Abstract
Rivers are an important mediator between human activities and the natural environment. They provide multiple functions, including irrigation, transportation, food supply, recreation, and water supply. Therefore, evaluations of water quality and pollution sources are of great significance for ecological restoration and management of rivers. In this study, the improved “vušekriterijumska optimizacija i kompromisno rješenje” (VIKOR in Serbian; in English: Multicriteria Optimization and Compromise Solution), and a geodetector were used to analyze the water quality characteristics and pollution sources of the Maotiao River Basin (Gizhou province, SW China). The results showed that the water quality of the Maotiao River Basin deteriorated significantly during the summer drought period, as was evident in the reservoirs and lakes. It improved in the wet season (i.e., during the summer period) due to runoff dilution. Water quality decreased along the river’s course, from upstream to downstream sections. The results of the geographic detector analysis showed that agricultural areas were the primary factor affecting the spatial distribution of water quality in the river basin. In July, August, and November 2020, the influence of agricultural land was 0.72, 0.60, or 0.80, respectively, and the interactions among urban, industrial, agricultural, and forested areas explained 99.2%, 83.2%, or 99.9% of the spatial differentiation of water quality, respectively. Due to the influence of spatial scale, settlements have a small influence on the spatial distribution of water quality. Their impact factors were 0.38, −0.24, and −0.05, respectively. Notably, the negative relationship of water quality and forested areas reflects that topography, types of landscapes, and soil thickness have considerable influences on the Maotiao River Basin’s water quality. Based on the findings, we infer that good farmland water conservancy projects and comprehensive management of different types of landscapes, such as forests, agriculture, and urban area and water bodies, are of great significance for improving water quality.
Highlights
Since entering the Anthropocene, the impact of human activities on the global ecological environment has become increasingly prominent [1]
The average concentration of dissolved oxygen (DO) in the surface stratum increased from 7.2 mg·L−1 (July) to 8.4 mg·L−1 (November)
According to the results of the present geographical detector analysis, urban areas had a negative correlation with water quality in the dry season, because wastewater is less diluted by runoff, and rivers and lakes have become important recipients of pollutants
Summary
Since entering the Anthropocene, the impact of human activities on the global ecological environment has become increasingly prominent [1]. Rivers are an important ecological and economical link between human society and the natural environment. Through their self-purification processes, rivers are efficient means of supplying water, both in terms of quality and quantity [2]. They play an important role in high-quality and intensive economic development. There are two main principles that are adopted for river water quality evaluations. Both are based on DPSIR: Drivers, Pressures, Status, Impacts, Reactions [11]. The first principle uses biological sensitivity and biodiversity to assess the impact of human activities on rivers
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