Leaching of Nutrients,Organic Carbon and Iron from Finnish Forestry Land

This study provides an assessment of the spatial variability of the long-term leaching of nutrients, total organic carbon (TOC) and iron (Fetot) from 22 forested catchments (0.69-56 km2), distributed across all but the northenmost areas of Finland. The natural, unmanaged Kruunuoja catchment is located in a national park, while the other catchments represent Finnish forestry land. The average leaching of Ptot (4.2 kg km-2 yr^-1) from the Kruunuoja catchment was small compared to the catchments representing forestry land (on average 10 kg km-2 yr^-1). Moreover, P fertilization was the most important predictor for the spatial variation in Ptot leaching (r2=0.45). Leaching of TOC, Fetot and N compounds was not closely related to forestry practices. Median C/N ratio in the study streams was high (range 34-66). The average inorganic N proportion and leaching of P_tot were lowest in the Kruunuoja catchment (7.3 % and 2.8 kg km-2 yr^-1, respectively) and highest in the southernmost Teeressuonoja catchment (54 % and 100 kg km-2 yr^-1, respectively) located in the highest N deposition area. The most important forestry practices since the 1960's have affected about 2.4 % of the area of study sites per year (cf. 2% in the entire country in 1991). Moreover, the mean annual runoff from the catchments (230-430 mm yr^-1) agrees with the mean annual runoff from Finland (301 mm yr^-1). Consequently, the results of the study catchments can be used to estimate average total annual leaching from Finnish forestry land: 2,700 t of Ptot, 48,000 t of Ntot, 110,000 t of Fetot and 1.5 million t of TOC.     

Comparison of the Suspended Sediment Dynamics in Two Loess Plateau Catchments,China

Changes in runoff and sediment loads are of great importance for the management of river basins and the implementation of soil and water conservation measures. This study compared the suspended sediment dynamics in the Huangfuchuan and Yanhe catchments on the Loess Plateau. Both annual runoff and sediment load displayed significant reductions from 1955 to 2012. The decreasing rates were −0·88 mm a⁻¹ and −2·72 Mg ha⁻¹ a⁻¹ in the Huangfuchuan catchment, respectively, and ‐0.31 mm a⁻¹ and −1·20 Mg ha⁻¹ a⁻¹ in the Yanhe catchment. A total of 183 and 195 events, respectively, were selected to assess the suspended sediment dynamics in both catchments during the periods of 1971–1989 and 2006–2012. The results showed a good linear relationship between the sediment yield and runoff depth in both catchments from 1971 to 1989 and a relatively worse relationship in the Yanhe catchment from 2006 to 2012. The magnitude and frequency of the hyper‐concentrated sediment flow obviously decreased in the 2000s compared with that between 1971 and 1989. A hysteresis analysis suggested that complex and counter‐clockwise loops were the dominant patterns. Various soil and water conservation measures (e.g., afforestation, grassing, terraces, and check dams) played a critical role in runoff and sediment load changes in both catchments. The two catchments showed obvious heterogeneities in runoff and sediment yield because of different lithologies, soil types, and vegetation. The results of this study provide valuable information on suspended sediment dynamics and could be used to improve soil erosion control measures on the Loess Plateau. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

人工集水面降雨径流观测实验研究

野外降雨径流观测实验研究表明 :土质集水面 (自然黄土坡面、清除杂草自然黄土坡面和夯实集水面 )的降雨产流方式为超渗产流 ,受降雨强度的影响大 ,径流的产生主要是由几次高强度的暴雨引起。此类集水面的年平均集水效率在 7.4%～ 35 .5 %之间 ,因此 ,增大集水区面积是保证土质集水面收集到更多雨水的基本途径。油毡、沥青和混凝土处理集水面的产流过程受降雨量和降雨强度的影响小 ,年平均集水效率在 5 0 %～ 80 %之间 ,但投资成本较高 ,其雨水利用方向是和设施农业相结合 ,修建固定集水面 ,发展高投入高产出农业。塑料膜集水面一次性投入低且平均集水效率较高 ,但寿命较短 ,建议利用简单临时性的移动塑料集水面收集雨水以供大田作物缺水期补灌。     

