Abstract
The Three-Gorges Reservoir (TGR) is one of the largest water conservancy projects in the world. The status of nutrients and phytoplankton biomass has changed since the Three-Gorges Reservoir started water storage on June 1, 2003. The distribution features of nutrients and chlorophylla were determined by cruise monitoring during September 8–15, 2003. The results showed that the concentrations of dissolved total nitrogen (DTN) range from 1.01 to 1.35 mg L-1, those of dissolved total phosphorus (DTP) from 0.028 to 0.054 mg L-1. The concentrations of dissolved nitrogen and phosphorus exceed the eutrophication standards of OECD, and the ratio of DTN to DTP is over 16:1. It is shown that phosphorus is an eutrophication-limiting element in the water body. The concentrations of potassium range from 2. 80 to 3.44 mg L-1; those of total organic carbon from 1.92 to 2.59 mg L-1; those of chlorophylla from 1.58 to 7. 53 mg m-3 with an average value of 4.69 mg m-3 at surface layer. A trophic gradient could be observed from the oligotropher to the mesotropher in the flow direction. Phytoplankton biomass increased significantly in the reservoir area than before. A significant positive correlation (p < 0. 05,r = 0.728 ) between chlorophylla and NO3-N and a significant negative correlation (p < 0. 01,r = -0.9207) between chlorophylla and turbidity were also observed. Distribution features could be well divided into three clusters in terms of systematic cluster analyses, including the upper-stream area cluster, the middlestream area cluster and the down-stream area cluster.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Burford M. A. and Rothlisberg P. C. (1999) Factors limiting phytoplankton production in a tropical continental shelf ecosystem. Estuarine, coastal and shelf [J].Science.48, 541–549.
Gibbs R. J. (1970) Mechanism controlling world water chemistry [J].Science.170, 1088–1090.
Home A. L. and Goldman C. R. (1994)Limnology (2nd ed.) [M]. MoGraw-Hill Inc., New York.
Jones J. R., Laperriere J. D., and Perkins B. D. (1990) Limnology of Walker Lake and comparisons with other lakes in the Brooks range, Alaska (USA) [J].Verh. Internat. Verein. Limnol. 24, 302–308.
Lijklema L. (1995) Development and eutrophication: Experiences and perspectives [J].Water Sci. Technol. 31, 11–15.
Liu Hongliang (1990)Investment Methods of Lake and Reservoir (Volume 1) [M]. pp. 265. Chinese Environment Press, Beijing.
Liu Ruiqiu (2000) Preliminary report on physico-chemical properties of main channel and tributaries in upper and middle reaches of the Changjiang River, before and after damming of the Three-Gorges Project [J].Acta Hydrobiologica Sinica.24, 446–450.
Lü Pingyu (2002) Concentration of nutrient in Three-Gorges Reservoir. InChinese Hydraulics (ed. Huang Zhilong) [M]. pp. 127–131. Chinese Hydraulics Press, Beijing (in Chinese).
Meybeck M. and Helmer R. (1989) The quality of rivers: From pristine stage to global pollution [J].Paleogeography Paleoclimatol.75, 283–309.
Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) (1982)Eutrophication of Waters Monitoring, Assessment and Control [M]. pp. 17–22. OECD, Paris.
Perkins R. G. and Underwood G. J. C. (2000) Gradients of chlorophylla and water chemistry along a eutrophic reservoir with determination of the limiting nutrient byin-situ nutrient addition [J].Wat. Res. 34, 713–724.
Puig M. A., Armengol J., Gonzalez G., Penuelas J., Sabater S., Webb B.W., and Walling D. E. (1996) Water quality. II. Chemical characteristics. InRiver flows and Channel Forms (eds. G. Petts and P. Calow) [M]. pp. 102–109. Blackwell Science Ltd., Oxford.
Redfield A. C. (1958) The biological control of chemical factors in the environment [J].American Scientist.46, 205–221.
Thornton F. W., Kennedy R. H., Magoun A. D., and Saul G. E. (1982) Reservoir water quality sampling design [J].Water Resources Bulletin.18, 471–480.
Van Dijk G. M., vanLiere L., Admiraal W., Bannink B. A., and Cappon J. J. (1994) Present state of the water quality of European rivers and implications for management [J].Sci. Total Environ.145, 187–195.
Vinod T., Ajay V. S. Y., and Purnendu B. (2002) Analysis of photosynthetic activity in the most polluted stretch of River Ganga [J].Water Research.37, 67–77.
Vrba J., Vyhnalek V., Helzlar J., and Nedoma J. (1995) Comparison of phosphorus deficiency indices during a spring bloom in a eutrophic reservoir [J].Freshwater Biology.33, 73–78.
Wang Xiaoyan, Wang Yixun, Li Tinfang, He Wei, Hu Qiuju, and Zhang Hongfang (2002) Characteristics of non-point source pollution in the watershed of Miyun Reservoir, Beijing, China [J].Chinese Journal of Geochemistry.21, 89–95.
Yangtze Hydraulic Committee (1997)The Impact of Three-Gorges Project on Ecology and Environment [M]. pp. 290. Hubei Science Press, Wuhan (in Chinese).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Additional information
This work was sponsored by Chongqing Municipality Natural Science Foundation ( 2004BB7075, 2005BB7239) and China-Italy cooperated project ( Survey and Assessment on Ecology in the Three-Gorges Area).
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Chongming, L., Sheng, Z., Jinghong, L. et al. Distribution of nutrients and chlorophylla in the Three-Gorges Reservoir, China. Chin. J. Geochem. 25, 295–300 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02840425
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02840425