Article
Engineering, Environmental
Apoorva M. Sampat, Andrea Hicks, Gerardo J. Ruiz-Mercado, Victor M. Zavala
Summary: This study proposes a computational framework to quantify the economic impacts of harmful algae blooms (HABs) caused by nutrient pollution from livestock waste. Through a case study in the Upper Yahara watershed region in Wisconsin, USA, it is demonstrated that every excess kilogram of phosphorus runoff from livestock waste results in total economic losses of 74.5 USD. Coordinated market analysis shows that this economic impact can activate a nutrient management and valorization market to help balance phosphorus within the study area. The proposed framework can assist regulatory agencies in developing policies to mitigate the impacts of nutrient pollution.
RESOURCES CONSERVATION AND RECYCLING
(2021)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Sandra Poikane, Gabor Varbiro, Martyn G. Kelly, Sebastian Birk, Geoff Phillips
Summary: The study finds significant variation in the methods used by European countries to set river nutrient thresholds, with some countries relying on expert judgement or statistical distribution, while others prefer statistical relationships based on biological variables. For the first time, an ecology-based approach is used to derive nutrient thresholds for various river types in Central Europe. The results demonstrate that adopting ecology-based nutrient targets could improve sustainable river management where nutrients are the main pressure preventing the achievement of good ecological status.
ECOLOGICAL INDICATORS
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Farshad Shafiei
Summary: This study on a large reservoir shows that the retention of total phosphorus (TP) is high while the retention of total nitrogen (TN) is lower and more variable over the long term. The retention of TP is primarily controlled by in-lake sedimentation, while the retention of TN may be more influenced by in-lake biological processes. These findings are important in understanding the nutrient retention efficiency in larger reservoirs with water residence time of 1-3 years and the impacts of climate variability and water management on nutrient retention.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Gaston E. Small, Niklas Martensson, Benjamin D. Janke, Genevieve Suzanne Metson
Summary: Urban gardens and farms contribute significantly to nitrogen and phosphorus export in stormwater runoff, due to high compost inputs and low nutrient use efficiencies. The contribution of gardens to nutrient export depends on retention efficiency values, with high efficiency minimizing their impact. Understanding the long-term fate of excess nutrients in urban landscapes is crucial.
LANDSCAPE AND URBAN PLANNING
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Gaston E. Small, Niklas Martensson, Benjamin D. Janke, Genevieve Suzanne Metsone
Summary: Urban gardens and farms using compost as a nutrient source can contribute significantly to urban nutrient budgets through stormwater runoff. The study finds that gardens and farms, although occupying a small fraction of land area, account for a large proportion of nitrogen and phosphorus inputs to urban landscapes. The significance of their contribution depends on compost inputs and nutrient retention efficiency, highlighting the importance of understanding the fate of excess nutrients on urban landscapes.
LANDSCAPE AND URBAN PLANNING
(2023)
Article
Soil Science
A. J. VandenBygaart, X. Geng, J. He
Summary: Agricultural production is a major contributor to water eutrophication. This study found that historical soil erosion and redistribution can result in the deposition of phosphorus in toe-slope and foot-slope positions in agricultural landscapes. The storage of phosphorus is closely related to soil organic carbon stocks.
SOIL & TILLAGE RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Qi Yan, Tingting Cheng, Junting Song, Jin Zhou, Chin-Chang Hung, Zhonghua Cai
Summary: Shenzhen Bay, as a highly eutrophic area, is mainly influenced by internal nutrient loading which contributes 65% and 69% of total input fluxes of dissolved DIN and PO43--P. Sediment resuspension plays a significant role in providing nitrogen and bioavailable phosphate to the bay, while a considerable amount of DIN and PO43--P are exported through water exchange and residual flows into the Pearl River.
ECOLOGICAL INDICATORS
(2021)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Julia Tanzer, Ralf Hermann, Ludwig Hermann
Summary: The Baltic Sea is heavily affected by eutrophication, and the costs for remediating legacy nutrient loads are still unclear. Preliminary estimates suggest that addressing these nutrients would require billions to over a hundred billion euros, but it is not infeasible and may even bring economic benefits in the long run.