Impact of no-tillage agricultural systems on sediment yield in two large catchments in Southern Brazil

Purpose

The impact of agriculture on water resources has long been a problem associated with the formation of runoff, the siltation of lakes and reservoirs, and overall depletion of water quality. In Brazil, these problems are mainly related to soil degradation by water erosion. However, studies of catchment-scale erosion are still rare particularly in grain-producing regions which have adopted conservative tillage systems for soil protection. In order to contribute to a better understanding of the impact of conservation agriculture on water resources, this study determined the runoff coefficient and sediment yield for two agricultural catchments.

Materials and methods

Hydrological and sedimentological monitoring was conducted in two catchments: the Conceicao catchment is characterized by grain production in weathered soils and a gently sloping landscape, while the Guapore catchment is characterized by heterogeneous soils and topography. Both catchments have problems associated with water erosion.

Results and discussion

The magnitudes of annual runoff coefficients and sediment yield were high, even if compared to similar agricultural regions, including a catchment with widespread adoption of no-tillage. The sediment yield was 140 t km^?2 year^?1, and the runoff coefficient was 14 % for the Conceicao catchment, while the sediment yield was 270 t km^?2 year^?1, and the runoff coefficient was 31 % for the Guapore catchment. The results indicate that problems such as gullies, soil compaction, runoff, floods, siltation, and water quality depletion associated with the misuse of agricultural areas in terms of soil conservation and water use are still evident and important even in regions with widespread adoption of no-tillage systems.

Conclusions

The magnitudes of both runoff and sediment yield clearly indicate the need to adopt complementary practices of soil conservation measures, such as mechanical runoff control.     

东北黑土区融雪径流对流域产沙的贡献及因素分析

[目的]揭示流域融雪期径流产沙特征及对全年总产沙的贡献,阐明东北黑土区影响融雪期产沙贡献的主控因素,并进而为东北黑土区流域综合治理提供科技支撑。[方法]基于东北地区203个气象站点数据以及15个流域水文站点径流泥沙资料,通过提取流域降水、地形、气候、土壤和土地利用等因子,采用多因素相关分析的方法,开展融雪期产沙贡献影响因素研究。[结果]东北黑土区不同流域年均降雪量占年均降水量的比例为3.7%～23.9%,空间分布差异较大,呈东南多、西北少的分布特点。融雪期径流深占全年径流深比例为13.7%～32.5%,融雪期产沙量对全年产沙量的贡献3.8%～23.47%,融雪期产沙模数占全年产沙模数的3.1%～35.9%,且它们空间分布规律性差。年均降水量、降雪量占降水量比例、融雪期径流深占全年径流深比例3个因素与融雪期产沙贡献在0.05的水平上呈显著相关。降雪量占降水量比例对流域融雪期产沙量和产沙模数的贡献率分别为25.41%和30.22%。最大高程对流域融雪产沙量和产沙模数的贡献率分别为24.36%和20.38%。[结论]东北区融雪期产沙对流域全年产沙有较大贡献,且受多重因素影响,未来应加强融雪期的侵蚀产沙观测研究。     

