Monsoonal affected dynamics of nitrate and dissolved organic carbon in a mountainous catchment under intensive land-use
type: CreativeWork
description: In recent decades, complex mountainous landscapes have been increasingly under pressure by deforestation and intensified highland agriculture. This trend not only compromises the quality of water in the highlands, but also impacts the availability of water resources downstream. Hence, an effective and sustainable management of these mountainous regions is essential and needed to mitigate this risk. Developing sustainable management principles to ensure the freshwater supply, however, requires a profound understanding of decisive factors and processes that control the water quality in mountainous landscapes. Amongst other substances, nitrate and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) play a critical role in the ecosystem health of water bodies. The major focus of this dissertation is on determining the nitrate and DOC mobilization processes and dynamics in the Haean Catchment, a mountainous watershed located in South Korea, which is agriculturally productive and strongly influenced by the prevailing East-Asian monsoon. The primary objective was to identify decisive factors that control the nitrate and DOC mobilization processes and dynamics in such catchments. To these ends, we conducted stream water quality and discharge measurements during a range of conditions, from monsoonal rainfall events to dry, baseflow conditions. Assessments were completed along the topographic elevation gradient of the catchment, from an upland deciduous forest, over areas intensively used for agriculture, down to the catchment outlet. In order to gain a better understanding of nutrient fate within the Haean Catchment, we investigated river-aquifer exchange fluxes. In addition to hydraulic gradient monitoring, we used heat as tracer. To resolve the river-aquifer exchange fluxes, we set up a two-dimensional flow and heat transport model using the numerical code HydroGeoSphere (HGS). Potential effects of river-aquifer exchange dynamics on local water quality were investigated by collecting both, riv…
abstract: In recent decades, complex mountainous landscapes have been increasingly under pressure by deforestation and intensified highland agriculture. This trend not only compromises the quality of water in the highlands, but also impacts the availability of water resources downstream. Hence, an effective and sustainable management of these mountainous regions is essential and needed to mitigate this risk. Developing sustainable management principles to ensure the freshwater supply, however, requires a profound understanding of decisive factors and processes that control the water quality in mountainous landscapes. Amongst other substances, nitrate and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) play a critical role in the ecosystem health of water bodies. The major focus of this dissertation is on determining the nitrate and DOC mobilization processes and dynamics in the Haean Catchment, a mountainous watershed located in South Korea, which is agriculturally productive and strongly influenced by the prevailing East-Asian monsoon. The primary objective was to identify decisive factors that control the nitrate and DOC mobilization processes and dynamics in such catchments. To these ends, we conducted stream water quality and discharge measurements during a range of conditions, from monsoonal rainfall events to dry, baseflow conditions. Assessments were completed along the topographic elevation gradient of the catchment, from an upland deciduous forest, over areas intensively used for agriculture, down to the catchment outlet. In order to gain a better understanding of nutrient fate within the Haean Catchment, we investigated river-aquifer exchange fluxes. In addition to hydraulic gradient monitoring, we used heat as tracer. To resolve the river-aquifer exchange fluxes, we set up a two-dimensional flow and heat transport model using the numerical code HydroGeoSphere (HGS). Potential effects of river-aquifer exchange dynamics on local water quality were investigated by collecting both, riv…
author: Bartsch, Svenja
date published: 2013-12-20
date modified: 2026-07-27T18:49:02Z
provider: Universität Bayreuth
publisher: Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations
type: WebPage
source organization: Universität Bayreuth