A hydrochemically guided landscape classification system for modelling spatial variation in multiple water quality indices: Process-attribute mapping

Spatial variation in landscape attributes can account for much of the variability in water quality relative to land use on its own. Such variation results from the dominant processes governing water quality, and gradients in key landscape attributes. Despite the importance of ‘process-attribute’ gradients (PAG) few water quality models explicitly account for their influence. Here a processes-based water quality modelling framework (Process-Attribute Mapping) is presented that more completely accounts for the role of landscape variability over water quality, here applied to the province of Southland (31,824 km2), New Zealand. PAGs can be used in conjunction with land use activity to communicate how and why water quality varies spatially.