc98a7e1ed6b2ec
institution Directory Open Access Journal
issn 1470-160X
language English
last_indexed 2024-12-17T12:36:37Z
publishDate 2021-02-01
publisher Elsevier
record_format Article
series Ecological Indicators
spelling doaj.art-e850e4dbacf641abbbc98a7e1ed6b2ec2022-12-21T21:48:15ZengElsevierEcological Indicators1470-160X2021-02-01121107226Influence of landscape structures on river water quality at multiple spatial scales: A case study of the Yuan river watershed, ChinaQiyu Xu0Peng Wang1Wang Shu2Mingjun Ding3Hua Zhang4School of Geography and Environment, Jiangxi Normal University, Nanchang 330022, ChinaSchool of Geography and Environment, Jiangxi Normal University, Nanchang 330022, China; Key Laboratory of Poyang Lake Wetland and Watershed Research, Ministry of Education, Jiangxi Normal University, Nanchang 330022, China; Corresponding author at: School of Geography and Environment, Jiangxi Normal University, Ziyang Road 99, Nanchang 330022, China.School of Geography and Environment, Jiangxi Normal University, Nanchang 330022, ChinaSchool of Geography and Environment, Jiangxi Normal University, Nanchang 330022, China; Key Laboratory of Poyang Lake Wetland and Watershed Research, Ministry of Education, Jiangxi Normal University, Nanchang 330022, ChinaSchool of Geography and Environment, Jiangxi Normal University, Nanchang 330022, China; Key Laboratory of Poyang Lake Wetland and Watershed Research, Ministry of Education, Jiangxi Normal University, Nanchang 330022, ChinaSignificant attention has recently been given towards understanding the hydrological effects of landscape structures. However, few studies have quantified the relationships between landscape structures and river water quality at different spatial scales. Here, we evaluated the influence of landscape structures, including structural composition and spatial configuration, on river water quality at scales ranging from riparian zones to entire regions. Water quality parameters (pH, Cl−, SO42−, DO, NO3−−N, NH4+−N, TP, and heavy metals) were determined from 38 sample sites in August 2018 during the wet season and January 2019 during the dry season. Landscape structures explained more of the water quality variation (ranging from 7% to 36%) in the near-distance buffer zones (100, 300, and 500 m), but slightly less (ranging from 2% to 27%) in the long-distance buffer zones (1000 m and entire regions). Landscape structures had the greatest impact on water quality at the 300-m buffer zone, and of all explanatory variables of landscape, joint effects between landscape composition and landscape configuration accounted for more than half of the variation in water quality. Moreover, different regional division methods considerably impacted the measured correlation between landscape structures and water quality. Compared with zonal division, a larger basin area division of sub-basin enhanced the correlation and associated significance between landscape composition and water quality. Concomitantly, the input of exogenous pollutants weakened the influence of mean dendritic stream length on the relationships between landscape structures and water quality. Overall, this study provides new insights into the relationships between landscape structures and river water quality. In future studies, selecting an appropriate regional division method is critical for revealing the effects of landscape structures on water quality. Furthermore, strengthening land-use management in the buffer zones near river banks is critical for protecting river water quality.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1470160X20311651Landscape structuresLandscape compositionLandscape configurationWater qualityDifferent region divisions
spellingShingle Qiyu Xu
Peng Wang
Wang Shu
Mingjun Ding
Hua Zhang
Influence of landscape structures on river water quality at multiple spatial scales: A case study of the Yuan river watershed, China
Ecological Indicators
Landscape structures
Landscape composition
Landscape configuration
Water quality
Different region divisions
title Influence of landscape structures on river water quality at multiple spatial scales: A case study of the Yuan river watershed, China
title_full Influence of landscape structures on river water quality at multiple spatial scales: A case study of the Yuan river watershed, China
title_fullStr Influence of landscape structures on river water quality at multiple spatial scales: A case study of the Yuan river watershed, China
title_full_unstemmed Influence of landscape structures on river water quality at multiple spatial scales: A case study of the Yuan river watershed, China
title_short Influence of landscape structures on river water quality at multiple spatial scales: A case study of the Yuan river watershed, China
title_sort influence of landscape structures on river water quality at multiple spatial scales a case study of the yuan river watershed china
topic Landscape structures
Landscape composition
Landscape configuration
Water quality
Different region divisions
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1470160X20311651
work_keys_str_mv AT qiyuxu influenceoflandscapestructuresonriverwaterqualityatmultiplespatialscalesacasestudyoftheyuanriverwatershedchina
AT pengwang influenceoflandscapestructuresonriverwaterqualityatmultiplespatialscalesacasestudyoftheyuanriverwatershedchina
AT wangshu influenceoflandscapestructuresonriverwaterqualityatmultiplespatialscalesacasestudyoftheyuanriverwatershedchina
AT mingjunding influenceoflandscapestructuresonriverwaterqualityatmultiplespatialscalesacasestudyoftheyuanriverwatershedchina
AT huazhang influenceoflandscapestructuresonriverwaterqualityatmultiplespatialscalesacasestudyoftheyuanriverwatershedchina