Ion mass budgets for small forested catchments in Finland

Ion mass and H⁺ budgets were calculated for three pristine forested catchments using bulk deposition, throughfall and runoff data. The catchments have different soil and forest type characteristics. A forest canopy filtering factor for each catchment was estimated for base cations, H⁺, Cl^? and SO ₄ ^2? by taking into account the specific filtering abilities of different stands based on the throughfall quality and the distribution of forest types. Output fluxes from the catchments were calculated from the quality and quantity of the runoff water. Deposition, weathering, ion exchange, retention and biological accumulation processes were taken into account to calculate catchment H⁺ budgets, and the ratio between external (anthropogenic) and internal H⁺ sources. In general, output exceeded input for Na⁺, K⁺, Ca²⁺, Mg²⁺, HCO ₃ ^? (if present) and A^? (organic anions), whereas retention was observed in the case of H⁺, NH ₄ ⁺ , NO ₃ ^? and SO ₄ ^2? . The range in the annual input of H⁺ was 22.8–26.3 meq m^?2 yr^?1, and in the annual output, 0.3–3.9 meq m^?2 yr^?1. Compared with some forested sites located in high acid deposition areas in southern Scandinavia, Scotland and Canada, the catchments receive rather moderate loads of acidic deposition. The consumption of H⁺ was dominated by base cation exchange plus weathering reactions (41–79 %), and by the retention of SO ₄ ^2? (17–49 %). The maximum net retention of SO ₄ ^2? was 87% in the HietajÄrvi 2 catchment, having the highest proportion of peatlands. Nitrogen transformations played a rather minor role in the H⁺ budgets. The ratio between external and internal H⁺ sources (excluding net base cation uptake by forests) varied between 0.74 and 2.62, depending on catchment characteristics and acidic deposition loads. The impact of the acidic deposition was most evident for the southern Valkeakotinen catchment, where the anthropogenic acidification has been documented also by palaeolimnological methods.     

基于参数移植法的SWAT模型模拟嘉陵江无资料地区径流

该文选用嘉陵江中游9个中小流域,基于参数移植方法(距离相近法、属性相似法、综合相似法)探求分布式水文模型SWAT在嘉陵江中游无资料地区径流模拟的适用性。3个有资料试验流域模拟结果显示,参数移植法的模拟精度NS、R2平均值大于0.8,径流模拟精度较好,表明基于参数移植法的SWAT模型在研究区域具有一定的适用性,同时综合相似法(0.66NS0.93)的径流模拟结果优于距离相近法(0.65NS0.93)和属性相似法(0.65NS0.92),另研究表明参证流域个数对参数移植的结果有较大影响,多个参证流域参数移植效果消除单个参证流域参数移植结果的不确定性。     

Urbanization Development under Climate Change: Hydrological Responses in a Peri‐Urban Mediterranean Catchment

Relatively few studies have so far investigated the hydrological impacts of urbanization in Mediterranean catchments, and particularly in peri‐urban catchments experiencing relatively rapid and large changes in their land‐use mosaic. This study uses data‐based model simulations to investigate such impacts, with the Ribeira dos Covões catchment in Portugal as a concrete Mediterranean peri‐urban catchment example. We distinguish the impacts of urbanization from those of climatic change on the water flux partitioning and connectivity in the catchment over the period 1958–2013. Decrease in precipitation over this period has primarily driven decreases in annual runoff and actual evapotranspiration, while the urbanization development has primarily changed the relative flux partitioning and connectivity pattern in the catchment. The relative contribution of overland flow to annual and seasonal runoff has increased, keeping the absolute overland flow more or less intact, while the baseflow contribution to the stream network has decreased. Methodologically, the present simulation approach provides a relevant means for distinguishing main drivers of change in hydrological flux partitioning and connectivity under concurrent urbanization and climatic changes. © 2017 The Authors. Land Degradation & Development Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.     

Establishing sediment budgets for two small lowland agricultural catchments in the UK

