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Spectral reflectance is a reliable water-quality estimator for small, highly turbid wetlands

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Abstract

Spectral reflectance from water surfaces was measured in small (0.01–5 km2), turbid, eutrophic fishponds and mesotrophic quarry lakes in the Třeboň basin (South Bohemia, Czech Republic). A spectral scanner for direct field measurements from water surfaces and a hyperspectral airborne scanner were both used. The quarry lakes and fishponds differed in their spectral signature, which reflected the extent of their eutrophication. Their chlorophyll-a (chl-a) concentrations ranged from 2 to 455 µg/l−1. Various algorithms were tested to best fit the relationships between reflectance patterns and the water-quality parameters used—concentration of chl-a and the total amount of suspended solids. The reflectance ratios at 714 and 650 nm gave the best estimates for chl-a concentrations, and simple reflectance at near infrared wavelengths, especially at 806 nm, gave the best predictive values for total suspended solid evaluation (r 2 = 0.89). Field surface reflectance and airborne sensing measurements were well correlated; however, airborne reflectance data showed higher variability (r 2 = 0.93 and 0.86, respectively). The results support the validity of reflectance measurements, both field and airborne, as a rapid tool for evaluating water quality in many turbid and greatly disturbed, small water bodies.

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Notes

  1. Diffuse PTFE material, reflects light with ca 98 % (http://www.avantes.com/Colorimetry/White-Reference-Tile/Detailed-product-flyer.html).

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Acknowledgments

This work has been supported by grants from the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports of the Czech Republic Nos. 6007665806 and 2B06068 (2006–2011) and from the Ministry of the Environment of the Czech Republic no. SP/2d3/209/07. It was also supported by grants to Project No. 107/2010/Z of the Grant Agency of the University of South Bohemia, and by the National Infrastructure CzeCOS/ICOS (LM2010007).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratory of Applied Ecology, Department of Landscape Management, Faculty of Agriculture, University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice, Studentská 13, 37005, České Budějovice, Czech Republic

    Hana Vinciková & Libor Pechar

  2. Global Change Research Centre AS CR, v.v.i., Bělidla 986/4a, 603 00, Brno, Czech Republic

    Jan Hanuš

  3. ENKI o.p.s., Dukelská 145, 379 01, Třeboň, Czech Republic

    Libor Pechar

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  1. Hana Vinciková
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Correspondence to Hana Vinciková.

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Vinciková, H., Hanuš, J. & Pechar, L. Spectral reflectance is a reliable water-quality estimator for small, highly turbid wetlands. Wetlands Ecol Manage 23, 933–946 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11273-015-9431-5

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