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Assessing Biomass and Metal Contents in Riparian Vegetation Along a Pollution Gradient Using an Unmanned Aircraft System

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Abstract

Quantifying plant biomass and related processes such as element allocation is a major challenge at the scale of entire riparian zones. We applied sub-decimetre-resolution (5 cm) remote sensing using an unmanned aircraft system (UAS) in combination with field sampling to quantify riparian vegetation biomass at three locations (320-m river stretches) along a mining-impacted boreal river and estimated the amounts of Cd, Cu, and Zn stored in the dominant species. A species-level vegetation map was derived from visual interpretation of aerial images acquired using the UAS and field sampling to determine species composition and cover. Herbaceous and shrub biomass and metal contents were assessed by combining the vegetation maps with field sampling results. Riparian zone productivity decreased from 9.5 to 5.4 t ha−1 with increasing distance from the source of contamination, and the total amount of vegetation-bound Cd and Zn decreased from 24 to 0.4 and 3,488 to 211 g, respectively. Most Cu was stored at the central location. Biomass and metal contents indicated large variation between species. Salix spp. comprised only 17 % of the total dominant-species biomass but contained 95 % of all Cd and 65 % of all Zn. In contrast, Carex rostrata/vesicaria comprised 64 % of the total dominant-species biomass and contained 63 % of all Cu and 25 % of all Zn. Our study demonstrates the applicability of UAS for monitoring entire riparian zones. The method offers great potential for accurately assessing nutrient and trace element cycling in the riparian zone and for planning potential phytoremediation measures in polluted areas.

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Acknowledgments

We thank Olle Hagner for help with the aerial survey. This work was conducted as part of the European project ImpactMin (project no. 244166 in FP7-ENV-2009-1) and the research programme WATERS, funded by the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency (Dnr 10/179). Grants from the Swedish Governmental Agency for Innovation Systems (VINNOVA, P32060-1) supported the contributions of Frauke Ecke.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Aquatic Sciences and Assessment, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, 75007, Uppsala, Sweden

    Eva Husson & Frauke Ecke

  2. Department of Civil, Environmental and Natural Resources Engineering, Luleå University of Technology, 97187, Luleå, Sweden

    Eva Husson & Fredrik Lindgren

  3. Department of Wildlife, Fish and Environmental Studies, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, 90183, Umeå, Sweden

    Frauke Ecke

Authors
  1. Eva Husson
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  2. Fredrik Lindgren
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  3. Frauke Ecke
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Correspondence to Eva Husson.

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For “Assessing Biomass and Metal Contents in Riparian Vegetation along a Pollution Gradient using an Unmanned Aircraft System”, Water, Air, & Soil Pollution, Eva Husson (eva.husson@slu.se), Fredrik Lindgren, and Frauke Ecke (PDF 902 kb)

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Husson, E., Lindgren, F. & Ecke, F. Assessing Biomass and Metal Contents in Riparian Vegetation Along a Pollution Gradient Using an Unmanned Aircraft System. Water Air Soil Pollut 225, 1957 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11270-014-1957-2

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