Classification of catchments for nitrogen using Artificial Neural Network Pattern Recognition and spatial data

• Published in: The Science of the total environment Vol. 809; p. 151139
• Main Authors: O'Sullivan, Cherie M., Ghahramani, Afshin, Deo, Ravinesh C., Pembleton, Keith, Khan, Urooj, Tuteja, Narendra
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Netherlands Elsevier B.V 25.02.2022
• Subjects: Artificial intelligence; Deductive inductive catchment classification; DIN; Ecosystem; Great Barrier Reef; Neural Networks, Computer; Nitrogen - analysis; Pattern recognition; Soil; Water Quality; DIN; Pattern recognition; Artificial intelligence; Deductive inductive catchment classification; Water quality; Great Barrier Reef
• ISSN: 0048-9697; 1879-1026
• DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.151139

In hydrological modelling, classification of catchments is a fundamental task for overcoming deficits in observational datasets. Most attention on this issue has focussed on identifying the catchments with similar hydrological responses for streamflow. Yet, effective methods for catchment classification are currently lacking in respect to Dissolved Inorganic Nitrogen (DIN), a water quality constituent that, at increasing concentrations, is threatening nutrient sensitive environments. Pattern recognition, using standard Artificial Neural Network algorithm is applied, as a novel approach to classify datasets that are considered to be suitable proxies for biological and anthropogenic drivers of observed DIN releases. Eleven gauged Great Barrier Reef (GBR) catchments within Queensland Australia are classified using spatial datasets extracted from ecosystem (e.g. original ecosystem responses to biogeographic, land zone, land form, and soil type attributes) and land use maps. To evaluate the performance of the examined spatial datasets as a proxy for deductive classification, the classification process is repeated inductively, using observed DIN and streamflow data from gauging stations. The ANN-PR method is seen to generate the same classification score format for the differing dataset types, and this facilitates a direct comparison for model output for observed data corroborations. The Kruskal-Wallis test for independence, at p > 0.05, identifies the deductive classification approach as a predictor for classification using DIN observations, which lacks an independence from each other at a p value of 0.01 and 0.02. This study concludes that an ANN-PR method can integrate the ecosystem and land use mapping data to deductively classify the GBR catchments into four regions that also have similar patterns of DIN concentrations. Due to the uniform availability of the mapping data, the findings provide a sound basis for further investigations into the transposing of knowledge from gauged catchments to ungauged areas. [Display omitted] •Artificial Neural Network Pattern Recognition (ANN-PR) can classify catchments.•ANN-PR facilitates direct comparison of continuous vs categorical datasets.•Land use and ecological processes are a proxy for their influence on water quality.•ANN-PR results for proxy data corroborated with water quality, not stream flows.•ANN-PR and proxy data method may be suitable for catchment classification for DIN.