Differentiation of Algal Blooms and Aquatic Vegetation in Chinese Lakes Using Modified Vegetation Presence Frequency Index Method

Algal blooms in lakes have become a common global environmental problem. Nowadays, remote sensing is widely used to monitor algal blooms in lakes due to the macroscopic, fast, real-time characteristics. However, it is often difficult to distinguish between algal blooms and aquatic vegetation due to their similar spectral characteristics. In this paper, we used modified vegetation presence frequency index(VPF) based on Moderate-resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer(MODIS) imagery to distinguish algal blooms from aquatic vegetation, and analyzed the spatial and temporal variations of algal blooms and aquatic vegetation from a phenological perspective for five large natural lakes with frequent algal bloom outbreaks in China from 2019 to 2020. We simplified the VPF method to make it with a higher spatial transferability so that it could be applied to other lakes in different climatic zones. Through accuracy validation, we found that the modified VPF method can effectively distinguish between algal blooms and aquatic vegetation, and the results vary from lake to lake. The highest accuracy of 97% was achieved in Hulun Lake, where the frequency of algal outbreaks is low and the extent of aquatic vegetation is stable, while the lowest accuracy of 76% was achieved in Dianchi Lake, which is rainy in summer and the lake is small. Analyses suggests that the time period when algal blooms occur most frequently might not coincide with that when they have the largest area. However, in most cases these two are close in terms of time period. The modified VPF method has a broad scope of application, is easy to implement, and has a high practical value. Furthermore, the method could be established using only a small amount of measured data, which is useful for water quality monitoring on large spatial scales.

EFFECTS OF AQUATIC VEGETATION ON FLOW IN THE NANSI LAKE AND ITS FLOW VELOCITY MODELING

Aquatic vegetation has significant effects on flow in waters. In this article, four types of water areas were analyzed according to the field survey on water depth and vegetation in the Nansi Lake for the East Line Project of Water Transfer from South to North in China （WTSNC）. The depth-averaged 2-D hydrodynamic models with and without consideration of the effects of aquatic vegetation on flow were established to simulate flow fields in vegetated and non-vegetated zones in the Nansi Lake. With the established models, flow fields were predicted under the conditions of water transfer from south to north. The results indicate that when the drag force term exerted by aquatic vegetation is considered, the computed velocities agree well with the measured data, whereas as the drag term is taken into account, the computed velocities are obviously larger than the measured data in the vegetated zone and considerably smaller in the non-vegetated zone, and the error range between the two velocities is large if this problem is dealt with the method of increasing the roughness coefficient of the lake-bed to reflect the vegetation drag force. In addition, it is demonstrated that the emerged vegetation exerts larger effects on flow than submerged vegetation comparing the results in the Emerged Vegetation （reed） Zone （EVZ） and the Submerged Vegetation Zone （SVZ）.

FLOW STRUCTURE AND SEDIMENT TRANSPORT WITH IMPACTS OF AQUATIC VEGETATION

Aquatic vegetation plays an important role in the flow structure of open channels and thus changes the fate and the transport of sediment. This article proposes a three-dimensional turbulence model by introducing vegetation density and drag force into the control equations of water flow in the presence of vegetation. The model was used to calculate the impacts of submerged vegetation on the vertical profiles of longitudinal flow velocities, the changes of the depth-averaged flow velocities in a compound channel with emergent vegetation in the floodplain, the removal of suspended sediment from the channels by emergent vegetation, and the bed changes around and in a vegetated island. Numerical investigations show that aquatic vegetation retards flow in the vegetation zone, reduces the sediment transport capacity, and contributes to erosion on both sides of the vegetated island. Calculated results agree well with experimental results.

A long term calibration and verification of a submerged aquatic vegetation model for Lake Okeechobee

Introduction:Submerged aquatic vegetation(SAV)has multiple functions in Lake Okeechobee.It provides critical habitat for fish and wildlife,stabilizes sediments,reduces phosphorus(P)concentration in the water column by preventing re-suspension of P-rich sediments,and provides a substrate for attached algae,which also helps to remove P from the water column.Ten year water quality and SAV growth simulations are presented and compared with observed SAV and water quality data collected in the nearshore zone in Lake Okeechobee.Methods:The SAV theory and approach used in the LOEM are modified from the Chesapeake Bay model and incorporate three state variables:shoots(above the bed sediment),roots(in the bed sediment),and epiphytes(attached to the shoots).The SAV model has direct linkages with the water quality model,including(1)a link between the growth and decay of SAV and the nutrient pool of the water quality model;(2)a link between the photosynthesis and respiration of SAV and dissolved oxygen dynamics,and(3)the ways in which settling of particulate organic matter and nutrient uptake affect nutrient levels in the water column and in the sediment bed.Results:Total suspended solids affect light attenuation and are another major driving factor for SAV growth in the nearshore and littoral zone area.The model performs reasonably well in reproducing the spatial distribution of SAV.Conclusions:The theoretical analysis and model sensitivity tests indicate that SAV growth is primarily controlled by light and nutrients.The light available for SAV growth depends on the water depth and the turbidity.In this full scale simulation,the water depth comes from the LOEM hydrodynamic model,and the turbidity depends on the suspended sediment concentration and algal concentration.

