Abstract
The study deals with the distribution of nutrients in wetland sediments, which provide the basis for revealing the wetland eutrophication processes and mechanisms of internal pollution sources. The total organic carbon (TOC), total nitrogen (TN), and total phosphorus (TP) contents and distribution characteristics of sediment samples were examined. The results showed that the TOC concentration ranged from 3.81 to 15.6 g/kg, the TN concentration ranged from 0.21 to 1.18 g/kg with a mean concentration of 0.66 g/kg, and the TP concentration ranged from 0.16 to 0.35 g/kg with a mean of 0.23 g/kg. Statistical analysis showed close correlations between TOC and TN (R2 = 0.96), and TN and TP (R2 = 0.97), which indicated that the TN and TP in the sediments were from similar sources. The concentrations of TOC, TN, and TP in Longbao Lake wetland sediments were too low for eutrophication to occur. Our investigation indicated that Longbao Lake undergoes natural evolution rather than anthropogenic activities.
Highlights
Wetlands are referred to as “the kidneys of the Earth”, with the richest biodiversity, important for mankind
The total organic carbon (TOC), total phosphorus (TP), and total nitrogen (TN) concentrations varied in the three sampling sites from the Longbao Lake wetlands
Our results showed that the concentrations of TOC, TP, and TN all reduced gradually with the increase of sediment depth (Figs. 8-11), attributed by the deposition
Summary
Wetlands are referred to as “the kidneys of the Earth”, with the richest biodiversity, important for mankind. The important distribution area for alpine wetlands in China are Qinghai Tibetan Plateau, covering 13 300 000 km, with an average elevation of more than 3000 m. The San-Jiang-Yuan Nature Reserve in the Qinghai Tibetan Plateau is located in the headwaters of the Yangtze, Yellow and Lancang Rivers, considered as a source for rivers and Chinese water towers, where rivers are densely developed and numerous lakes, swamps, snowcovered mountains and glaciers are widely distributed (Ma et al 2009). Wetland ecosystems with the San-Jiang-Yuan Nature Reserve, including alpine swamps, alpine swampy meadows and alpine lakes, play crucial roles in water storage, recharging for surrounding areas and moderation of local and global climate (Lin 2008). The San-Jiang-Yuan Nature Reserve is of significant interest for ecological safety in China and around the world
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
