基于SWAT模型的南四湖流域非点源氮磷污染模拟

本文利用SWAT模型结合实测数据,对南四湖流域2001-2010年年均非点源氮磷污染进行模拟,分析了南四湖流域非点源氮磷负荷空间分布特征,计算各河流流域对南四湖湖区污染的贡献率,并对非点源氮磷污染严重的关键区进行识别.研究表明:(1)先模拟湖东和湖西的两个典型小流域的非点源氮磷污染,并将模型推及整个南四湖流域,该方法不仅提高了计算效率,且得到了较好的模拟结果.通过对比发现,湖东的模拟效果要好于湖西,一定程度上说明SWAT模型在起伏较大的地区能取得更高的精度.(2)南四湖流域非点源氮磷污染严重,几乎所有区域的氮负荷超标,40%以上的区域磷负荷超标严重.湖东非点源氮磷污染较湖西严重,其中洸府河流域是南四湖湖区非点源氮磷污染的主要贡献者.(3)通过对径流量、泥沙负荷、氮负荷、磷负荷的相关分析可以得出,南四湖流域非点源氮负荷以溶解态为主,随径流进入水体;非点源磷负荷以吸附态为主,随泥沙进入水体.     

基于SWAT模型的典型农业小流域氮污染时空分布特征及关键源解析

水资源恶化、水体富营养化严重威胁生态环境健康,农业活动所产生的氮是造成水污染的主要原因之一.本研究以句容水库农业流域为研究对象,基于实地监测数据验证了SWAT模型模拟当地氮污染的适用性,并分析了氮素负荷的时空分布特征及其关键源.结果 表明:硝态氮(NO3-N)和总氮(TN)的年均入库量分别为9.98和27.22 t.时...     

1988-2018年滇池氮磷比的时空演变特征与原因解析

氮、磷浓度是制约湖泊营养状态和生产力水平的重要环境因子,而氮磷化学计量比是湖泊生态系统的主要指标,因此,判识氮磷比变化趋势及其驱动力对湖泊生态恢复具有重要意义.研究基于19882018年连续观测数据,分析了滇池氮磷浓度和氮磷摩尔比(简称氮磷比)的时空分布演变特征;采用多元线性回归模型分别对滇池草海和外海氮磷比驱动效应进行定量解析,筛选出影响湖体氮磷比变化的潜在驱动因子.结果表明:①19882018年滇池氮磷比呈现显著的线性上升趋势,其中草海和外海氮磷比分别上升1.3和0.7 a^-1.②草海和外海分别在2008年和2004年发生了氮磷比上升突变,突变前上升归因于总氮浓度快速增加,突变后则是由于总磷浓度下降较快.③滇池的氮磷浓度变化主要是受流域氮磷输入负荷、跨流域调水、流域氮磷削减、风速和水位的综合影响,但受控因子在不同区域可能存在差异.④气温是滇池氮磷比变化的主要驱动因子,流域人为氮磷输入差异是滇池氮磷比变化的次要驱动因子.     

生物沸石薄层覆盖削减亚热带水源水库氮负荷

以福建泉州水源地山美水库和惠女水库的表层底泥和上覆水为研究对象,室内静态模拟试验研究了生物沸石薄层覆盖削减水源水库氮负荷的效果及可行性,探讨了上覆水体溶解氧(DO)浓度对削减氮负荷的影响,分析了削减氮负荷的作用机理.结果表明,覆盖强度为1 kg/m~2的生物沸石覆盖(厚度约1 mm)对上覆水中总氮的削减率为58.89%~65.75%,对底泥中总氮的削减率为10.39%~13.08%,对底泥中铵态氮的削减率为32.35%~44.56%,对底泥中有机氮的削减率为8.41%~11.04%;对于以硝态氮为主要形态氮的上覆水体,DO浓度越低,越有利于高效菌脱氮;可见,生物沸石薄层覆盖能有效削减水源水库氮负荷,利用生物沸石薄层覆盖技术削减水源水库氮负荷是可行的,但需要进一步研究水源水库底泥生物沸石薄层覆盖修复过程中氮的迁移转化机制.     

