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Nutrient and Carbon Export under Global Warming and Land Use Change

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A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Environmental Sustainability and Applications".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 February 2024) | Viewed by 3155

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Special Issue Editors

Dr. Sanyuan Jiang

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Guest Editor

Nanjing Institute of Geography and Limnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing 210008, China
Interests: river water quality; diffuse source pollution; nutrient transport modeling; climate and land use change impacts; catchment management

Dr. Hui Xie

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Guest Editor

Nanjing Institute of Geography and Limnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing 210008, China
Interests: non-point source pollution modeling and control; catchment hydrological modeling
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Dr. Dong Liu

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Guest Editor

Key Laboratory of Watershed Geographic Sciences, Nanjing Institute of Geography and Limnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing 210008, China
Interests: remote sensing; water environment; carbon cycle
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The excessive export of nutrients (nitrogen, phosphorus) and carbon (organic and inorganic forms) from watersheds to surface water bodies is a worldwide concern; it can cause algal blooms, hypoxia, and “dead” zones for fish, and may pose a risk to human health if drinking water is contaminated. The quantification of nutrient and carbon export is challenging, which requires the characterization of the hydrologic pathways and associated complex biogeochemical processes. Therefore, studies on the transport, transformation, and changes of nutrient and carbon export under the global change background (warming and land use) is important for decision-making on catchment management to maintain sustainability.

Global warming leads to the increasing occurrence of extreme climatic events, and land-use change alters the hydrologic process. All of these changes will influence the transport pathways and biogeochemical transformations of nutrient and carbon export, which can further lead to risk and uncertainty in the functions and services of aquatic ecosystems. Therefore, studies on the responses to nutrient and carbon export on the rising temperature, extreme rainfall events, water scarcity, water pollution, urbanization, and afforestation/deforestation can deepen the understanding of water pollution regimes and serve as a scientific basis for sustainable development goals.

In this Special Issue, original research articles and reviews are welcome. Research areas may include (but are not limited to) the following:

Investigation of nutrient and carbon export at various temporal scales;
Nutrient and carbon export modeling on a field or catchment scale;
Calibration and uncertainty analysis on catchment modeling;
Assessment of nutrient and carbon transport and transformation under climate change and land-use scenarios;
Other topics related to nutrient and carbon export.

We are looking forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Sanyuan Jiang
Dr. Hui Xie
Dr. Dong Liu
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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Keywords

nutrient and carbon export
investigation and monitoring
streams, rivers, and groundwater
spatiotemporal variations
biogeochemical modeling
global warming
land use change
calibration and uncertainty analysis
water pollution
human activities
sustainable development

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

19 pages, 5096 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Human Management Decreased Suspended Particle Size in the Loess Plateau Rivers during the 1980s to the 2010s

by Keyu Li, Dong Liu, Zhiqiang Qiu, Mengwei Duan, Xiaodao Wei and Hongtao Duan

Sustainability 2024, 16(2), 799; https://doi.org/10.3390/su16020799 - 17 Jan 2024

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Abstract

The study of river sediment is a broad and complex field. One of the very important parameters is suspended particle size (SPS), which is indispensable for understanding water–sediment dynamics. As one of the most serious soil erosion areas in the world, the Loess Plateau delivers a large amount of sediment to the Yellow River and its numerous tributaries. Studies on riverine SPS in the Loess Plateau have received extensive attention. In this study, we investigate the spatiotemporal variations of SPS in the Loess Plateau rivers and analyze the driving factors along with their relative importance. Through the analysis of SPS data from 62 hydrological stations, the results indicated the spatial distribution of SPS was similar in the 1980s and 2010s, with both coarser particles mainly distributed in the northern rivers and finer particles mainly distributed in the southern rivers. During the 1980s to the 2010s, the mean SPS on the Loess Plateau decreased from 33 μm to 20 μm, with mean reductions of 42.0%, 29.4%, 46.3%, and 36.8% in the northern, western, southwestern, and southeastern basins, respectively. The most significant changes in SPS were observed in the Kuye, Wuding and Jalu River basins in the northern region, with decreases ranging from 27 to 73 μm. In the 1980s, topography (slope) and human management, followed by precipitation, were the key factors affecting SPS variability, contributing 25.7%, 25.9% and 24.0%, respectively. In the 2010s, the explanatory power of topographic slope on SPS variability declined by 16.6%, and other natural factors no longer significantly influenced SPS variability. The results of this study can serve as a reference for integrated basin management and sustainable ecosystem development in river catchments around the world. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nutrient and Carbon Export under Global Warming and Land Use Change)

