Effect of Vegetation Degradation on Nitrate Retention Using NDVI and the SWAT Model in the Khemis Basin, Northwestern Algeria

IF 1.8 4区环境科学与生态学 Q3 ECOLOGY

Aquatic Ecology Pub Date : 2025-06-30 DOI:10.1007/s10452-025-10216-8

Amine Benabdelkader, Amin Zettam, Ibrahim Zenagui, Nouria Belaidi, Amina Taleb

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Abstract

Nitrate retention in a semi-arid watershed was assessed in parallel with the vegetation cover change from 2003 to 2013. The Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) model was used for simulating hydrology and nitrate retention in the Khemis Basin (375 km² in NW Algeria). The normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), derived from remote sensing satellite data, demonstrated a degradation of vegetation from 2003 to 2013. Nitrate retention varied between −0.98 and 0.03 and decreased with vegetation degradation due to the mobilization and leaching of nitrates available from fertilization. The results of the principal component analysis (PCA) and the correlations among water parameters, vegetation, and nitrates indicated that organic nitrate was mobilized into the water yield from surface runoff. Furthermore, organic nitrates decreased in soil water due to mineralization. Moreover, in the semi-arid basin, evapotranspiration contributes to water loss and plays an important role in reducing water yield, which can cause an increase in nitrate concentration in the water. Nitrate from the lateral flow of the basin was the main source of nitrate retained by vegetation, in contrast to surface nitrate, which is easily leached. Basin geomorphology can have an impact on nitrate retention, especially in flatter landscapes, which tend to increase nitrate retention in the soil. According to the correlations and the simulated nitrate balance, agricultural fertilization was the main source of anthropogenic nitrates in the Khemis Basin.

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基于NDVI和SWAT模型的阿尔及利亚Khemis盆地植被退化对硝酸盐滞留的影响

研究了2003 - 2013年半干旱流域硝酸盐滞留与植被覆盖变化的并行关系。利用水土评价工具（SWAT）模型对Khemis流域（阿尔及利亚西北部375 km2）的水文和硝酸盐滞留进行了模拟。基于遥感卫星数据的归一化植被指数（NDVI）显示，2003 - 2013年中国植被出现退化。硝酸盐保留率在- 0.98和0.03之间变化，并且由于施肥中硝酸盐的动员和淋失，随着植被退化而降低。主成分分析（PCA）结果以及水分参数、植被和硝酸盐之间的相关性表明，有机硝酸盐从地表径流中被动员到水量中。此外，由于矿化作用，土壤中有机硝酸盐含量降低。此外，在半干旱流域，蒸散发造成水分流失，在减少水量方面起着重要作用，可引起水体中硝酸盐浓度的增加。盆地侧向流的硝酸盐是植被保留硝酸盐的主要来源，而地表硝酸盐则容易被淋滤。盆地地貌可以对硝酸盐滞留产生影响，特别是在平坦的景观中，这往往会增加土壤中的硝酸盐滞留。根据相关关系和模拟的硝酸盐平衡，农业施肥是Khemis盆地人为硝酸盐的主要来源。

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来源期刊

Aquatic Ecology 环境科学-海洋与淡水生物学

CiteScore

3.90

自引率

0.00%

发文量

审稿时长

3 months

期刊介绍： Aquatic Ecology publishes timely, peer-reviewed original papers relating to the ecology of fresh, brackish, estuarine and marine environments. Papers on fundamental and applied novel research in both the field and the laboratory, including descriptive or experimental studies, will be included in the journal. Preference will be given to studies that address timely and current topics and are integrative and critical in approach. We discourage papers that describe presence and abundance of aquatic biota in local habitats as well as papers that are pure systematic. The journal provides a forum for the aquatic ecologist - limnologist and oceanologist alike- to discuss ecological issues related to processes and structures at different integration levels from individuals to populations, to communities and entire ecosystems.