基于多植物生长模式的SWAT模型的修正与有效性初探

以农林系统的非点源污染模拟为目标,通过研究建立变化密度及多种类混杂的森林生长模型,修正了SWAT模型采用平均森林植被密度和单一植物生长模式估算生物累积量的问题,并建立了与之相适应的森林优势组份丰度遥感反演模型、叶面积指数和消光系数遥感反演模型以获取森林生长模型的相关参数.同时,根据间作套种下的辐射能利用Keating方程,引入间作套种指数变量,修正SWAT原有的单一生物量日积累模型,探讨了作物复种指数、间作套种指数遥感反演方法和以此为基础的作物间作套种生长模型.以亚热带季风湿润区红壤背景下的鄱阳湖流域子流域梅江流域为试验区,以野外实测数据为基础,探讨修正SWAT模型的有效性.结果表明:修正后的SWAT模型与原始SWAT模型相比,在模拟流量和营养盐负荷方面,得到了较好的改善.在模拟流量方面,有效性提高了7.8%,流量峰值的模拟也得到了改善,能更好地反映地表蓄流方面的实际情况;在模拟营养盐负荷方面,有效性提高了6.4%(总磷)和6.1%(总氮).     

基于湖库水质目标的流域氮、磷减排与分区管理——以天目湖沙河水库为例

湖库水环境保护在保障生产与生活用水、维系生态平衡、发展旅游等方面发挥着重要的作用.水质目标管理是保护湖库水质的最佳管理办法.本文以天目湖地区沙河水库及其流域为研究区域,建立模型模拟沙河水库流域的水文与水质,评估入库污染通量和主要来源;依据水质目标测算氮、磷污染的容量和减排量,结合土地的生态保护与开发适宜性评估,提出氮、磷污染分区减排和土地管控的对策和措施.研究结果表明,沙河水库氮、磷污染物入库通量分别为206.01和3.29 t/a,面源总氮和总磷分别占总入库量的85.7%和67.5%.不同土地利用类型氮、磷输出强度有显著差异,总氮输出强度依次为茶园 >耕地 >建筑用地 >裸地 >草地 >退耕地 >林地 >河湖漫滩,总磷输出强度与地表覆盖度有关,依次为裸地 >建筑用地 >茶园 >耕地 >草地 >退耕地 >林地和河湖漫滩.从氮、磷输移过程来看,沙河水库流域总氮排放量为321.64 t/a,进入河流的为255.53 t/a,在河道输送过程中损失19.4%,最终有206.01 t/a进入水库;沙河水库流域总磷排放量为13.42 t/a,进入河流的为7.90 t/a,在河道输送过程中损失58.3%,最终有3.29 t/a进入水库.不同分区河流氮、磷滞留降解率有很大的差异,中田河总氮、总磷滞留降解能力最强,分别为34.71%和84.31%.2009年的通量计算结果显示,沙河水库总氮达到Ⅳ类水质目标需要的入湖减少量为32.01 t/a,入湖削减比例为15.50%,总氮达到Ⅲ类水质目标需要的入湖减少量为59.66 t/a,入湖削减比例为29.00%;总磷达到Ⅲ类水需要的入湖减少量为0.682 t/a,入湖削减比例为20.70%,总磷达到Ⅱ类水需要的入湖减少量为1.479 t/a,入湖削减比例为44.90%.为了实现基于土地利用的面源污染减排管控,选定植被覆盖度、水源涵养能力、地形坡度、土地利用、氮磷分区贡献量、与道路和村落距离等指标综合评估生态保护价值和开发适宜性,并划定禁止开发区、限制开发区和保护性开发区3个管理分区,最终确定各分区的开发强度限制和管控方式.     

亚热带地区典型水库流域氮、磷湿沉降及入湖贡献率估算

为了探究汤浦水库流域氮、磷湿沉降对水库水体营养的贡献率,本研究对2014 2015年的汤浦水库流域4个采样点的雨水及3条溪流进行样品收集,测定其中磷和不同形态氮的质量浓度,分析汤浦水库流域大气湿沉降中氮、磷营养盐的分布特征,并估算氮、磷营养盐湿沉降对汤浦水库入库负荷的贡献率.结果表明:湿沉降中总氮(TN)平均浓度为1.02±0.58 mg/L,氨氮、硝态氮和有机氮浓度占TN浓度的比例分别为60.65%、34.07%和5.28%;总磷(TP)平均浓度为0.033±0.028 mg/L.4个采样点湿沉降中氮、磷浓度均表现为冬春季(少雨季)高、夏秋季(多雨季)低.空间上,王化点位的各形态氮和总磷浓度显著高于其他3个采样点.TN和TP年均湿沉降通量约为18.15和0.62 kg/(hm~2·a),年均沉降总量为834.94和28.39 t;库区TN和TP水面湿沉降量为24.14和0.82 t,直接贡献率占河流输入的1.77%和3.07%.湿沉降来源的氮、磷营养盐随河流输入的间接贡献率为8.3%和4.6%.综上所述,氮、磷湿沉降是水库外源营养的重要输入部分,深入掌握其时空分布特征及入库贡献率是进一步加强流域管理和减轻水库外源营养输入的重要前提.     

