Shallow groundwater table fluctuations weaken nitrogen accumulation in the thin layer vadose zone of cropland around plateau lakes, Southwest China

Abstract

Excessive accumulation of nitrogen (N) in the soil profile in the intensive agricultural region will seriously threaten groundwater quality and safety. However, the impact of shallow groundwater table (SGWT) fluctuations driven by seasonal variations on the N accumulation characterizations in the soil profiles has not been well quantified, particularly in the regions with thin layer vadose zone. Through in-situ monitoring and simulation experiments, the changes in the SGWT and N accumulation of soil profile in intensive cropland around 7 plateau lakes in Yunnan were studied during the rainy season (RS) and dry season (DS), and the N loss in soil profile of cropland driven by SGWT fluctuations was estimated. The results showed that the SGWT and N accumulation in soil profile of cropland around the plateau lakes had obvious seasonal variation characteristics. The proportion of N storage in different forms in 60–100 cm soil layer in the RS was greater than that in the DS, particularly the proportion of NH4+-N storage was as high as 55 %, while N accumulation in surface soil was obvious in the DS. Compared with the DS, due to the rising SGWT in the RS, the maximum storages of TN and NO3−-N in the 0–100 cm soil layer decreased by17% and 36 %, respectively. The TN loss intensities from the 0–100 cm soil profiles of cropland around Fuxian Lake, Yilong Lake, Qilu Lake, Dianchi Lake, Yangzong Lake, Erhai Lake, and Xingyun Lake were 74, 54, 127, 105, 93, 72 and 207 kg/ha, respectively. Moreover, if the SGWT was <30 cm, the average TN loss intensity and amount could reach 177 kg/ha and 1250 t, respectively. Therefore, the SGWT regulation was one of the key measures to reducing soil N loss from the thin layer vadose zone of cropland around plateau lakes and improving groundwater quality.