Excessive use of chemical fertilizers in catchment areas raises the seasonal pH in natural freshwater lakes of the subtropical monsoon climate region

Abstract

In recent years, the pH of some oligotrophic natural freshwater lakes in the subtropical monsoon climate region has generally reached an extremely high level of approximately 9.0 during the summer and autumn. It has not been proven that the explanation for why carbon assimilation in productive lakes exceeds carbon supply and causes a rise in pH also applies to oligotrophic freshwater lakes. Regardless, this may have been caused by changes in the solute composition of inflowing rivers as a result of changes in land use in catchment areas. Beimiao Reservoir in Baoshan City, Yunnan Province, where pH has increased significantly in summer and fall over the past few years, was chosen for this research in order to verify this hypothesis. This paper evaluates the status quo of water quality and nutrition in this reservoir. In addition, this paper analyzes the effects of water temperature, the metabolism of aquatic organisms, and river input on the horizontal and vertical spatial differences, diurnal variations, seasonal changes, and annual changes in the pH of the reservoir. It was discovered that one of the primary causes of the pH increase in natural freshwater lakes in the subtropical monsoon climate region during summer and autumn can be summarized as follows: A large amount of nitric acid and sulfuric acid are produced in the soil when chemical fertilizers are overused in runoff areas, particularly during intensive horticultural crop cultivation. Therefore, the subtropical monsoon climate region's soil loses calcium and magnesium ions, whose combined equivalent concentrations significantly exceed those of bicarbonate ions. The combined equivalent concentrations of calcium ions and magnesium ions in the inflowing rivers in summer and autumn are also significantly higher than those in the lake, resulting in the depletion of free carbon dioxide caused by calcium carbonate precipitation and an increase in pH. The conclusion of this research casts new light on the preservation and treatment of the ecological environment of lake water with similar issues.