Effects of land use, topography, climate and socio-economic factors on geographical variation pattern of inland surface water quality in China

• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0217840
• Publication Date: 2019-06-05T17:32:52Z
• Authors: Qinghui You; Na Fang; Lingling Liu; Wenjing Yang; Li Zhang; Yeqiao Wang
• Keywords: Land Cover; Driving factors

The deterioration of water quality has become a primary environmental concern worldwide. Understanding the status and identifying influencing factors are important for resources management. However, reported analyses have mostly been conducted in small focused areas. It is still unclear if driving spatial variation would be different extended scales. In this paper, we analyzed pattern inland surface China using dataset with four parameters (i.e., pH, DO, NH4+-N CODMn) level. We tested effects anthropogenic land use socio-economic) natural climatic topographic) on quality. study concluded that overall was at level III (fair). Water strongly correlated CODMn concentration. contrast to studies suggested patterns were determinants quality, revealed both played roles explaining China. Among explanatory variables, mean elevation within watershed appeared as best predictor while annual precipitation air temperature most variables respectively. concentration percent forest cover watershed. Compared smaller scales, found suggesting may play scales consideration. Therefore management policies measures control must established implemented accordingly. Since currently adopted monitoring largely influenced by additional physicochemical biological indicators needed robust assessment human impacts