Water turbidity and nutrient loss
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Water Turbidity and Nutrient Loss: A Comprehensive Overview
Introduction to Water Turbidity and Nutrient Loss
Water turbidity and nutrient loss are critical environmental issues affecting aquatic ecosystems. Turbidity, caused by suspended particles in water, can significantly impact light penetration, which in turn affects aquatic life and water quality. Nutrient loss, particularly of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P), can lead to eutrophication, causing excessive growth of algae and other aquatic plants, which depletes oxygen levels and harms aquatic organisms.
Alternative Equilibria in Shallow Lakes
Shallow lakes can exhibit two alternative equilibria: a clear state dominated by aquatic vegetation and a turbid state characterized by high algal biomass. This bi-stability suggests that nutrient reduction alone may not restore water clarity in eutrophied lakes. Instead, ecosystem disturbances, such as food web manipulation, may be necessary to shift the lake back to a clear state1.
Effects of Mixing Depth and Turbidity on Phytoplankton
Field experiments have shown that water column mixing depth and background turbidity significantly affect phytoplankton biomass, light climate, and nutrient dynamics. Increased mixing depth generally decreases specific production and sedimentation losses of phytoplankton. High background turbidity can lead to a unimodal relationship between algal biomass and mixing depth, with biomass peaking at certain depths due to light limitation2.
Nutrient Removal in Estuaries
Estuaries, such as the Chesapeake, Delaware, and Hudson, receive continuous nutrient inputs from freshwater sources. Phytoplankton play a crucial role in nutrient removal, with significant nutrient depletion observed in areas with high phytoplankton biomass. However, nutrient removal efficiency varies among estuaries, influenced by factors such as salinity gradients and lateral waste inputs3.
Sediment Transport and Nutrient Loss in Agricultural Catchments
In agricultural areas, sediment and nutrient losses are closely linked. High-resolution turbidity data from small agricultural catchments in Norway indicate that discharge is the main driver of turbidity, with soil tillage intensity and vegetation cover also playing significant roles. Effective management practices are essential to reduce sediment and nutrient runoff, thereby mitigating eutrophication impacts4.
Impact of Elevated Turbidity on Seagrass Nutrient Removal
Seagrass meadows, which provide essential ecosystem functions, are negatively impacted by elevated turbidity. Increased sediment loading reduces light availability, thereby decreasing the nutrient removal capacity of seagrass. Reducing sediment loading can improve water clarity and enhance the nutrient removal function of seagrass meadows5.
Fish Pond Drainage and Its Effects on Turbidity and Nutrient Concentration
Fish pond drainage, a common aquaculture practice, can significantly increase turbidity and fine sediment deposition in receiving streams. This practice can lead to substantial sediment and nutrient loading, which can be mitigated by using physical structures to prevent sediment mobilization and adopting harvesting methods that do not require complete pond drainage6.
High-Frequency Turbidity Measurements as a Surrogate for Phosphorus
High-frequency turbidity measurements can serve as a surrogate for phosphorus concentrations in rivers, particularly in agricultural catchments. This approach allows for better monitoring and management of nutrient loss mitigation measures. However, local calibration and validation are crucial to ensure accurate phosphorus estimates, especially during high discharge events7.
Turbidity and Nutrient Dynamics in the Norfolk Broads
In the Norfolk Broads, increased turbidity has been linked to nutrient loading from human activities rather than boat disturbance. Phytoplankton growth, driven by nutrient inputs, is the primary cause of turbidity, leading to the loss of submerged aquatic vegetation. Effective nutrient management is essential to restore water clarity and aquatic plant communities9.
Conclusion
Water turbidity and nutrient loss are interconnected issues that require comprehensive management strategies. Understanding the dynamics of turbidity and nutrient interactions in various aquatic systems is crucial for developing effective mitigation measures. By addressing both sediment and nutrient inputs, it is possible to improve water quality and protect aquatic ecosystems.
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Most relevant research papers on this topic
Alternative equilibria in shallow lakes.
Shallow lakes can have two alternative equilibria, a clear state dominated by aquatic vegetation and a turbid state characterized by high algal biomass, which can be restored through ecosystem disturbances like foodweb manipulation.
Highly CitedPHYTOPLANKTON, LIGHT, AND NUTRIENTS IN A GRADIENT OF MIXING DEPTHS: FIELD EXPERIMENTS
Phytoplankton biomass and light intensity decrease with increasing mixing depth, while specific production and sedimentation losses decrease with increasing mixing depth, supporting a dynamical model.
Highly CitedPhytoplankton, nutrients, and turbidity in the Chesapeake, Delaware, and Hudson estuaries
Phytoplankton uptake is a major process responsible for nutrient removal in estuaries, with widespread limitation in Chesapeake Bay, particularly for phosphate.
Highly CitedSediment transport dynamics in small agricultural catchments in a cold climate: A case study from Norway
Understanding sediment runoff processes in agricultural areas is crucial for implementing efficient management actions to combat agricultural emissions to water.
Elevated Turbidity and the Nutrient Removal Capacity of Seagrass
Elevated turbidity in seagrass meadows is associated with lower nutrient removal capacity, suggesting that reducing sediment loading may improve water clarity and increase nutrient removal capacity.
Effect of fish pond drainage on turbidity, suspended solids, fine sediment deposition and nutrient concentration in receiving pearl mussel streams.
Fish pond drainage increases fine sediment deposition in pearl mussel streams, but using mitigation structures and harvest methods that don't require complete pond drainage can minimize these impacts.
Introducing the Self‐Cleaning FiLtrAtion for Water quaLity SenSors (SC‐FLAWLeSS) system
The SC-FLAWLeSS system effectively resolves turbidity-related interference issues, enabling long-term data collection in highly turbid waters for water quality monitoring.
High-frequency measured turbidity as a surrogate for phosphorus in boreal zone rivers: appropriate options and critical situations
High-frequency measured turbidity can potentially serve as a surrogate for riverine phosphorus concentrations, but local calibration and long-term discrete samples are crucial for accurate phosphorus concentration estimates.
Conservation problems in the norfolk broads and rivers of East Anglia, England—Phytoplankton, boats and the causes of turbidity
Increased turbidity in the Norfolk Broads and rivers is due to increased nutrient loading from human activities, not boat disturbance.
Nutrient limitation of biofilm biomass and metabolism in the Upper Snake River basin, southeast Idaho, USA
Biofilms in southeast Idaho rivers are primarily limited by nitrogen, with nutrient limitation more frequent at sites with good water quality than poor water quality, and heterotrophic and autotrophic components may respond differently to nutrient enrichment.
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