wAbstract
@This study aimed at tracing and quantifying organic carbon and
total nitrogen fluxes related to suspended material in irrigation
water in the uplands of northwest Vietnam. In the study area,
a reservoir acts as a sink for sediments from the surrounding
mountains, feeding irrigation channels to irrigate lowland paddy
systems. A flow separation identified the flow components of overland
flow, water release from the reservoir to the irrigation channel,
direct precipitation into the channel, irrigation discharge to
paddy fields and discharge leaving the sub-watershed. A mixed
effects model was used to assess the C and N loads of each flow
component. Irrigation water had an average baseline concentration
of 29}4.4 mg l-1 inorganic C, 4.7}1.2 mg l-1
organic C and 3.9}1.6 mg l-1 total N. Once soils were
rewetted and overland flow was induced, organic C and total N
concentrations changed rapidly due to increasing sediment loads
in the irrigation water. Summarizing all monitored events, overland
flow was estimated to convey about 63 kg organic C ha-1
and 8.5 kg N ha-1 from surrounding upland fields to
the irrigation channel. The drainage of various non-point sources
towards the irrigation channel was supported by the variation
of the estimated organic C/total N ratios of the overland flow
which fluctuated between 2 and 7. Nevertheless, the majority of
the nutrient loads (up to 93-99) were derived from the reservoir,
which served as a sediment-buffer trap. Due to the overall high
nutrient and sediment content of the reservoir water used for
irrigation, a significant proportion of nutrients was continuously
reallocated to the paddy fields in the lowland throughout the
rice cropping season. The cumulative amount of organic C and total
N load entering paddies with the irrigation water between May
and September was estimated at 0.8 and 0.7 Mg ha-1,
respectively. Therefore deposition of C and N through irrigation
is an important contributor in maintaining soil fertility, and
a process to be taken into account in the soil fertility management
in these paddy rice systems.
Keywords: C and N flows; Flow proportion; Irrigation; Overland
flow; Paddy fields; Vietnam; Water qualityx
Introduction
Materials and methods
@Experimental site and hydrological characterization
@Total organic carbon and total nitrogen fluxes in irrigation
water
@Data analysis
@@Event definition
@@Flow component calculation
@@Event characteristics
@@Mixed effects model
Results
@Hydrological characterization of the subwatershed
@Hydrochemical characterization of reservoir and irrigation water
along the channel
@Flow components and their contribution to organic C and total
N loads
Discussion
@Effect of a surface water reservoir on C and N redistribution
@Contribution of overland flow on the redistribution of C and
N
@Contribution of irrigation water to C and N transport to paddy
fields
Conclusion
Acknowledgments
References