Land-use change and costs to rural households: a case study in groundwater nitrate contamination

Keeler, Bonnie L.; Polasky, Stephen

doi:10.1088/1748-9326/9/7/074002

Cited by 43 publications

(51 citation statements)

References 44 publications

(59 reference statements)

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“…Our results are consistent with previous studies reporting significant positive relationships between nitrate concentrations in shallow aquifers and agricultural land surrounding wells (Eckhardt and Stackelberg , Tesoriero and Voss , Keeler and Polasky ). Our results show nitrate concentrations were strongly correlated (e.g., partial R 2 = 0.11–0.29) with the proportion of forage and pasture land, and proportion of raspberries surrounding wells.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 93%

“…, Nolan et al. , Keeler and Polasky ). One study reported a radius between 100 and 250 m as most appropriate (Barringer et al.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 96%

“…N fertilizer and manure loading are an important component of assessing potential nitrate contamination (Nolan et al. , Nolan and Hitt , Keeler and Polasky ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…To determine linkages between LULC and nitrate concentrations, contemporary ❖ www.esajournals.org (2012) land use patterns (e.g., proportion and abundance of land cover types) were used in the creation of a variety of landscape indicators (Table 2) measured surrounding each groundwater stations. Building on previous studies using multiple-sized radii surrounding wells, we calculated these landscape indicators within adjacent zones of influence surrounding monitoring wells (Nolan et al 2002, Burow et al 2010, Frans et al 2012, Keeler and Polasky 2014 described further below. In addition to the landscape indicators in Table 2, we also examined the recent history of Table 2.…”

Section: Landscape Indicatorsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…A plethora of research has examined landscape indicators of surface waters (Mallin et al 2000, Hale et al 2004). However, despite clear connections between surface and groundwater systems, few studies have examined landscape indicators within the context of monitoring groundwater and aquifers (Gurdak andQi 2006, Keeler andPolasky 2014). Development of landscape indicators (linked to land use and incorporating topography and geology) can help identify and potentially explain mechanisms and processes acting above and below the land surface (Sophocleous 2002) and is especially relevant to unconfined aquifers which have no overlying impervious rock layer and are therefore susceptible to contamination.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Landscape indicators of groundwater nitrate concentrations: an approach for trans‐border aquifer monitoring

Gallagher

Gergel

2017

Ecosphere

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Citation: Gallagher, T. L., and S. E. Gergel. 2017. Landscape indicators of groundwater nitrate concentrations: an approach for trans-border aquifer monitoring. Ecosphere 8(12):e02047. 10. 1002/ecs2.2047 Abstract. Groundwater is the primary source of nearly half the freshwater used in drinking and cooking worldwide. Excess nitrate contamination of groundwater is a growing health concern, particularly in regions of intensive agriculture. Monitoring the world's nearly 500 transboundary aquifer bodies is complicated by the complexities associated with multi-jurisdictional governance, disparities in data collection, and inconsistencies in geospatial data among countries. In a region where elevated groundwater nitrate concentrations are linked to overlying land use practices and land cover, we develop landscape indicators characterizing likely sources and examine their correspondence with groundwater nitrate concentrations. We evaluate an aquifer spanning the United States and Canada (the Abbotsford-Sumas aquifer) and ask two primary questions: Are nitrate concentrations in the aquifer changing over time? How well do landscape indicators help explain patterns of groundwater nitrate concentrations? To answer our first question, a time series (2005-2013) of groundwater nitrate concentrations was examined for 15 shallow wells using Mann-Kendall trend analysis tests. Nitrate concentrations in nine of the fifteen monitoring wells decreased while two increased over time. To answer our second question, a seamless harmonized cross-border land cover mosaic was created using available U.S. and Canadian land use and land cover data. Landscape indicators such as crop type (proportion of raspberries, forage, and pasture, etc.) were measured in terrestrial zones of influence (of varying sized radii which incorporated groundwater flow direction) surrounding each well. Backward stepwise regression was used to identify parsimonious models of landscape indicators which explain nitrate concentrations in the United States and Canada. The proportions of different berry types (e.g., blueberries and raspberries, and mixed berries), forage/pasture, and area of renovations explained 21-72% of the variance in groundwater nitrate concentrations, depending on zonal scale, direction, and/or jurisdiction. As very few studies have quantitatively linked groundwater nitrate concentrations to land use, land cover, or land use practices, our work provides an important transportable approach that is highly relevant to other regions facing similar management challenges.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 93%