Twenty-first century climate change and submerged aquatic vegetation in a temperate estuary:the case of Chesapeake Bay

Introduction:The Chesapeake Bay was once renowned for expansive meadows of submerged aquatic vegetation(SAV).However,only 10%of the original meadows survive.Future restoration effortswill be complicated by accelerating climate change,including physiological stressors such as a predicted mean temperature increase of 2-6℃and a 50-160%increase in CO_(2)concentrations.Outcomes:As the Chesapeake Bay begins to exhibit characteristics of a subtropical estuary,summer heat waves will become more frequent and severe.Warming alone would eventually eliminate eelgrass(Zostera marina)from the region.It will favor native heat-tolerant species such as widgeon grass(Ruppia maritima)while facilitating colonization by non-native seagrasses(e.g.,Halodule spp.).Intensifying human activity will also fuel coastal zone acidification and the resulting high CO_(2)/low pH conditions may benefit SAV via a“CO_(2)fertilization effect.”Discussion:Acidification is known to offset the effects of thermal stress and may have similar effects in estuaries,assuming water clarity is sufficient to support CO_(2)-stimulated photosynthesis and plants are not overgrown by epiphytes.However,coastal zone acidification is variable,driven mostly by local biological processes that may or may not always counterbalance the effects of regional warming.This precarious equipoise between two forces-thermal stress and acidification-will be critically important because it may ultimately determine the fate of cool-water plants such as Zostera marina in the Chesapeake Bay.Conclusion:The combined impacts of warming,coastal zone acidification,water clarity,and overgrowth of competing algae will determine the fate of SAV communities in rapidly changing temperate estuaries.

Native Aquatic Plant Establishment Efforts in a High-Herbivore, Central Texas Reservoir

Maintaining beneficial, native plant structure and diversity while reducing invasive, nuisance species dominance is an important management domain for natural resource managers. One such vegetation component in North American lakes and reservoirs is submerged aquatic vegetation—a valuable aquatic resource which serves as productive habitat for fish, aquatic macroinvertebrates, and other wildlife. Reservoirs in the southern parts of the United States have experienced varying aquatic plant dominance dynamics due to historical water resource management actions, including drawdowns and introduction of herbivorous fish for the purpose of controlling invasive aquatic vegetation. Some of these management options have also been detrimental to native submerged aquatic vegetation. This paper explores an adaptive management research effort by installing herbivore-protected, fenced-pen submerged aquatic vegetation sites in a high-herbivore reservoir to determine effectiveness of protecting habitat and serving as founder colony sources for propagule spread. Four experimental sites with three management treatments each were planted with American eelgrass. Each site utilized one un-fenced treatment and two treatments with varying mesh sizes for protective fencing-pens. Site integrity, species survival and spread, and grazing were documented. One additional site was installed and planted with other native submerged aquatic vegetation species for nominal species performance descriptions. No plants survived unprotected in the high-herbivore system and plants, in general, performed consistently better within the smaller mesh size. These test planting results were ultimately used to inform adaptive management decision making for plant installation and expansion designs for managing reservoirs invested with Hydrilla, considered one of the most serious invasive aquatic plants in the United States.

Characteristics of the Distribution of Plant Community in Lakeshore Wetland of Yunnan Plateau

[ Objective] The aim was to discuss the distribution of plant community in lakeshore wetland of Yunnan Plateau. [ Method ] Taking sever- al lakes in Yunnan Plateau as example, the distribution characteristics and rules of plant community in lakeshore wetland of Yunnan Plateau were discussed. The degradation and causes of lakeshore wetland were analyzed. [ Resultl The wetland plants were characterized by reduction of the aquatic plant species, the decline of the species diversity and the biomass. Fast breeding vegetation with high fat and pollution tolerance, strong adaptability was easy to form a single optimal community. Some representative and sensitive to pollution plants deteriorated or destroyed. These phenomena reflected the changes of water quality, the worse pollution, eutrophication and the acceleration of turning wetland to land. The causes of wetland degradation and biodiversity included increase of population pressure, industrial and agricultural development, advance of urbanization, unreasonable cultivation, over-exploitation and eutrophication, etc. [ Conclusion] The study provided theoretical basis for the protection, environ- ment evaluation and sustainable development of lakeshore wetland.