Sediment budgets have been established for two small (<4 km²), lowland, agricultural catchments, by using ¹³⁷Cs measurements, sediment source fingerprinting and more traditional monitoring techniques to quantify the individual components of the budget. The gross and net erosion rates for the fields on the catchment slopes were estimated using ¹³⁷Cs measurements within selected fields, which encompassed a representative range of slope angles, slope lengths and land use. These estimates were extrapolated over the entire catchment, using a simple topographically driven soil erosion model (Terrain-Based GIS, TBGIS) superimposed on a DEM, to derive catchment average gross and net erosion rates. Suspended sediment yields were measured at the catchment outlets and sediment source fingerprinting techniques were used to establish the relative contributions from the catchment surface, subsurface tile drains and eroding channel banks to the sediment yields. In-channel and wetland storage were quantified using both direct measurements and ¹³⁷Cs measurements. The sediment budgets established for the catchments highlighted the importance of subsurface tile drains as a pathway for sediment transfer, accounting for ca. 60% and 30% of the sediment output from the two catchments. Erosion from channel banks contributed ca. 10% and 6% of the sediment output from the two catchments. Although the suspended sediment yields from these catchments were considered high by UK standards (ca. 90 t km⁻² year⁻¹), the sediment delivery ratios ranged between 14% and 27%, indicating that a major proportion of the mobilised sediment was stored within the catchments. In-field and field-to-channel storage were shown to be of similar magnitude, but storage of sediment in the channel system and associated wetlands was relatively small, representing <5% of the annual suspended sediment yield.     

Effects of Land Use Conversion from Native Forests to Exotic Plantations on Nitrogen and Phosphorus Retention in Catchments of Southern Chile

In six small catchments located at the Cordillera de la Costa in southern Chile (40° S), concentrations and fluxes of NO₃-N, NH₄-N, organic-N, total-N and total-P in bulk precipitation and runoff water were measured. The main objective of this study was to compare nitrogen and phosphorus retention of catchments with varying land cover of native forest and exotic plantations, in order to evaluate possible effects of land use change. Nitrate-N was the dominant fraction (>50%) of nitrogen loss, especially in the catchments dominated by exotic plantations. In the catchment with native forests, NO₃ ^? only contributed with 34% of the nitrogen loss and DON was the main output with 55%. Annual NO₃ ^? export was lower in the catchment with native forest compared to the catchments with exotic plantations where the streamflow output exceed the precipitation input. Average inputs of total-N were 2.6 kg ha^?1 year^?1 (DIN?=?1.4 kg ha^?1 year^?1, DON?=?1.2 kg ha^?1 year^?1) and outputs were 1.7 kg ha^?1 year^?1 (DIN?=?1.2 kg ha^?1 year^?1, DON?=?0.5 kg ha^?1 year^?1). Annual retention of total nitrogen fluctuated between 61% in a catchment dominated by native forests to 15% in catchments dominated by exotic plantations of Eucalyptus sp. Nitrogen retention was positively related with native forest coverage. The N retention capacity of the catchments could be both attributed to consequences of clear cutting practices and differences in vegetation cover.     

Validating erosion rate estimates provided by caesium‐137 measurements for two small forested catchments in Calabria,southern Italy

Increasing concern for problems of soil degradation and the off‐site impacts of accelerated erosion has generated a need for improved methods of estimating rates and patterns of soil erosion by water. The use of environmental radionuclides, particularly ¹³⁷Cs, to estimate erosion rates has attracted increased attention and the approach has been shown to possess several important advantages. However, the use of ¹³⁷Cs measurements to estimate erosion rates introduces one important uncertainty, namely, the need to employ a conversion model or relationship to convert the measured reduction in the ¹³⁷Cs inventory to an estimate of the erosion rate. There have been few attempts to validate these theoretical conversion models and the resulting erosion rate estimates. However, there is an important need for such validation, if the ¹³⁷Cs approach is to be more widely applied and reliance is to be placed on the results obtained. This paper reports the results of a study aimed at validating the use of two theoretical conversion models, namely the exponential depth distribution model and the diffusion and migration model, that have been used in several recent studies to convert measurements of ¹³⁷Cs inventories on uncultivated soils to estimates of soil erosion rates. The study is based on data assembled for two small catchments (1.38 and 1.65 ha) in Calabria, southern Italy, for which measurements of sediment output are available for the catchment outlet. The two catchments differ in terms of the steepness of their terrain, and this difference is reflected by their sediment yields. Because there is no evidence of significant deposition within the two catchments, sediment delivery ratios close to 1.0 can be assumed. It is therefore possible to make a direct comparison between the estimates of the mean annual erosion rates within the two catchments derived from ¹³⁷Cs measurements and the measured sediment outputs. The results of the comparison show that the erosion rate estimates provided by both models are reasonably consistent with the measured sediment yields at the catchment outlets. However, more detailed assessment of the results shows that the validity of the erosion rate estimates is influenced by the magnitude of the erosion rates within the catchment. The exponential depth distribution model appears to perform better for the catchment with higher erosion rates and to overestimate erosion rates in the other catchment. Similarly, the basic migration and diffusion model performs better for the catchment with lower erosion rates and overestimates erosion rates in the other catchment. However, the improved migration and diffusion model appears to perform satisfactorily for both catchments. There is a need for further studies to extend such independent validation of the ¹³⁷Cs technique to other environments, including cultivated soils, and to other conversion models and procedures. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The use of visible and near-infrared reflectance measurements for identifying the source of suspended sediment in rivers and comparison with geochemical fingerprinting

