Abstract: Taking 107 landscape water bodies in 90 parks and public green space of Shanghai as study objects, the relationship between water transparency and light attenuation coefficient was quested and therefore the main influencing factors upon water transparency were studied in this paper with application of outdoor investigation and indoor experiments. The results showed that: (1) the water transparency generally stayed at a low level with mean value of (0.54±0.24) m, and more than 98.31% water bodies were below 1.0 m; (2) there was a significant negative correlation between water transparency and light attenuation coefficient, which could be shown as Kd=0.017+〖SX(〗1.12〖〗ST〖SX)〗; (3) the suspended matter was the main influencing factors of transparency in landscape water bodies of parks and public green space in Shanghai. The total phosphorus and ammonia-N in the water affected water transparency out of their nutrient control over phytoplankton. The results offer a new measurement to assess the water quality, especially the water transparency of landscape water bodies scientifically, and hence will provide a scientific basis for the improvement of water environments, the establishment of aquatic vegetation and the maintenance and management of water bodies.

Key words: water transparency, light attenuation coefficient, suspended matter, phytoplankton