Global phosphorus retention by river damming

Maavara, Taylor; Parsons, Christopher T.; Ridenour, Christine; Stojanovic, Severin; Dürr, Hans H.; Powley, Helen R.; Cappellen, Philippe Van

doi:10.1073/pnas.1511797112

Cited by 368 publications

(213 citation statements)

References 60 publications

(67 reference statements)

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“…Numerous studies have focused on nutrient processing and removal in lentic water bodies [Nichols, 1983;Dillon and Molot, 1990;Saunders and Kalff, 2001;Jeppesen et al, 2005;Brett and Benjamin, 2007;Downing, 2010;Maavara et al, 2015]. For nitrogen, the importance of nitrate reduction in the sediment bed was addressed in many early studies such as those by Keeny et al…”

Section: Nutrient Retention Rates In Lentic Systems (Lakes Reservoirmentioning

confidence: 99%

Biogeochemical hotspots: Role of small water bodies in landscape nutrient processing

Cheng

Basu

2017

Water Resources Research

181

157

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Increased loading of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) from agricultural and urban intensification has led to severe degradation of inland and coastal waters. Lakes, reservoirs, and wetlands (lentic systems) retain these nutrients, thus regulating their delivery to downstream waters. While the processes controlling N and P retention are relatively well-known, there is a lack of quantitative understanding of how these processes manifest across spatial scales. We synthesized data from 600 lentic systems around the world to gain insight into the relationship between hydrologic and biogeochemical controls on nutrient retention. Our results indicate that the first-order reaction rate constant, k [T 21 ], is inversely proportional to the hydraulic residence time, s [T], across 6 orders of magnitude in residence time for total N, total P, nitrate, and phosphate. We hypothesized that the consistency of the relationship points to a strong hydrologic control on biogeochemical processing, and validated our hypothesis using a sediment-water model that links major nutrient removal processes with system size. Finally, the k-s relationships were upscaled to the landscape scale using a wetland size-frequency distribution. Results suggest that small wetlands play a disproportionately large role in landscape-scale nutrient processing-50% of nitrogen removal occurs in wetlands smaller than 10 2.5 m 2 in our example. Thus, given the same loss in wetland area, the nutrient retention potential lost is greater when smaller wetlands are preferentially lost from the landscape. Our study highlights the need for a stronger focus on small lentic systems as major nutrient sinks in the landscape. Plain Language Summary Excess nutrient pollution from intensive fertilizer use and farming operations poses an increasing threat to water quality worldwide. Lakes, streams, and wetlands restrict the movement of nutrients, and thus protect downstream waters. We have a limited understanding, however, of how removal processes are affected by the size and type of the water body. Based on a synthesis of data from lakes, reservoirs, and wetlands worldwide, we found that smaller water bodies tend to have higher nutrient removal rates. We applied our findings to the landscape scale and found that for the same wetland area lost, the loss of small wetlands corresponds to a greater loss in wetland nutrient removal potential. Such findings are significant to wetland protection and restoration efforts, which have historically focused on maximizing total wetland area rather than on preserving a distribution of different wetlands sizes within a landscape.

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Section: Nutrient Retention Rates In Lentic Systems (Lakes Reservoirmentioning

confidence: 99%

Biogeochemical hotspots: Role of small water bodies in landscape nutrient processing

Cheng

Basu

2017

Water Resources Research

181

157

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“…Impounding water upstream of dams is known to change the nutrient balance of a river system, as reservoir sediments can act as efficient sink for P (Friedl and Wüest 2002). Globally, the mass of TP trapped in reservoirs nearly doubled (42 Gmol·year −1 ) between 1970 and 2000 and about 17% of the total TP load of rivers is expected to be retained in sediments of reservoirs by 2030 (Maavara et al 2015). While Canadian reservoirs have been shown to have a high capacity to retain P (e.g., Donald et al 2015), sediments of these reservoirs are potentially poised to be a significant source of P given the right environmental conditions.…”

Section: Understudied Ecosystemsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Internal phosphorus loading in Canadian fresh waters: a critical review and data analysis

Orihel

Baulch

Casson

et al. 2017

Can. J. Fish. Aquat. Sci.