鄱阳湖区乐安河流域营养盐负荷影响因素分析

鄱阳湖作为中国最大的淡水湖,2000年后其水系和湖体水质总体都呈下降趋势.以鄱阳湖流域内的典型流域——乐安河流域为例,初步分析了流域内面源污染的主要影响因素、主要污染成分及其对污染程度的影响.研究表明,氮比磷对水质影响更明显,氮的3种物质形态中硝态氮(NO-3-N)含量最高,对水质影响也最大.根据总氮和NO-3-N浓度差异可将流域内的水质分为4个区域,从上游到下游富营养化程度不断升高,最上游为Ⅱ类水质,而最下游的总氮浓度接近Ⅳ类水标准.3年监测期内降雨量和强度的变化导致氮、磷浓度的巨大差异,林地对面源污染物有较好的消减作用,而农田的氮、磷流失是营养物产生的主要来源,人类活动特别是农事活动对土壤氮、磷的干扰是导致氮、磷浓度年内变化的主要原因.因此,削减流域内营养盐的产生、减少入湖河流携带污染物总量是改善鄱阳湖水质的重要途径.     

温度对河蚬(Corbicula fluminea)氮、磷排泄影响的初步研究

在不同温度下,对太湖河蚬进行了室内短期氮、磷释放模拟实验.结果表明,温度对河蚬(Corbicula fluminea)不同形态氮、磷的排泄都有重要的影响.总磷(TP)、总氮(TN)、总溶解性氮(TDN)、总溶解性磷(TDP)和正磷酸盐(PO3-4-P)排泄率随温度的升高都显著升高,而亚硝态氮(NO-2-N)排泄率先升高后下降.铵态氮(NH+4-N)排泄率在5和15℃间变化不显著,温度对硝态氮(NO-3-N)排泄率有影响但不显著.同时实验发现河蚬为排氨动物,NH+4-N排泄占TN排泄的50.78%~100%,TDN排泄占TN排泄的89.14%~100%,而NO-3-N、NO-2-N虽都有检出,但所占比例相对较小.在河蚬磷排泄中,TDP占TP比例范围为83.01%~100%,PO3-4-P在36.60%~96.59%之间,且所占比例都有随温度升高而增加的趋势.同时对排泄率与干重和温度之间的关系进行了回归分析,发现不同氮、磷排泄率(NO-3-N和NO-2-N除外)与温度和干重的关系均符合方程R(X)=a Wb·ec T+d,决定系数R2都在0.967以上.     

典型城市河道氮、磷自净能力影响因素

以典型城市河道(苏州官渎花园内河)为研究对象,通过室内和室外模拟实验,研究不同污染物浓度、流速、曝气复氧、渗滤作用和温度对氮、磷自净能力的影响,结果表明:水体中氮、磷的自净作用受污染物浓度、流速、溶解氧浓度、温度和微生物等多种因素的影响.随着污染物浓度的增加,氨氮和硝态氮降解速率增加,而底泥中磷的总体吸附速率却增大.与静止水体相比,模拟河道通过增加流速、曝气复氧、渗滤作用能增强水体氮磷的自净能力,提高氮、磷降解速率.其中,改变流速后自净参数氨氮和总磷增量分别为17.05%和34.85%;曝气复氧后自净参数氨氮和总磷增量分别为8.35%和59.33%;增加微生物量(渗滤作用)后自净参数氨氮和总磷增量分别为50.00%和23.01%.自然条件下,随着温度的上升,氨氮和总氮的降解系数逐渐增大,总磷的降解系数逐渐减小.     

Preliminary study on assessment of nutrient transport in the Taihu Basin based on SWAT modeling

With the Taihu Basin as a study area, using the spatially distributed and mechanism-based SWAT model, preliminary simulations of nutrient transport in the Taihu Basin during the period of 1995-2002 has been carried out. The topography, soil, meteorology and land use with industrial point pollution discharge, the loss of agricultural fertilizers, urban sewerage, and livestock drainages were all considered in the boundary conditions of the simulations. The model was calibrated and validated against water quality monitoring data from 2001 to 2002. The results show that the annual total productions of nitrogen (TN) and phosphorus (TP) into Lake Taihu are 40000t and 2000t respectively. Nutrient from the Huxi Region is a major resource for Lake Taihu. The non-point source (surface source) pollution is the main form of catchment sources of nutrients into Lake Taihu, occupied TN 53% and TP 56% respectively. TN and TP nutrients from industrial point pollution discharge are 30% and 16%, and sewerage in both forms of point source and non-point source are TN 31 % and TP 47%. Both the loss of agricultural fertilizers and livestock drainages from the catchment should be paid more attention as an important nutrient source. The results also show that SWAT is an effective model for the simulation of temporally and spatially nutrient changes and for the assessment of the trends in a catchment scale.     

