Abstract
Special hydrological structures coupled with rainfall and agricultural activities have great impacts on water quality in karst areas. High-frequency hydro-chemical, dual nitrate isotopes and a Bayesian mixing model (SIAR) were employed to investigate the effect of heavy rainfall events on nitrogen patterns in surface and underground streams and explore the implications for nitrogen pollution prevention in a typical karst agricultural catchment in Southwest China. The results showed that [NO3--N] was relatively high in both surface and underground streams and the average value in surface stream was two times higher than in underground stream. The lowest [NO3--N] of underground stream was found in the falling limb of the hydrograph. According to source apportionment by SIAR, chemical fertilizer was the dominant nitrate source in the study area, which contributed 52–81% and 29–78% of nitrate in surface stream and underground stream, respectively. The highest dissolved inorganic nitrogen flux and [NO3--N] in surface stream was 5.7 times and 2.4 times higher, respectively, than in underground stream over the same period, which suggested that surface runoff rather than underground stream was the main route of rapid nitrogen loss in the karst catchment during heavy rainfall events. Reasonably planning the fertilization time and optimizing nitrogen fertilizer use should be considered to decrease nitrogen loss from farmland. Rational use of a widespread karst underground conduit system to reduce water nitrogen content may also be a potential method for achieving nitrogen removal.
Published Version
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