Nutrient spatial pattern of the upstream, mainstream and tributaries of the Three Gorges Reservoir in China

A comprehensive monitoring program was conducted to investigate the nutrient spatial pattern in the mainstream of the Yangtze River from the Baihetan Dam down to the Three Gorges Dam located at the upper region of the Yangtze River in China. Samples were taken from 33 different sites from July 30 to August 19, 2011. The nutrient patterns of the three representative tributaries of the Three Gorges Reservoir (TGR)—the Modao, the Daning, and the Xiangxi Rivers—were also investigated. The results show that the mainstream of the TGR has a higher concentration of nitrogen and a lower concentration of phosphorus than that of the upper mainstream before the TGR. Moreover, it was found that nitrate-nitrogen (NO3-N) is the main nitrogen component, while particulate phosphorus predominates the total phosphorus (TP). It was found that the three representative tributaries of the TGR have lower total nitrogen (TN) concentrations compared to the corresponding sections of the mainstream TGR. Based on the nutrient spatial pattern, the nutrient flux was calculated. The total fluxes of TN, NO3-N, TP, and orthophosphate (PO4-P) from the upstream reach into the TGR are 2,155.06, 1,674.97, 212.98, and 83.42 t day−1, respectively. The amount of nutrients imported from the TGR into its tributaries is more than the amount exported. It was determined that the Xiangxi River has the largest net rate of imported nitrogen at 7.66 t day−1, whereas the Daning River has the largest net rate of imported phosphorus at 1.75 t day−1. In addition, compared with the nutrients imported from the TGR into its tributaries, the nutrient flux from the upstream reach into the TGR contributes approximately less than 3 %.