Finite Element Simulation of Total Nitrogen Transport in Riparian Buffer in an Agricultural Watershed
نویسندگان
چکیده
Riparian buffers can influence water quality in downstream lakes or rivers by buffering non-point source pollution in upstream agricultural fields. With increasing nitrogen (N) pollution in small agricultural watersheds, a major function of riparian buffers is to retain N in the soil. A series of field experiments were conducted to monitor pollutant transport in riparian buffers of small watersheds, while numerical model-based analysis is scarce. In this study, we set up a field experiment to monitor the retention rates of total N in different widths of buffer strips and used a finite element model (HYDRUS 2D/3D) to simulate the total N transport in the riparian buffer of an agricultural non-point source polluted area in the Liaohe River basin. The field experiment retention rates for total N were 19.4%, 26.6%, 29.5%, and 42.9% in 1,3,4, and 6m-wide buffer strips, respectively. Throughout the simulation period, the concentration of total N of the 1mwide buffer strip reached a maximum of 1.27 mg/cm3 at 30 min, decreasing before leveling off. The concentration of total N about the 3mwide buffer strip consistently increased, with a maximum of 1.05 mg/cm3 observed at 60 min. Under rainfall infiltration, the buffer strips of different widths showed a retention effect on total N transport, and the optimum effect was simulated in the 6mwide buffer strip. A comparison between measured and simulated data revealed that finite element simulation could simulate N transport in the soil of riparian buffer strips.
منابع مشابه
A Review of effectiveness of vegetative buffers on sediment trapping in agricultural areas
In recent years, there has been growing recognition of the importance of riparian buffers between agricultural fields and waterbodies. Riparian buffers play an important role in mitigating the impacts of land use activities on water quality and aquatic ecosystems. However, evaluating the effectiveness of riparian buffer systems on a watershed scale is complex, and watershed models have limited ...
متن کاملWater quality effects of simulated conservation practice scenarios in the Little River Experimental watershed
The goal of this study was to evaluate the water quality effects of alternative conservation practice scenarios using the SWAT (Soil and Water Assessment Tool) model in the Little River Experimental watershed, a representative coastal plain watershed located in southern Georgia. We simulated the water quality effect of two suites of upland conservation practices (CPs)—one targeting erosion and ...
متن کاملEffect of Watershed Subdivision and Filter Width on Swat Simulation of a Coastal Plain Watershed
The Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) does not fully simulate riparian buffers, but has a simple filter function that is responsive to filter strip width (FILTERW). The objectives of this study were to (1) evaluate SWAT hydrology and water quality response to changes in watershed subdivision levels and different FILTERW configurations and (2) provide guidance for selecting appropriate water...
متن کاملRelationships Between Landscape Features and Nutrient Concentrations in an Agricultural Watershed in Southwestern Georgia: An Integrated Geographic Information Systems Approach
This study examined the influence of landscape features on stream nutrient concentrations within the Ichawaynochaway Creek watershed in southwestern Georgia. Baseflow concentrations of both dissolved (SRP, NO3, NH4) and total (TN, TP) nutrients were measured at 17 sampling sites monthly for a period of six months (July 2012 to January 2013). A long-term dataset (January 2008 to March 2012) was ...
متن کاملEffectiveness of best management practices in improving water quality in a pasture-dominated watershed
The nonpoint source pollution problem can be controlled by implementing various best management practices (BMPs) in the watershed. However, before such practices are adopted, their effectiveness at various spatial and temporal scales must be evaluated. The objective of this research was to evaluate a suite of BMPs in a pasture-dominated watershed in their effectiveness at controlling nutrient l...
متن کامل