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16 pages, 3024 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Assessment of Eutrophication Characteristics and Evaluation of the First-Generation Eutrophication Model in the Nearshore Waters of Shantou City

by Hongbing Wang, Xiaoming Wan, Si Wang, Lu Xia and Yanwei Song

Sustainability 2023, 15(20), 14866; https://doi.org/10.3390/su152014866 - 13 Oct 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 759

Abstract

Based on the water quality monitoring results from 2002 to 2018 in the coastal waters of Shantou City, this study used eight methods, including the single-factor index method, eutrophication index method, nutrient status quality method, comprehensive index method, organic pollution index method, nitrogen–phosphorus ratio method, potential eutrophication evaluation, and dissolved oxygen saturation parameter method, to evaluate the eutrophication and organic pollution status of the area. The applicability of the first-generation eutrophication model was assessed from the perspective of red tide occurrence, and a comparison was made among the various evaluation methods. The results indicate that the coastal waters of the study area were mostly in a phosphorus-limited state, with a few periods of nutrient deficiency and a very small portion of time in a moderately nutritious state with both nitrogen and phosphorus limitations. The overall N/P ratio showed an increasing trend primarily due to the gradual increase in inorganic nitrogen content. In terms of evaluating eutrophication based on red tide symptoms, the comprehensive index method showed better performance in reflecting eutrophication conditions, while the eutrophication index method and dissolved oxygen saturation parameter method highlighted problematic areas but often exaggerated their extent. The nutrient status quality method and organic pollution index method did not provide distinctive indications and could not verify red tide symptoms. The nitrogen–phosphorus ratio method and potential eutrophication evaluation could reflect certain nutrient structures and eutrophication characteristics but also failed to verify red tide symptoms. Furthermore, this study found a certain correlation between the occurrence of red tide and the ratio of nitrate nitrogen to ammonia nitrogen, which consistently ranged from 1.15 to 1.94 during red tide events. Therefore, whether this ratio can serve as a characteristic value for red tide occurrence and be used for early warning and monitoring still requires further validation. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nutrient and Carbon Export under Global Warming and Land Use Change)

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19 pages, 5922 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Grain Size Characteristics of Surface Sediments and Their Migration Trends in the Nearshore Waters of East Guangdong

by Hongbing Wang, Yuxi Wu, Xiaoming Wan, Lu Xia and Si Wang

Sustainability 2023, 15(14), 11069; https://doi.org/10.3390/su151411069 - 15 Jul 2023

Viewed by 1306

Abstract

By collecting surface sediment samples from 158 stations in the near-shore waters of eastern Guangdong, grain size analysis and grain size parameter calculations were performed to explore the characteristics and migration trends of surface sediments in the area. The analysis of the grain size results showed that the surface sediments in the nearshore waters of east Guangdong could be classified into nine sediment types, mainly including seven types of gravel sand ((g)S), gravel muddy sand ((g)mS), gravelly mud ((g)M), sand (S), silty sand (zS), sandy silt (sZ) and silt (Z). The relative percentages of gravel, sand, silt and mud were 0.7%, 40.56%, 46.7% and 12.04%, respectively. The average grain size varied from −2φ to 8φ, with an average of 4.94φ. The selection coefficient ranged from 0.44 to 3.78, with an average value of 1.8. The skewness distribution ranged from −0.34 to 0.67, with an average value of 0.07. By extracting and analyzing the spatial distribution information of grain size in the study area, using the Gao–Collins migration trend analysis method and incorporating dynamic factors such as tidal currents and waves, the transport direction and trend of surface sediments in the study area could be analyzed and inferred. The results show that the surface sediment migration trend was significant, migration on the north side of Nan’ao Island was in an east-to-west direction, and the sediment of Yifeng River was mainly deposited to the sand spout at the mouth of Lianyang River. After southward transport from the Houjiang waterway, the migration was mainly southeastward and the trend was quite significant until the 20 m isobath, where the trend gradually decreased. The sediments of the Rongjiang River were mainly deposited outside the mouth of Niutian Yang and Rongjiang River, and the surface sediments of Guang’ao Bay and Haimen Bay migrated in the northwest–southeast direction. After the 30 m isobath, the southeast corner of the study area migrated in the southeast–south direction. This sediment transport pattern revealed by the grain size migration trend is in good agreement with the physical and hydrodynamic conditions of the study area and provides an important reference for decisions regarding port dredging and waterway management in the area. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nutrient and Carbon Export under Global Warming and Land Use Change)

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