Purpose

Visible and near-infrared (Vis-NIR) reflectance measurements may be an alternative technique to identify suspended sediment sources in streams of headwater catchments. In this study, we examined if Vis-NIR reflectance measurements are capable of estimating sediment source contributions to sediment yield and compared this technique with a more conventional (i.e. geochemical) technique.

Materials and methods

Two headwater catchments in Ethiopia, Unta (2,052 ha) and Desera (1,657 ha), were analysed with the same techniques in order to find similarities and differences in the results obtained. The first technique used Vis-NIR spectral analysis as a fingerprint, using a partial least squares regression model. The second technique was a quantitative composite fingerprinting technique using geochemical analysis of source materials and suspended sediment samples. As a comparison, the partial least squares model was also used on the geochemical data. In August and September 2009, 30 soil samples of three different land uses (landslides, croplands, and grazing lands) and 21 suspended sediment samples at the catchment outlet were collected. Source samples were sieved to <63 μm. Geochemical analyses consisted of total element concentrations, percentage carbon, percentage nitrogen, and atom percentage ¹⁵N and δ¹³C. Reflectance measurements were taken on dried source samples with a spectrometer.

Results and discussion

Neither technique was able to predict the contributions of the three land use types; they could only distinguish between landslide and topsoil material. The agreement between the results of both techniques was significant for the Unta catchment (R ²?=?0.80) but not for the Desera catchment (R ²?=?0.39). The uncertainty of the technique using Vis-NIR reflectance measurements was slightly higher than with the geochemical approach. Both techniques revealed that topsoil erosion played an important role during storm runoff discharges. Using the partial least squares model for the geochemical data revealed that uncertainty can differ greatly when using other statistical techniques.

Conclusions

The quantitative composite fingerprinting technique using spectral signatures from both source and suspended sediment samples was able to quantify the contribution of two source materials (landslides and topsoil). It provided a faster and more cost effective alternative to the conventional geochemical procedure.     

Spatial variation and interaction of runoff generation and erosion within a semi-arid, complex terrain catchment: a hierarchical approach

Purpose

Closed erosion plots have been used extensively to investigate soil loss and its spatial variation within a watershed. However, erosion rates measured on closed plots at various locations within a watershed may not reflect the “real world” conditions due to plot boundary problems. The purpose of this study was to identify runoff and sediment sources in a semi-arid, complex terrain catchment by using the data collected from open plots, nested catchments, and tunnel systems.

Materials and methods

The study catchment, in the Loess Plateau of China, was partitioned into various-level geomorphic units. Runoff and sediment discharges were measured from 55 storm events between 1963 and 1968 on open plots and nested catchments. Storm flows were also monitored in 14 rainfall events from the tunnel systems between 1989 and 1990. This study combined the data collected from the two periods to investigate runoff and sediment sources from the different geomorphic units of the catchment.

