Premium
Stream‐Watershed Relations in the Missouri Ozark Plateau Province
Author(s) -
Smart Miles M.,
Jones John R.,
Sebaugh Jeanne L.
Publication year - 1985
Publication title -
journal of environmental quality
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.888
H-Index - 171
eISSN - 1537-2537
pISSN - 0047-2425
DOI - 10.2134/jeq1985.00472425001400010015x
Subject(s) - streams , watershed , pasture , environmental science , hydrology (agriculture) , nutrient , chlorophyll a , plateau (mathematics) , bedrock , ecology , forestry , geography , geology , biology , geomorphology , botany , computer network , mathematical analysis , geotechnical engineering , mathematics , machine learning , computer science
Water chemistry and algal chlorophyll values in Missouri Ozark streams were more strongly related to land‐use practices on the watershed than bedrock geology or soil association. In general, concentrations of nutrients, chlorophyll, and most major ions were lowest in streams draining forests, intermediate in streams draining pastures, and highest in streams draining urban areas. In streams draining both forest and pasture areas, there was an exponential increase in the concentration of total P, total N, NO 3 − ‐N, Na + , Cl − , and suspended chlorophyll a with an increase in percent pasture area on the watershed. These relations help identify the relative importance of land use on water chemistry and algal chlorophyll values, explain differences among streams in the region and enable us to approximate the impact of forest‐pasture conversion on streams not yet affected.