Flow characteristics in open channels with aquatic rigid vegetation

In order to study the flow characteristics in water bodies with rigid aquatic vegetation,series of laboratory experiments are carried out in an open channel,in which glass rods are used as plants with diameters of 6mm,8mm and 10mm,respectively.For each diameter of glass rods,four typical cases are considered with various densities and arrangements of glass rods.The flow velocities in the four cases are measured by the 3-D laser Doppler velocimeter(LDV).The water surface slope,the flow velocity,the water head loss,the vegetation drag force and the hydraulic slope are calculated,analyzed and discussed.The horizontal,vertical and total vegetation densities in the vegetation area are defined and the relationship between these physical parameters and the water surface slope are studied.The head loss and the hydraulic slope in the vegetation area are also calculated,compared and analyzed.It is indicated that the water surface slope and velocity,the head loss and the hydraulic slope in the vegetation area have a close relationship with the arrangement,the density,and the plant diameter of the vegetation.

NUMERICAL MODEL FOR FLOW THROUGH SUBMERGED VEGETATION REGIONS IN A SHALLOW LAKE

Aquatic vegetation has a significant impact on water currents. To evaluate the effects of changes in the aquatic vegetation on water currents of different velocity, a 3-D hydrodynamic model was then developed by taking into consideration of the additional hydraulic resistance of the aquatic plants. The Navier- Stokes equations were then solved using the SIMPLE method and the k - e＂ turbulence model. Calculations using the established models were used to forecast the vertical distribution of the horizontal velocity and horizontal flow under the transmission conditions of the South-North Water Diversion in the Nansi Lake. And comparative calculation for the flow velocity was also performed using the simplified method of assigning a high roughness coefficient to the lake bed in the same area. Results suggest that adding additional hydraulic resistance of the aquatic plants is feasible. The calculation errors between simulation result and the field observed data are smaller than 15%, while, those errors are up to 35% if the influence of aquatic vegetation is dealt with the simplified method.

Investigation of open channel flow with unsubmerged rigid vegetation by the lattice Boltzmann method

The aquatic vegetation can significantly affect the flow structure,the sediment transport,the bed scour and the water quality in rivers,lakes,reservoirs and open channels.In this study,the lattice Boltzmann method(LBM)is applied in the two-dimensional numerical simulation of the flow structure in a flume with rigid vegetation.A multi-relaxation time model is applied to improve the stability of the numerical scheme for flows with a high Reynolds number.The vegetation induced drag force is added in the lattice Boltzmann equation model in order to improve the simulation accuracy and an algorithm of the multi-relaxation time is developed.Numerical simulations are performed for a wide range of flow and vegetation conditions and are validated by comparing with the laboratory experiments.Analysis of the simulated and experimentally measured flow Helds shows that the numerical simulation can satisfactorily reproduce the laboratory experiments,indicating that the proposed lattice Boltzmann model enjoys a high accuracy for simulating the flow-vegetation interaction in open channels.

Flow characteristics of the wind-driven current with submerged and emergent flexible vegetations in shallow lakes

A pneumatic annular flume is designed to simulate the current induced by the wind acting on the water surface in shallow lakes and the experiments are conducted to investigate the influence of submerged and emergent flexible vegetations of different densities on the flow characteristics （e.g., the flow velocity, the turbulence intensity, the vegetal drag coefficient CD and the equivalent roughness coefficient nb ） at different wind speeds. Vallisneria natans （K natans ） and Acorus calamus （A. calamus） widely distributed in Taihu Lake are selected in this study. It is indicated that the vertical distribution profiles are in logarithmic- curves, The stream-wise velocity rapidly decreases with the increasing vegetation density. The flow at the lower layer of the vegeta- tion sees compensation current characteristics when the vegetation density is the largest. The turbulence intensity in the flume without vegetation is the highest at the free surface and it is near the canopy top for the flume with V. natans. The turbulence intensity near the bottom in the flume with vegetation is smaller than that in the flume without vegetation. A. calamus exerts much larger resistance to the flow than V. natans. The variations of CD and nb caused by the vegetation density and the wind speed are also discussed.

FLOW STRUCTURE OF PARTLY VEGETATED OPEN-CHANNEL FLOWS WITH EELGRASS

Aquatic vegetation can influence the transport of sediment and contaminants by changing the mean velocity and turbulent flow structure in channels. It is important to understand the hydraulics of the flows over vegetation in order to manage fluvial processes. Experiments in an open-channel flume with natural vegetation were carried out to study the influence of vegetation on the flows. In a half channel with two different densities of vegetation, the flow velocity, Reynolds stresses, and turbulence intensities were measured using an Acoustic Doppler Velocimeter （ADV）. We obtained velocity profiles in the lateral direction, Reynolds stresses in the vertical direction, and the flow transition between the vegetated and non-vegetated zones in different flow regimes. The results show that the streamwise velocity in the vegetated zone with higher density is almost entirely blocked. Reynolds stress distribution distinguishes with two different regions： inside and above the vegetation canopies. The turbulence intensities increase with increasing Reynolds number. The coherent vortices dominate the vertical transport of momentum and are advected clockwise between the vegetated zone and non-vegetated zone by secondary currents （a relatively minor flow superimposed on the primary flow, with significantly different speed and direction）, generated by the anisotropy of the turbulence.