Empirical Relationships between Water Quality and Agricultural Land Use in Rural Maine

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dc.contributor.authorDodson, Laura Lynen
dc.contributor.committeechairBoyle, Kevin J.en
dc.contributor.committeememberCarey, Cayelan C.en
dc.contributor.committeememberYou, Wenen
dc.contributor.departmentAgricultural and Applied Economicsen
dc.date.accessioned2017-02-09T18:27:52Zen
dc.date.available2017-02-09T18:27:52Zen
dc.date.issued2017-02-09en
dc.description.abstractAnthropogenic eutrophication of freshwater lakes due to land use change is a growing global problem with economic consequences, such as a reduction in shoreline property value. Managing eutrophication is of utmost importance in Maine, USA due to the large number of inland fresh waterbodies and their economic importance for fisheries, recreation, and real estate. This thesis investigates the relationships between water quality and catchment land use. Agricultural land use is a large driver of excess nutrient export to lakes, including in Maine, and can result in toxic cyanobacterial blooms, decreased water clarity, and fish kills. I developed a statistical relationship to quantitatively link agricultural intensity in the catchment and resultant water quality outcomes in Maine lakes. I observe a strong statistical relationship between water quality and anthropogenic activity in the catchment, as expected. Interestingly, I found that the effects of anthropogenic activity were most closely related to a five-year lag in water quality, which is between 0.8 to 4.71 years longer than the lake residence times. My results suggest that changes in land use may have long-term effects on water quality that last for far longer than would be expected. The analysis presented in this paper is novel for directly linking long term observational agricultural and biological datasets and presents a new way to quantitatively link water quality and anthropogenic intensity in the catchment area.en
dc.description.abstractgeneralWorsening water quality of freshwater lakes due to land use change is a growing global problem with economic consequences, such as a reduction in shoreline property value. Managing water quality is of utmost importance in Maine, USA due to the large number of inland fresh waterbodies and their economic importance for fisheries, recreation, and real estate. This thesis investigates the relationships between water quality and lakeside land use. Agricultural land use is a large driver of lowered water quality in lakes, including in Maine. I developed a statistical relationship to mathematically link agriculture near the lake and resultant water quality outcomes in Maine. I observe a strong statistical relationship between water quality and human activity in the catchment, as expected. Interestingly, I found that the effects of human activity were most closely related to a five-year lag in water quality, which is between 0.8 to 4.71 years longer than the lake residence times. My results suggest that changes in land use may have long-term effects on water quality that last for far longer than would be expected.en
dc.description.degreeMaster of Scienceen
dc.format.mediumETDen
dc.identifier.othervt_gsexam:8977en
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/10919/74979en
dc.publisherVirginia Techen
dc.rightsIn Copyrighten
dc.rights.urihttp://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/en
dc.subjectAgricultural land useen
dc.subjectMaineen
dc.subjectlakesen
dc.subjecteutrophicationen
dc.titleEmpirical Relationships between Water Quality and Agricultural Land Use in Rural Maineen
dc.typeThesisen
thesis.degree.disciplineAgricultural and Applied Economicsen
thesis.degree.grantorVirginia Polytechnic Institute and State Universityen
thesis.degree.levelmastersen
thesis.degree.nameMaster of Scienceen

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