Evaluating the applicability of MESS (matrix exponential spatial specification) model to assess water quality using GIS technique in agricultural mountain catchment (Western Carpathian)

Abstract

The formation of many sources of pollution in a short period of time is due to mountain soil erosion by water. One of the major mechanisms decisive in the intensification of such erosion is the loosening of soil material on the slope. Water quality studies show the impact of diversified spatial management and allow making the right decisions in environmental management in mountain areas with high variability of use and land cover. The research undertaken as part of the paper was carried out in order to determine the dependency between total suspended solids (TSS) and the physicochemical parameters of surface waters and the amount of soil losses in the use structure within the mountain catchment. The paper focused on the frequency of phenomena in time and the possibility of stopping the surface runoff on the slope and on the soil’s susceptibility to water erosion. The dependencies between multipoint sampling and the concentration of material washed off the slope due to precipitation were verified with a multivariate analysis. Sampling took place in hydrometric sections, and during small floods, in the waterbed cross section. Research shows that such sampling is the basis for the calculation of the transported load, reflecting the average variation in concentration. The variation in the volume of the load from the individual parts of the catchment was assessed by the spatial autoregressive model. It was found that the use of river basin areas affects water chemistry. Water reservoirs are an important ecological barrier for the migration of nitrate nitrogen (N-NO3) and phosphate phosphorus (P-PO4), which is marked by changes in the growing season. Water along the sections of the river near the quarry with a high degree of sodding showed good quality condition. Despite significant differences between measurement sampling sites, high total dissolved solid (TDS) values were found in communities adjacent to forests and meadows. However, the highest electrical conductivity (EC) and TSS concentrations were found in the interface with cultivated areas. Biogenic indices showed variation depending on the way the adjacent areas were used. GIS linked spatial variables with the formation of water pollution. The analysis of spatial autoregression pointed to the impact of arable land. Moreover, the analysis of spatial autoregression with the MESS function designated a connection between agricultural land use and nitrite nitrogen (N-NO2), EC, TSS, and dissolved oxygen (DO). Graphical abstractᅟ Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (10.1007/s10661-018-7137-x) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Spatial relationship between hydrodynamic and physico-chemical parameters of surface water for a basin with shale rock series as an indicator of intensity and direction of chemical denudation in the Western Carpathians

“…The spatial pattern and correlations between the variables in the entire catchment area have been shown based on the spatial autoregression model, empirical equations, and multivariate analysis. Furthermore, the research confirms that in a small flysch catchment, it is possible to balance the material leached from the soil because the chemical denudation process shows a relationship with the concentration of dissolved electrolytes in the flysch stream (Halecki et al, 2019).…”

Chemometrics of the Environment: Hydrochemical Characterization of Groundwater in Lioua plain (North Africa) using Time Series and Multivariate Statistical Analysis

“…The autocorrelation functions of pH recorded a high value. This is an indicator of the uncorrelated characteristics of the pH with other parameters [100]. On the other hand, the autocorrelation function of Mg 2+ , SO4 2-, Cl -, Na + , K + , and EC shows a sinusoidal pattern.…”

Multiannual Assessment of the Risk of Surface Water Erosion and Metal Accumulation Indices in the Flysch Stream Using the MARS Model in the Polish Outer Western Carpathians

“…The observed changes may result from factors other than the anthropogenic ones. Regression models are suitable for assessing the quality of the surface water of the catchments used for agricultural use and exposed to water erosion [62]. The MARS model, on the other hand, may also be useful for mountain catchments threatened by surface runoff, where the prediction of variables is difficult to estimate [63].…”