“…, Nolan et al. , Keeler and Polasky ). One study reported a radius between 100 and 250 m as most appropriate (Barringer et al.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 96%

“…N fertilizer and manure loading are an important component of assessing potential nitrate contamination (Nolan et al. , Nolan and Hitt , Keeler and Polasky ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Landscape Indicatorsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Landscape indicators of groundwater nitrate concentrations: an approach for trans‐border aquifer monitoring

Gallagher

Gergel

2017

Ecosphere

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Effects of land-cover and watershed protection futures on sustainable groundwater management in a heavily utilized aquifer in Hawai‘i (USA)

et al. 2021

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Groundwater sustainability initiatives, including sustainable yield and watershed policy protection policies, are growing globally in response to increasing demand for groundwater, coupled with concerns about the effects of climate and land-cover change on groundwater supply. Improved understanding of the impacts of watershed management on groundwater yields and management costs—particularly in the broader context of climate and land-cover change—is critical to inform these initiatives and facilitate integrated land and water management. This study develops a novel, spatially explicit groundwater hydrologic ecosystem services framework, which combines stakeholder-defined land-cover scenarios, sustainable yield estimation using a groundwater simulation optimization approach, and economic valuation, and applies it in the most heavily utilized aquifer Hawai‘i (USA). Sustainable yield estimates and resulting differences in replacement costs are estimated for six land-cover scenarios (with varying levels of urban development and watershed management) crossed with two water demand scenarios in a context of a dry future climate (Representative Concentration Pathway [RCP] 8.5 mid-century). Land-cover change is found to be an important, though less significant drive of changes in groundwater recharge than climate change. The degree of watershed protection, through preventing the spread of high-water-use, invasive plant species, is projected to be a much stronger land-cover signal than urban development. Specifically, full forest protection increases sustainable yield by 7–11% (30–45 million liters per day) and substantially decreases treatment costs compared with no forest protection. Collectively, this study demonstrates the hydrologic and economic value of watershed protection in a context of a dry future climate, providing insights for integrated land and water policy and management in Hawai‘i and other regions, particularly where species invasions threaten source watersheds.

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Impacts of Land Use and Climate Change on Freshwater Ecosystems in France

Bayramoglu

Chakir

Lungarska

2019

Environ Model Assess

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Pressures on freshwater ecosystems are mainly human-induced and driven by land use and climate change. We develop an empirical framework to estimate the impacts of land use (agriculture, forest, pasture, urban) and climate change on freshwater biodiversity, measured by a fish-based index, in France. Our estimation results reveal that rivers in areas with more intensive agriculture and steep pasture are associated to lower freshwater biodiversity compared to forest areas. Our simulations show that climate change will exacerbate these negative impacts through land-use adaptation. We discuss how two command-and-control policies could help improving freshwater biodiversity and cope with the adverse effects of land use and climate change.

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Land-use change and costs to rural households: a case study in groundwater nitrate contamination

Cited by 43 publications

References 44 publications

Landscape indicators of groundwater nitrate concentrations: an approach for trans‐border aquifer monitoring

Landscape indicators of groundwater nitrate concentrations: an approach for trans‐border aquifer monitoring

Effects of land-cover and watershed protection futures on sustainable groundwater management in a heavily utilized aquifer in Hawai‘i (USA)

Impacts of Land Use and Climate Change on Freshwater Ecosystems in France

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