Results and discussion

On the four open plots (S1, S2, S3, and S4) of the hill slope, total runoff depths of 128.5 mm (S1), 84.3 mm (S2), 101.92 mm (S3), and 141.73 mm (S4) were recorded from all the events over the first period, which correspondingly produced total sediment yields of 3.056 kg m^?2 (S1), 9.058 kg m^?2 (S1), 42.848 kg m^?2 (S3), and 97.256 kg m^?2 (S4). The number of runoff events also varied due to a non-uniformity in runoff generation among the different geomorphic units of the catchment. Tunnel flows generally had higher mean sediment concentrations than catchment outflows. Three nested catchments located from the headwaters (C1) to the mouth of the catchment (C3) generated total runoff depths of 120.02 mm (C1), 143.92 mm (C2), and 149.43 mm (C3), and correspondingly produced sediments yields of 62.01 kg m^?2 (C1), 144.02 kg m^?2 (C2), and 123.92 kg m^?2 (C3) for the first period.

Conclusions

Significant variations in runoff and erosion existed within the catchment. The spatial variation of runoff generation on the hill slopes resulted from the variation of soil infiltration. Sediment produced from the lower hill slope zone was disproportionally higher than that from the upper hill slope zone. Nevertheless, a significant portion of the sediment eroded on the lower slope zone was caused by runoff generated from the upper slope zone. Tunnel erosion also played a significant role in sediment production.     

Short-term bank gully retreat rates in Mediterranean environments

In this study, short-term headcut retreat was monitored from 46 active bank gullies, selected in the Guadalentin and the Guadix basin in Southeast Spain. The measurements were carried out manually using an orthogonal reference system fixed by erosion pins around the gully heads, between April 1997 and April 1999 with a 1-year interval. The average volumetric retreat rate for all gullies was 4.0 m³ year⁻¹, corresponding with an average linear retreat rate of 0.1 m year⁻¹, but more erosion took place during the first monitored year (1997–1998) compared to the second (1998–1999). An interplay of spatial variations in rainfall distribution and tension crack activity is assumed to be responsible for the important difference in annual headcut retreat, compared to the small difference in annual rainfall amounts. Statistical analysis showed that the present drainage-basin area (A_p) was the most important topographical factor explaining average gully headcut retreat rate, both in terms of annual eroded volume (V_e) and annual linear retreat (R_l), and expressed by the power relationships V_e=0.04A_p^0.38 (R²=0.39) and R_l=0.01A_p^0.23 (R²=0.39). The V_e–A_p relationship was compared with the relationship between original drainage-basin area (A_o) and total eroded bank gully volume (Vol), i.e. Vol=1.71A_o^0.60 (R²=0.65). The importance of runoff generation from a drainage basin is shown by the positive correlation of linear headcut retreat and the runoff curve number (CN), representative for the conditions in the drainage basin. High CN values tend to coincide with higher annual eroded volumes in the relationship between present drainage-basin area (A_p) and annual eroded volume (V_e), but this effect was not observed in the relationship between original drainage-basin area (A_o) and total eroded bank gully volume (Vol). Stepwise multiple regression selected the relevant environmental parameters explaining annual eroded volume and linear retreat. In both equations, the present drainage-basin area explained the largest part of the variation. The CN was selected as another common parameter. Height of the headcut was the second most important variable explaining annual eroded volume, indicating the role of energy transfers and undercutting at the headcut. Linear retreat was further explained by the average slope of the present drainage-basin area, representing the effect of decreasing transmission losses and increasing flow velocity with steeper catchment slopes, and by the sand content, decreasing the cohesion of the soil material, promoting soil fall and headcut retreat. Spatial extrapolation of the measured volumetric retreat rate of 4.0 m³ year⁻¹ revealed that active bank gully heads contribute up to 6% of the sediment yearly filling up the Puentes reservoir. Estimated gully ages (i) based on the ergodic principle, and (ii) by linear extrapolation of actual gully retreat rates in the past, range between 63 years and 1539 and between 64 and 1720 years, respectively. The high correlation between the gully ages estimated by the two methods is attributed to the fact that most gullies have not reached the evolutionary stage of significantly declining retreat rates. Since medium-term gully retreat rates are more dependent on drainage-basin area compared to the short-term retreat rates obtained in this study, the estimated gully ages represent maximum values, assuming that present land-use and climate conditions prevailed over the last two millennia.     

