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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Tifton, Georgia » Southeast Watershed Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #411776
Research Project: Shifting the Balance of Water Resources and Interacting Agroecosystem Services Toward Sustainable Outcomes in Watersheds of the Southern Coastal Plain

Location: Southeast Watershed Research

Title: Pond water storage and carbon variability using field and remotely sensed data in the Little River Experimental Watershed (LREW)

Author
item ALBRIGHT, ANDREA - Orise Fellow
item Coffin, Alisa
item Pisani, Oliva
item Bosch, David
item Strickland, Timothy

Submitted to: US-International Association for Landscape Ecology
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 2/8/2024
Publication Date: 4/2/2024
Citation: Albright, A.T., Coffin, A.W., Pisani, O., Bosch, D.D., Strickland, T.C. 2024. Pond water storage and carbon variability using field and remotely sensed data in the Little River Experimental Watershed (LREW). US-International Association for Landscape Ecology. Abstract.

Interpretive Summary: Abstract Only

Technical Abstract: Agricultural landscapes often contain many pond features due to their use for crop irrigation and as a source of drinking water for animals. Despite the growing number of such ponds globally, their contributions as reservoirs of water and organic carbon are often ignored. Ponds are often assumed to contain surface water from precipitation and surface runoff, but in this study of three typical farm ponds, two ponds were found to contain deep groundwater that was being pumped into the pond to maintain a supply of water for irrigation. Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) dynamics in ponds are currently poorly understood, and water quality measurements were taken throughout 2022 to quantify DOC and characterize the sources of dissolved organic matter (DOM). Additionally, ponds can be difficult to study using satellite remote sensing due to their small size relative to image resolution, and in this case, Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS)-mounted optical imagery and photogrammetrically derived products were used to assist in characterizing all three ponds. This study presents an integrated analysis of typical South Georgia farm ponds, which could further be used to quantify and qualify the dynamics of all ponds within the watershed.