Programme of work

There are three main scientific questions that we are addressing regarding land-use and water quality interactions:

1. What is the relationship between water quality and ecological function?

This work evaluates the proposed scientific tests of how well ecosystems are functioning. We are doing this by developing a range of indicators based on metabolic, microbiological, organic and inorganic data collected in water bodies.

Such developments are essential for understanding the ecological relevance and assessment of existing environmental quality standards. This will also provide a chemical and ecological basis for valuing pollution externalities. This work also gives us a better understanding of aquatic plant distribution, as the underlying causes have previously proved difficult to determine across a range of geographical scales.

2. What is the role of the processes that increase or reduce the risk of pollutants entering our water bodies ?

This work provides data crucial to improving our understanding of the mobilisation, transport and reduction of diffuse pollution. This is required so we can predict the effects of land use on water quality. The focus of our work in catchments isindicative of a range of aquatic pollution pressures in Scotland. This will aid the evaluation of Best Management Practices for pollution control.

3. How long do water bodies take to become damaged, and conversely how long does it take for them to recover?

This research provides a systems based approach so we can develop our ability to predict the dynamics of whole catchment ecosystem response to land-use management and environmental change. This is being achieved by using the methods, data and process understanding that we develop during the research outlined above. This will also contribute to the biophysical base for modelling River Basin Management Plans.

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Related Projects

• River Basin Managment