Role of Landscape and Land-Use Transformation on Nonpoint Source Pollution and Runoff Distribution in the Dongsheng Basin, China

Nametso Matomela, Tianxin Li (), Peng Zhang (), Harrison Odion Ikhumhen and Namir Domingos Raimundo Lopes
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Nametso Matomela: School of Energy and Environmental Engineering, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing 100083, China
Tianxin Li: School of Energy and Environmental Engineering, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing 100083, China
Peng Zhang: Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Quality Control in Environmental Monitoring, China National Environmental Monitoring Centre, Beijing 100012, China
Harrison Odion Ikhumhen: College of Environment and Ecology, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361102, China
Namir Domingos Raimundo Lopes: School of Energy and Environmental Engineering, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing 100083, China

Sustainability, 2023, vol. 15, issue 10, 1-19

Abstract: Non-point source pollution (NSP) and runoff intensities and distribution are primarily affected by landscape structure and composition. Multiple causalities hinder our ability to determine significant variables that influence NSP. Therefore, we developed an approach that integrates the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT), random forest regression model, redundancy analysis, and correlation coefficient to assess the role of landscape structure on runoff and NSP in the Dongsheng basin. We used R to calculate landscape metrics and the SWAT to simulate NSP loads from 1990 to 2019. redundancy analysis (RDA), random forest, and Pearson correlation were used to analyze the relationships among landscape metrics and NSP variables. The largest patch index (LPI) shows a significant negative correlation with NSP, with an R2 of −0.58 for TP and TN and −0.62 for sediment load. The findings indicate that landscapes with larger patch sizes, a high number of patches, and aggregation of patches largely influence pollution distribution. Overall, the results suggest that the role of landscape patterns on NSP outweighs that of runoff. Moreover, the findings infer that the aggregation and connectivity of forest patches contribute to the decline in NSP load and vice versa for cropland cover. Thus, for sustainable watershed management, it is crucial to encourage unfragmented landscapes, especially pollutant-intercepting landcovers such as forests.

Keywords: runoff; nonpoint source pollution; SWAT; critical source areas; dongsheng district (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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