Hydrological structure and erosion damage caused by concentrated flow in cultivated catchments

This study analyses the between-catchment variability of rill volumes produced by concentrated flow erosion during winter in the northern part of the Paris Basin. The working hypotheses were that (i) runoff concentrates along channels determined by topography or by agricultural practices; (ii) rill length is a major component of rill volume variability on a catchment scale; (iii) rill cross-sectional areas are controlled by the size of upslope runoff-contributing areas connected to the corresponding channels. Two samples, one of 20 zero order catchments and the other of 15 catchments, were surveyed. For each catchment, the runoff collector network was modelled from topographical and agricultural information, and split into homogeneous segments. Each segment was characterized by its slope gradient (SL), the soil susceptibility to rill erosion (SSE) and the size of the upslope runoff-contributing areas (RCA) connected to it. These areas were identified by the structural state of their soil surface. The frequency of rill occurrence was highly correlated with RCA and SL. The rill cross-sectional areas of eroded channels were correlated with RCA, SL and SSE. Catchment erosion rates were estimated by adding together the predicted rill volumes for each segment within the catchment. These estimations were closely correlated with observed rill erosion rates. The relative spatial position of runoff collectors must be taken into account when examining the damage caused by concentrated flow erosion.     

THE WATER BALANCE OF AN AGRICULTURAL CATCHMENT III THE WATER BALANCE

The catchment of the Kingston Brook has an area of 57 km², mainly under pasture (56%) and arable crops (36%). Changes of soil water content, measured with a neutron probe from April 1969 to March 1973, were analysed to determine evaporation (summer only) and drainage. From measurements of rainfall and runoff, supplemented by Penman estimates of evaporation (in winter), water storage is estimated month by month. Annual mean values (mm) were: rainfall (559), evaporation (398), runoff (157). During the summer, the measured decrease in soil water storage contributed ca 100 mm to evaporation and drainage and there is evidence of delayed recharge (about 30 mm) during the winter. A linear relation between annual rainfall and annual runoff is interpreted in terms of (i) a fixed catchment storage (125 mm); (ii) a small and nearly constant winter evaporation (ca 49mm); (iii) summer evaporation of 125 mm from storage plus a constant fraction (0.57) of contemporary precipitation. Summer evaporation was restricted by the supply of rain in every year from 1969 to 1976. By estimation, 500 mm of summer rain is needed to maintain potential evaporation, and the deficit at which actual evaporation falls below the potential rate was about 40 mm. Replacing the pasture by cereals would increase runoff by about 10% because of the shorter growing season.     

Evaluation of Sediment Deposition in a Mediterranean Reservoir: Comparison of Long Term Bathymetric Measurements and SWAT Estimations

This study aims to demonstrate that the SWAT model can be used to predict discharge and sediment yield values in reservoir contributing catchments helping also to define the main factors that determine sedimentation rates in semi‐arid Mediterranean environments. This aim was achieved by comparing SWAT simulation results with water flows (over 29 years) and sediment deposition (over 47 years) volumes collected (by a campaign of bathymetric surveys) in a Sicilian reservoir. The mean monthly runoff coefficient calculated for the period 1980–2008 was 0·17. The mean sedimentation volume in the reservoir during the period 1963–2009 was 51,000 m³ year⁻¹. Field surveys and collection of spatially distributed databases of soil, topography and climate were carried out in order to characterize the contributing catchment. The SWAT model was applied to simulate sediment volumes cumulated over group of years as well as water flow volumes reaching annual and monthly the reservoir. The performance of the hydrological and erosion components of the model was evaluated by a combination of both summary and difference statistical measures after a sensitivity analysis and a calibration/validation process. The model was able to simulate observed runoff volumes at both annual and monthly scale. The mean sedimentation volume simulated by SWAT during the whole period was 8·1% lower than the value obtained by the bathymetric measurements (equal to 72·10³ Mg) with very good values of the efficiency coefficient (equal to 0·91). Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Source areas of phosphorus transfer in an agricultural catchment,south-eastern Norway

