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Hydrological controls on cascade reservoirs regulating phosphorus retention and downriver fluxes

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Abstract

Many coastal rivers have a system of cascade reservoirs, but the role of these reservoirs in regulating nutrient transport from watershed to coast is still unknown. In this study, phosphorus (P) in surface water and top sediment was investigated along the North Jiulong River (southeast China) under three hydrological conditions (high flow, medium flow and low flow) in 2012–2013, and P dynamics in a cascade reservoir (Xipi Reservoir) were studied on a monthly scale. Results showed that the concentrations of dissolved reactive phosphorus (DRP) consistently decreased longitudinally in the upper river with the lowest values observed in the section of cascade reservoirs, likely due to tributary inputs and in situ uptakes. The decrease was most rapid during base flow when DRP was highest in the free-flowing river section and lowest in cascade reservoirs. Results from monthly monitoring on the Xipi Reservoir showed general downriver decreases in DRP, total particulate phosphorus (TPP) and total phosphorus (TP) in the riverine zone and transition zone. Mass balance results on an annual basis suggest that the Xipi Reservoir (lacustrine zone) was an overall sink for TPP (6 % retention) but somewhat a source of DRP (−0.3 %) with TP retention (1 %). Even scaled up to the whole cascade reservoir system, P retention was low compared with worldwide reservoirs, which we ascribe to the high P loading and short hydraulic residence time. Nevertheless, major processes controlling P retention in coastal rivers with cascade reservoirs varied from sedimentation in the dry-cold season to biotic transformation in the wet-warm season, thereby affecting loading and composition of P from watershed to the coast. This study highlights the hydrological controls on the role of cascade reservoirs in regulating P retention and downriver fluxes in different seasons.

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Acknowledgments

This study was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 41376082), the Program for New Century Excellent Talents in University (NCET-13-0496), and the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities (2012121053). We thank Jonathan Vause for his assistance with English editing, and Longjian Wang, Chaochao Yu and Guoxiang Chen for their help with sampling and lab analysis.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Key Laboratory of the Coastal and Wetland Ecosystems, Coastal and Ocean Management Institute, College of the Environment and Ecology, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361102, People’s Republic of China

    Ting Lu, Nengwang Chen, Zhuhong Chen & Bangqin Huang

  2. Department of Geology and Earth System Science Interdisciplinary Center, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, 20742, USA

    Shuiwang Duan

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  1. Ting Lu
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  2. Nengwang Chen
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  3. Shuiwang Duan
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  4. Zhuhong Chen
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  5. Bangqin Huang
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Correspondence to Nengwang Chen.

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Responsible editor: Philippe Garrigues

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Lu, T., Chen, N., Duan, S. et al. Hydrological controls on cascade reservoirs regulating phosphorus retention and downriver fluxes. Environ Sci Pollut Res 23, 24166–24177 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-016-7397-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-016-7397-3

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