Effect of land cover on water quality of creek and seepage in mountainous watershed in Bangladesh

Abstract

The flowing water was collected from very small creeks and seepage water from small dug holes at three different areas, viz. Manikchari, Ghagra and Muralipara in Rangamati district of Chittagong Hill Tracts, Bangladesh to investigate the impact of the existing varied land covers on water quality. Chemical analyses shows that flowing creek water from either mature mixed plantation or young gamar (Gmelina arborea) plantation had significantly (p<0.05) higher pH value, SO₄ ²⁻ and Ca²⁺ concentrations, and significantly lower Na⁺ concentration at Manikchari, compared to natural vegetation and plantation in combination. In flowing creek water of Ghagra, the concentrations of SO₄ ²⁻ and K⁺, conductivity and total dissolved solids from watershed of 8-year-old teak (Tectona grandis) plantation were significantly higher and the concentrations of HCO₃ ⁻, NO₃ ⁻ and PO₄ ³⁻ were significantly lower, compared to those of watershed of degraded natural vegetation. At Muralipara, flowing creek water from natural vegetation and shifting cultivated land in combination showed significantly higher concentrations of HCO₃ ⁻, NO₃ ⁻, Na⁺, K⁺, Ca²⁺ and Mg²⁺, and conductivity and total dissolved solids than seepage water as well as tube well water installed in shifting cultivated area alone.

Keywords

plantation / flowing water / shifting cultivation / Chittagong Hill Tracts

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