Abstract

The strategy to mitigate phosphorus (P) losses in areas of arable cropping in Norway has focused on measures to reduce erosion. Risk assessment of erosion has formed the basis for implementation of the measures. The soil P content has increased during recent decades, motivating an evaluation of its effect on P transfer in the landscape. The present study describes the spatial variability of runoff P concentrations from an agricultural dominated catchment (4.5 km²), representative for agriculture in south-eastern Norway. The concentrations of suspended sediments (SS), total P (TP) and dissolved reactive P (DRP) in runoff from 22 subcatchments (0.3–263 ha) during one year (monthly and during runoff-events) were evaluated. Contributions from point sources were 38 kg TP yr^?1 compared to a total P loss of 685 kg yr^?1 from the whole catchment. During low flow, mean diffuse TP concentration in runoff from subcatchments varied from 28 to 382 µg l^?1. The mean low flow TP concentration was 39 µg l^?1 from the housing area (only diffuse runoff) and 33 µg l^?1 from the forested area. During high flow the highest diffuse TP concentration was measured in an area with high erosion risk and high soil P status. At the subcatchment level the transfer of SS varied from 25 to 175% of the whole catchment SS transfer. Correspondingly for TP, the transfer varied from 50 to 260% of the whole catchment TP transfer. For each of five agricultural subcatchments the slope of the relationship between TP and SS concentrations reflected the mean soil P status of the subcatchment. Erosion risk estimates were closely related to the SS concentration (R²=0.83). The study illustrates that soil P status in addition to soil erosion is an important factor for P transfer.     

The influence of rainfall distribution and morphological factors on runoff delivery from dryland catchments in SE Spain

A simplified theoretical model of storm runoff has been combined with analysis of rainfall records to improve understanding of dryland runoff processes in the Guadalentin catchment of SE Spain, and in particular the decrease in runoff fraction with increasing slope length or catchment area.Estimates of storm runoff volumes can be made using a simple runoff threshold, SCS Curve Numbers, or infiltration equations. A modified Green–Ampt equation is applied here to give storm runoff estimates for conditions of constant effective rainfall intensity. This can be seen as both an improvement on estimates made using the simple runoff threshold, although with no additional parameters, and a good approximation to the SCS Curve Number family of rainfall–runoff relationships, providing an improved theoretical basis for the Curve Number approach and an explicit means of linking it to existing soils data on infiltration and surface properties. The frequency distribution of intensities is examined to determine an appropriate effective intensity in relation to slope length, with a duration long enough to allow overland flow to reach the slope base. Hydrologically Similar Surfaces (HYSS) are defined by local runoff characteristics, and the linkage to infiltration allows an explicit comparison with routing over land areas of different area, shape and topography. This provides the basis for up-scaling from at-a-point runoff to runoff from larger areas which are mapped as belonging to the same HYSS class, explicitly allowing for their different topography and size, providing an essential step in up-scaling data on fine-scale surface characteristics to the response of catchment areas. Here we focus on the ways in which catchment area or slope length influence runoff production within a given HYSS class.Characteristics which drive catchment response include (1) variations in intensity over time through a storm (2) areal variations in storm volume. For measured rainfall in the upper Guadalentin catchment, SE Spain, the first of these factors is seen to be the most important for catchments of up to 500 km², and a procedure is suggested for deriving effective rainfalls from recorded intensity data. The rainfall data can then be combined with a HYSS analysis of the soil/land use response, and analyses of catchment network morphology and connectivity to forecast the heterogeneous distribution of ephemeral stream runoff.