193

133

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Many physical, chemical, and biological processes in freshwater ecosystems mobilize the nutrient phosphorus (P) from sediments, which in turn may contribute to the formation of harmful algal blooms. Here, we critically reviewed internal P loading in Canadian fresh waters to understand the geographic patterns and environmental drivers of this important process. From 43 publications, we consolidated 618 estimates of internal P loading from Canadian freshwater ponds, lakes, reservoirs, and coastal wetlands (n = 70). Expressed in terms of total P, short-term gross rates in sediment samples (L gross ) ranged from −27 to 54 mg·m −2 ·day −1 (n = 461), while long-term net rates in whole ecosystems (L net ) ranged from −1694 to 10 640 mg·m −2 ·year −1 (n = 157). The main environmental drivers of this variation were oxygen, pH, geology, and trophic state. Internal P loading tended to be higher during the open-water season and most prominent in small prairie lakes. Priorities for future research on internal P loading should include resolving methodological problems, assessing the relative importance of different mechanisms, examining the influence of anthropogenic activities, and quantifying rates in understudied ecosystems. Résumé :De nombreux processus physiques, chimiques et biologiques dans les écosystèmes d'eau douce mobilisent le phosphore (P), un élément nutritif, des sédiments, ce qui peut favoriser la formation de fleurs d'eau néfastes. Nous avons effectué un examen critique de l'apport interne de P dans les plans d'eau douce canadiens afin de comprendre les motifs de répartition géographique et les facteurs environnementaux qui influent sur cet important processus. À la lumière de 43 publications, nous avons colligé 618 estimations de l'apport interne de P d'étangs, de lacs, de réservoirs et de milieux humides littoraux d'eau douce canadiens (n = 70). Exprimés en termes de P total, les taux d'apport de P à court terme pour les échantillons de sédiments (L gross ) vont de −27 à 54 mg·m -2 ·jour -1 (n = 461), alors que les taux nets à long terme à l'échelle de l'écosystème (L net ) vont de −1694 à 10 640 mg·m -2 ·an -1 (n = 157). Les principaux facteurs environnementaux influant sur ces variations sont l'oxygène, le pH, la géologie et l'état trophique. L'apport interne de P tend à être plus élevé durant la période d'eau libre et le plus marqué dans les petits lacs de prairie. La priorité des travaux futurs sur l'apport interne de P devrait porter sur la résolution de problèmes méthodologiques, l'évaluation de l'importance relative de différents mécanismes, l'examen de l'influence des activités humaines et la quantification des taux dans les écosystèmes sous-étudiés. [Traduit par la Rédaction]

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“…Increased evaporation, sedimentation and nutrient loading in constructed reservoirs and impoundment lakes will change water quality and ecosystem stability across ecoregions (Maavara et al, 2015). Further, many of the planned dams are located in regions which already have poor water quality or ecosystem resilience (Stone, 2011;Ziv et al, 2012).…”

Section: Global Implicationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Multi-year succession of cyanobacteria blooms in a highland reservoir with changing nutrient status, Guizhou Province, China

Long¹,

Hamilton

Yang³

et al. 2018

J Limnol

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Over the last 22 years significant phytoplankton changes in Hongfeng lake reservoir have been observed with multiple years of harmful cyanobacteria blooms (cHABs). Fish farming and other anthropogenic activities from 1994-2001 triggered the harmful blooms. Nine years after the cessation of aquaculture, a conversion from problematic species (Microcystis spp, Aphanizomenon flos-aquae) to the less problematic species P. limnetica and other associated non-cyanobacteria taxa was recorded. Through this period of change, trophic factors (bottom-up) were re-examined, and correlations between cHABs and selected environmental variables were observed. Higher temperatures, nutrients [total nitrogen (TN), total phosphorus (TP)] and available light significantly favored the development of Microcystis spp blooms. With declining nutrient loads, and a decline in TP relative to TN there was a competitive shift from Microcystis summer blooms to the growth of Pseudanabaena limnetica and other non-cyanobacteria. Pseudanabaena limnetica was favored over Microcystis spp when temperatures were <20°C and TP was <0.03 mg L -1 . The apparent species succession to P. limnetica was enhanced by a competitive advantage under varied light conditions. Multiple environmental and biotic conditions (not always nutrients) were driving cHABs. Although only a selected number of environmental variables were examined, the CCA analysis supports observations that temperature and nutrients were associated with the species shift. The replacement of cHABs with the growth of less toxic cyanobacteria like P. limnetica, and other algae creates an interesting scenario (new community condition) for the removal of problematic taxa in reservoir systems. Diverting or controlling blooms will have direct implications on water quality and economic remediation initiatives in reservoir and lake management.

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Global phosphorus retention by river damming

Cited by 368 publications

References 60 publications

Biogeochemical hotspots: Role of small water bodies in landscape nutrient processing

Biogeochemical hotspots: Role of small water bodies in landscape nutrient processing

Internal phosphorus loading in Canadian fresh waters: a critical review and data analysis

Multi-year succession of cyanobacteria blooms in a highland reservoir with changing nutrient status, Guizhou Province, China

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