[Dynamic change of non-point source pollution exported from Heigou watershed in Three Gorges Reservoir area]

Sediment and its associated pollutants entering a water body can be very destructive to the ecological health of that system. Based on GIS and AnnAGNPS model, A total of 60 combinations of various management treatments including five fertilizer levels (FL1-existing, FL2-70% of existing, FL3-recommended, FLA-70% of recommended, FL5-30% of recommended), four tillage practices (CT-conventional tillage, NT-no tillage, CS-contour strip cropping, RC-residue cover) and three kinds of annual rainfall (deficit, normal, abundant) have been evaluated. Results from model simulations indicate that runoff and sediment yield were not affected due to change in fertilizer doses, but there was a significant positive correlation between nutrient losses and fertilizer application rates; Conservation tillage practices such as NT, CS and RC would reduce sediment and sediment-bound nutrient losses significantly, they have very little benefit on soluble nitrogen and phosphorus losses. This is primarily because the increased infiltration rates resulting from those practices leads to greater losses of subsurface and return flow in the watershed. In view of feasibility and efficiency, the combination of FL3 + NT was found to be the best scenario as the reductions of nutrient losses and sediment yield were about 40% and 45%, respectively.