Article
Engineering, Civil
Jing Zhang, Jiacong Huang, Rui Qian, Qimou Zhang, Junfeng Gao
Summary: Excess nitrogen and phosphorus from watersheds cause eutrophication and water quality deterioration in lowland artificial watersheds. This study used process-based models to investigate the response of N & P loss to natural and anthropogenic drivers in 171 polders in China. The results showed that N & P loss intensity was high and correlated with rainfall and the area of farmland and surface water.
JOURNAL OF HYDROLOGY
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Civil
Shibo Chen, Lei Chen, Yang Gao, Jinsong Guo, Leifang Li, Zhenyao Shen
Summary: The study reveals that smaller tributary watersheds in the Three Gorges Reservoir Region had a higher proportion of phosphorus (P) transport from 2003 to 2017, resulting in a greater impact on eutrophication risk in the water bodies. P inputs from the Yangtze River, the Jialingjiang River, and the Wujiang River exceeded those from tributary watersheds within the reservoir, with the dam construction leading to the formation of dissolved P enrichment areas.
JOURNAL OF HYDROLOGY
(2021)
Article
Plant Sciences
Clinton A. Oakley, Grace Newson, Lifeng Peng, Simon K. Davy
Summary: Coral bleaching is caused by high sea surface temperatures and nutrient enrichment can weaken coral's resilience to thermal stress and ecological degradation. Excess inorganic nitrogen compared to phosphate can make corals more susceptible to thermal bleaching.
PLANT AND CELL PHYSIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
P. J. A. Kleinman, R. D. Harmel
Summary: The inputs of fertilizer nutrients in agriculture have greatly increased crop production over the past century, benefiting food security and prosperity. However, the redistribution of these nutrients has negatively affected global and local nutrient cycles, leading to trade-offs between socioeconomic and environmental outcomes. David Pimentel's work on resource management in agriculture and his understanding of nutrient redistribution provide valuable insights into the challenges and opportunities of adjusting nutrient cycles in modern agriculture.
ENVIRONMENT DEVELOPMENT AND SUSTAINABILITY
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Tanoh Jean-Jacques Koua, Jaehak Jeong, Tadesse Abitew Alemayehu, Yeganantham Dhanesh, Raghavan Srinivasan
Summary: This study assesses the nutrient loads in the Lobo watershed and shows that fertilizer application in the agricultural area significantly contributes to eutrophication.
APPLIED SCIENCES-BASEL
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Ceara J. Talbot, Michael J. Paterson, Kenneth G. Beaty, Richard A. (Drew) Bodaly, Marguerite A. Xenopoulos
Summary: Flooding in forested areas can release nutrients, but there is no clear relationship with organic matter content. Different rates of nitrogen and phosphorus release may alter the nitrogen-phosphorus ratio in water bodies. Predicted increase in future flooding may lead to forested areas becoming long-term nutrient sources to aquatic ecosystems.
WATER RESOURCES RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Tuomas J. Mattila, Golnaz Ezzati
Summary: This study used phosphorus saturation ratio (PSR) to classify high and low risk soils, confirming a PSR threshold of 0.1 can delineate P risk sites. By quantifying excess P beyond the threshold, legacy P hotspots can be identified as additional sources of P inputs.
JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Amy T. Hansen, Todd Campbell, Se Jong Cho, Jonathan A. Czuba, Brent J. Dalzell, Christine L. Dolph, Peter L. Hawthorne, Sergey Rabotyagov, Zhengxin Lang, Karthik Kumarasamy, Patrick Belmont, Jacques C. Finlay, Efi Foufoula-Georgiou, Karen B. Gran, Catherine L. Kling, Peter Wilcock
Summary: Despite decades of efforts to reduce nutrient and sediment export from agricultural fields, water quality in intensively managed agricultural landscapes remains highly degraded. Recent analysis shows that current conservation efforts are not enough to reverse water degradation, and a more integrated approach to water quality management is needed. Fluvial wetlands are found to be the most cost-effective management action to reduce nitrate and sediment loads, but interagency cooperation and watershed scale planning are necessary for substantial improvements in water quality.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2021)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Zhen Wu, Jincheng Li, Yanxin Sun, Josep Penuelas, Jilin Huang, Jordi Sardans, Qingsong Jiang, Jacques C. Finlay, Gregory L. Britten, Michael J. Follows, Wei Gao, Boqiang Qin, Jinren Ni, Shouliang Huo, Yong Liu
Summary: Analyzing over 5000 lakes globally, researchers have found that lakes preferentially retain phosphorous over nitrogen, exacerbating the imbalance of nutrient cycles caused by human activities. The greater retention of phosphorous leads to an elevation in the nitrogen to phosphorous ratio in lake outflows, further worsening the global ecosystem's nitrogen-phosphorous imbalance.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Benjamin D. Janke, Jacques C. Finlay, Vinicius J. Taguchi, John S. Gulliver
Summary: Managed stormwater ponds play a vital role in mitigating urban runoff and nutrient pollution, but their functions are often overlooked. This study shows that water quality improvements in these ponds are mainly achieved through the settling of nutrients and contaminants. The study also highlights the importance of understanding and improving pond hydrologic function for enhancing nutrient retention and meeting water quality goals.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2022)
Article
Geochemistry & Geophysics
Yevgeniy Kovchegov, Ilya Zaliapin, Efi Foufoula-Georgiou
Summary: This paper reviews the appearance and parameterization of scaling laws in complex systems, particularly focusing on hierarchical systems conceptualized by tree graphs. The recently formulated theory of random self-similar trees provides a suite of results on scaling laws between different attributes, which are of great significance in the study of extreme events and hazards.
SURVEYS IN GEOPHYSICS
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Antonios Mamalakis, Amir AghaKouchak, James T. Randerson, Efi Foufoula-Georgiou
Summary: Precipitation prediction at seasonal timescales is important for water resources planning and management, as well as preparedness for hazards. This study introduces a probabilistic framework to assess predictability of winter precipitation in the contiguous United States, using sea surface temperature-derived indices as predictors. It identifies predictability hotspots and shows that extreme dry and wet conditions are more predictable than normal conditions.
WATER RESOURCES RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Wilfred M. Wollheim, Tamara K. Harms, Andrew L. Robison, Lauren E. Koenig, Ashley M. Helton, Chao Song, William B. Bowden, Jacques C. Finlay
Summary: River networks play an important role in biogeochemical processes of the earth system. Here the authors show that cumulative river network function increases faster than watershed size for many biogeochemical processes, particularly at higher river flow, indicating large rivers contribute disproportionately to network function in the Earth System.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Yang Chen, Stijn Hantson, Niels Andela, Shane R. Coffield, Casey A. Graff, Douglas C. Morton, Lesley E. Ott, Efi Foufoula-Georgiou, Padhraic Smyth, Michael L. Goulden, James T. Randerson
Summary: This study develops a novel object-based system to track individual wildfires using satellite data, improving our understanding and quantification of wildfire spread, behavior, and impacts. The system successfully mapped the history of California wildfires from 2012 to 2020.
Article
Meteorology & Atmospheric Sciences
Clement Guilloteau, Efi Foufoula-Georgiou, Pierre Kirstetter, Jackson Tan, George J. Huffman
Summary: This study proposes a spectral error model for satellite precipitation estimation, which takes into account the multiscale dynamics of neighboring space-time. The empirical analysis shows that systematic filtering plays an important role in the error of IMERG product, highlighting the significance of considering filtering effects in high-resolution satellite precipitation products.
