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. 2019 Jul 25;14(7):e0220299.
doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0220299. eCollection 2019.

Modeling nitrogen and phosphorus export with InVEST model in Bosten Lake basin of Northwest China

Xu Yang  1   2   3 , Guangxing Ji  1   3 , Chong Wang  4 , Jingping Zuo  1   2   3 , Haiqing Yang  1   2   3 , Jianhua Xu  1   2   3 , Ruishan Chen  1   3
Affiliations

Modeling nitrogen and phosphorus export with InVEST model in Bosten Lake basin of Northwest China

Xu Yang et al. PLoS One. .

Abstract

Bosten Lake is an important region of Northwest China that has transformed from a freshwater lake to a saltwater lake since the 1970s. The water quality in the Bosten Lake basin is important for social and economic development, and nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) are the key indicators of water quality. The land use data, precipitation data and Digital Elevation Model (DEM) data with the Integrated Valuation of Ecosystem Services and Tradeoffs (InVEST) model were used to simulate the N and P exports of the Bosten Lake basin. The spatial and temporal dynamics of nitrogen and phosphorus exports, and the response of nitrogen and phosphorus exports to land use change and precipitation change were analyzed between 2000 and 2015. The results show that the amount of N and P exports increased during 2000-2015, and the N and P exports are mainly distributed around Bosten Lake. The N and P exports are greatly affected by cultivated land, built-up areas and grassland, while they are less affected by other land use types. The high precipitation areas with small exports of N and P are mainly distributed in mountain areas, while small precipitation areas with large exports of N and P are distributed in plains where the cultivated land and built-up areas are concentrated. The InVEST model can be used in Northwest China, and the statistical downscaling of reanalysis precipitation data can be used in the InVEST model to improve the simulation accuracy in the data scarce regions of Northwest China.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Figures

Fig 1
Fig 1. The geographical location of the Bosten Lake basin in Northwest China.
Fig 2
Fig 2. The research framework and method used the NDR module of the InVEST Model.
Fig 3
Fig 3. Changes in lake level and lake area of Bosten Lake during 2000–2015.
Fig 4
Fig 4. The annual average precipitation of the whole Bosten Lake basin between 2000 and 2015.
Fig 5
Fig 5. The precipitation of the Bosten Lake basin in 2000(a), 2005(b), 2010(c), 2015(d).
Fig 6
Fig 6. The nitrogen and phosphorus export of cultivated land, grassland and built-up areas in 2000, 2005, 2010 and 2015.
Fig 7
Fig 7. The nitrogen and phosphorus exports for different precipitation intervals in the Bosten Lake basin.
Fig 8
Fig 8. Spatial distribution of the variation in export of nitrogen in the Bosten Lake basin in 2000-2015(a), 2000-2005(b), 2005-2010(c), and 2010-2015(d).
(The positive value with 1(blue) indicates the increase in nitrogen export, the negative value with -1(red) indicates the decrease in nitrogen export, and the zero (green) indicates no variation in nitrogen export).
Fig 9
Fig 9. Spatial distribution of the variation in export of phosphorus in the Bosten Lake basin in 2000-2015(a), 2000-2005(b), 2005-2010(c), and 2010-2015(d).
(The positive value with 1(blue) indicates the increase in phosphorus export, the negative value with -1(red) indicates the decrease in phosphorus export, and the zero (green) indicates no variation in phosphorus export).
Fig 10
Fig 10. Input source (blue text) and flow direction (red arrow) of nitrogen and phosphorus in the Bosten Lake basin.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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