Water quality perception, a dynamic evaluation

Möser, Guido

doi:10.1016/s0272-4944(84)80041-9

Cited by 30 publications

(19 citation statements)

References 3 publications

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“…Apparently other attributes affected respondents' perception of clarity with respect to suitability for bathing, particularly the lake's colour (bright blue -obvious and very acceptable) and its location in a pristine, alpine setting. This deduction lends support to the observation of Moser (1984) that "clarity acts as a positive criterion, but the absence of clarity does not provoke a particular judgment concerning water quality and seems to be associated with the criterion colour". The lake is obviously very turbid (milky appearance), and some respondents pointed this out.…”

Section: Lake Ruataniwhasupporting

confidence: 75%

Human perception of water appearance

Smith

Croker

McFarlane

1995

New Zealand Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research

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In a study of human perception of the appearance (clarity and colour) of rivers and lakes for bathing and aesthetic water use, we have shown that: bankside observers can reasonably accurately assess colour (hue) in some circumstances; and that the phenomenon of perceptual set (seeing what is expected to be seen) may influence the visual perception of some waters. Further, perceived naturalness of a water seems to provide for a more positive response towards a water body than might otherwise be expected.

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Section: Lake Ruataniwhasupporting

confidence: 75%

Human perception of water appearance

Smith

Croker

McFarlane

1995

New Zealand Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research

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“…Environmental perceptions thus have to be understood as context-related, dynamic, and discursively formed knowledge that is open to negotiation and change (Irwin 2001). Accordingly, both conformity and nonconformity of environmental perceptions vs. measured environmental processes have been reported (e.g., Moser 1984, Poor et al 2001, Artell et al 2013, Cottet et al 2013.…”

Section: The Hydrosocial Cycle and Environmental Perceptionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Water scarcity and oil palm expansion: social views and environmental processes

Merten¹,

Röll²,

Guillaume³

et al. 2016

E&S

103

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ABSTRACT. Conversions of natural ecosystems, e.g., from rain forests to managed plantations, result in significant changes in the hydrological cycle including periodic water scarcity. In Indonesia, large areas of forest were lost and extensive oil palm plantations were established over the last decades. We conducted a combined social and environmental study in a region of recent land-use change, the Jambi Province on Sumatra. The objective was to derive complementary lines of arguments to provide balanced insights into environmental perceptions and eco-hydrological processes accompanying land-use change. Interviews with villagers highlighted concerns regarding decreasing water levels in wells during dry periods and increasing fluctuations in stream flow between rainy and dry periods. Periodic water scarcity was found to severely impact livelihoods, which increased social polarization. Sap flux measurements on forest trees and oil palms indicate that oil palm plantations use as much water as forests for transpiration. Eddy covariance analyses of evapotranspiration over oil palm point to substantial additional sources of evaporation in oil palm plantations such as the soil and epiphytes. Stream base flow from a catchment dominated by oil palms was lower than from a catchment dominated by rubber plantations; both showed high peaks after rainfall. An estimate of erosion indicated approximately 30 cm of topsoil loss after forest conversion to both oil palm and rubber plantations. Analyses of climatic variables over the last 20 years and of a standardized precipitation evapotranspiration index for the last century suggested that droughts are recurrent in the area, but have not increased in frequency or intensity. Consequently, we assume that conversions of rain forest ecosystems to oil palm plantations lead to a redistribution of precipitated water by runoff, which leads to the reported periodic water scarcity. Our combined social and environmental approach points to significant and thus far neglected eco-hydrological consequences of oil palm expansion.

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“…After a major fish die‐off at a lake in Minnesota, Nicholson and Mace noted a strong smell of rotting fish; 45% of respondents said they smelled dead fish, 51% reported no smell. Moser found that when a bad odor was present, WQ was generally judged to be poor and no other criteria were needed. Dinius found that the mere expectation of odor, as perceived from images presented to respondents, was the best predictor of perceived pollution.…”

Section: Visual Cues Influencing Human Perceptionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Optical water quality and human perceptions: a synthesis

2015

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Because humans have such strong physical and emotional connections to water in the environment, it follows that individuals and groups will have strong ideas and expectations of that environment that must be related to visible features. Optical water quality describes the scattering and absorption of light in water as governed by its dissolved and particulate composition. Mineral suspended sediment, dissolved organic matter, and living and nonliving particulate organic matter have different influences on the behavior of light in water. The physical sciences endeavor to define variability in water quality, be it natural or anthropogenic, for use in water resource management. However, a more holistic approach to water resource management is becoming increasingly advocated, which requires investigation of the human dimension. The directly visible attributes of color and clarity of water are among the strongest influences on human perceptions of water quality. The observed environment is perceived through cognitive processes that are defined by spiritual and cultural beliefs and evolve with personal experience, creating the mental model. Water color and clarity can provide a critical link between water quality and human perceptions. Ethnohydrology is the study of culturally constructed knowledge and understanding of water. An interdisciplinary approach, integrating optical water quality measurement and ethnohydrology methods, may help achieve better awareness, communication, participation, and support in water resource management and sustainability endeavors.

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Water quality perception, a dynamic evaluation

Cited by 30 publications

References 3 publications

Human perception of water appearance

Human perception of water appearance

Water scarcity and oil palm expansion: social views and environmental processes

Optical water quality and human perceptions: a synthesis

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