JOURNAL OF HYDROMETEOROLOGY
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Meredith A. Holgerson, David C. Richardson, Joseph Roith, Lauren E. Bortolotti, Kerri Finlay, Daniel J. Hornbach, Kshitij Gurung, Andrew Ness, Mikkel R. Andersen, Sheel Bansal, Jacques C. Finlay, Jacob A. Cianci-Gaskill, Shannon Hahn, Benjamin D. Janke, Cory McDonald, Jorrit P. Mesman, Rebecca L. North, Cassandra O. Roberts, Jon N. Sweetman, Jackie R. Webb
Summary: The study reveals that the mixing regimes of shallow waterbodies are highly sensitive to small differences in size and depth. Shallow lakes tend to mix more frequently, while shallow ponds mix less often. Precipitation events weaken stratification and can cause short-term mixing.
WATER RESOURCES RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
L. Vulis, A. Tejedor, H. Ma, J. H. Nienhuis, C. M. Broaddus, J. Brown, D. A. Edmonds, J. C. Rowland, E. Foufoula-Georgiou
Summary: In this study, a novel multiscale characterization of shorelines is introduced, which explains the relative influence of fluvial, wave, and tidal processes on delta formation and evolution. The characterization method automatically divides deltas into morphologically similar classes, known as delta morphotypes, and predicts the dominant forcing of each class. The study also shows the consistency between the inferred dominant forcings from shoreline structure and the estimated sediment fluxes, while recognizing the deviations caused by spatiotemporal heterogeneity in sediment fluxes.
GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH LETTERS
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Christian A. Vossler, Christine L. Dolph, Jacques C. Finlay, David A. Keiser, Catherine L. Kling, Daniel J. Phaneuf
Summary: This study addresses the lack of scientific knowledge on quantifying the benefits of landscape-wide water quality improvements in the United States. By incorporating the Biological Condition Gradient (BCG) as a water quality metric in a stated preference survey, the study estimates the economic value for aquatic ecosystem improvements. The study finds that people are willing to pay more for policies that target their home watershed and nonuse sources of value are important for overall benefits.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Zahra Kazempour, Mohammad Danesh-Yazdi
Summary: The Gorgan Bay and Miankaleh Peninsula biosphere reserve is facing endangerment due to water loss and degradation caused by eutrophication. A study reveals the long-term trend and intra-annual variability of eutrophication in the region. It is found that the impact on the Caspian Sea is minimal except for the southeastern shoreline.
REMOTE SENSING APPLICATIONS-SOCIETY AND ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Runze Li, Clement Guilloteau, Pierre-Emmanuel Kirstetter, Efi Foufoula-Georgiou
Summary: Understanding the nature and origin of errors in satellite precipitation products is important for applications and product improvement. A new error decomposition scheme is proposed to characterize satellite errors, attributing errors to the inaccuracies in event occurrence, timing, and intensity. The study applies the method to a test product and finds that the listed factors contribute differently to the total bias and errors are asymmetric in the temporal distribution throughout events. This error decomposition scheme provides insight into sources of error for improved retrievals.
GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH LETTERS
(2023)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Sagar K. Tamang, Ardeshir Ebtehaj, Peter Jan van Leeuwen, Gilad Lerman, Efi Foufoula-Georgiou
Summary: This paper presents the results of ensemble Riemannian data assimilation for relatively high-dimensional nonlinear dynamical systems, focusing on the Lorenz-96 model and the quasi-geostrophic model. The method infers the analysis state from a joint distribution, which effectively handles systematic biases. Comparisons with classic implementations of particle filter and stochastic ensemble Kalman filter show that this method can improve the predictability of dynamical systems with the same ensemble size.
NONLINEAR PROCESSES IN GEOPHYSICS
(2022)
Article
Physics, Fluids & Plasmas
Yevgeniy Kovchegov, Ilya Zaliapin, Efi Foufoula-Georgiou
Summary: This study utilizes the theory of random self-similar trees to explain the hierarchical organization and self-similarity in river basins, elucidating the mathematical origin and relation of Horton's laws, Hack's laws, basin fractal dimensions, and power-law distributions of link attributes. The results contribute to a better understanding of landscape organization under different hydroclimatic forcings and extend scaling relationships useful for hydrologic prediction.