Preliminary study on assessment of nutrient transport in the Taihu Basin based on SWAT modeling

With the Taihu Basin as a study area, using the spatially distributed and mechanism-based SWAT model, preliminary simulations of nutrient transport in the Taihu Basin during the period of 1995:_2002 has been carried out. The topography, soil, meteorology and land use with industrial point pollution discharge, the loss of agricultural fertilizers, urban sewerage, and livestock drainages were all considered in the boundary conditions of the simulations. The model was calibrated and validated against water quality monitoring data from 2001 to 2002. The results show that the annual total productions of nitrogen (TN) and phosphorus (TP) into Lake Taihu are 40000t and 2000t respectively. Nutrient from the Huxi Region is a major resource for Lake Taihu. The non-point source (surface source) pollution is the main form of catchment sources of nutrients into Lake Taihu, occupied TN 53% and TP 56% respectively. TN and TP nutrients from industrial point pollution discharge are 30% and 16%, and sewerage in both forms of point source and non-point source are TN 31% and TP 47%. Both the loss of agricultural fertilizers and livestock drainages from the catchment should be paid more attention as an important nutrient source. The results also show that SWAT is an effective model for the simulation of temporally and spatially nutrient changes and for the assessment of the trends in a catchment scale.     

基于修正SWAT模型的岩溶地区非点源污染模拟初探——以横港河流域为例

岩溶流域含水系统的主要特征之一是连通地表的落水洞等垂直管道将近水平的地下暗河联系起来,降水及其形成的地表径流可以通过这些管道迅速地灌入地下河系,从而改变了水及其所携带的非点源污染物质在垂直与水平方向的传输速度与数量,使岩溶流域内地表-地下之间的物质交换与传输过程变得比较复杂;应用广泛的SWAT模型在模拟岩溶地区的水文、水质时会存在一些不足与局限.为此,本文针对岩溶水系统特征,引入落水洞、伏流、暗河的水文过程以及主要营养盐的输移过程,修正SWAT模型原有的水文循环过程及相关算法,改变其只适用于松散均匀介质流域非点源污染模拟的单一特征,并研究建立适合于岩溶流域的非点源污染模型和相应的模拟方法.选取横港河流域岩溶地区作为非点源污染的对象,应用修正后的模型通过控制性的模拟方法和敏感性性分析,定量评估落水洞、伏流、暗河等岩溶特征对氮、磷等主要非点源污染物质输移的影响及其带来的时空效应,并进一步探讨落水洞、伏流、暗河等对地表-地下水文与营养盐的交互作用及转换机理.结果表明,岩溶特征对流域的氮、磷负荷有增加作用,其中总磷的增加明显大于总氮的增加,总磷和总氮的增量分别为0.86%和2.12%;植被岩溶指数的增加会导致流域可溶性磷、有机磷的产出量增加,有机氮、地表产流中硝酸氮和沉积磷的产出量则居其次,落水洞改变了降雨的产流方式,增加了落水洞所在流域的有机磷和有机氮的产出,其增量变化在0~0.7和0~0.3 kg/hm²之间.     

Effect of best management practice implementation on sediment and phosphorus load reductions at subwatershed and watershed scale using SWAT model

Identification of areas contributing disproportionately high amount of pollutants (i.e., critical source areas (CSAs)) to streams is important to efficiently and effectively target best management practices (BMPs). Process-based models are commonly used to identify CSAs and evaluate the impact of alternative management practices on pollutant load reductions. The objective of this study was to use the Soil and Watershed Assessment Tool (SWAT) to identify CSAs at the subwatershed level and evaluate the impact of alternative BMPs on sediment and total phosphorus (TP) load reductions in the Pleasant Valley watershed (50 km2) in South Central Wisconsin (USA). The Nash-Sutcliffe efficiency, percent bias, and coefficient of determination ranged from 0.58 to 0.71, ? 12.87 to 38.33, and 0.67 to 0.79, respectively, indicating that SWAT was able to predict stream flow, sediment and TP loadings at a monthly time-step with sufficient accuracy. Based on the SWAT simulation results, annual average (2006–2012) sub-watershed yield for sediment and TP ranged from 0.06 to 3.14 tons ha?1 yr?1 and 0.04 to 1.9 kg ha ? 1 yr ? 1, respectively. The croplands were the major source of sediment and TP in this watershed ( Z 84%). Reduction in sediment and TP loading ranged from 66%to 99%at the subwatershed level after conversion of croplands to Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) grasslands in subwatersheds identified as CSAs. On the other hand, reduction in sediment and TP loading with implementation of no-till practices ranged from only 14%to 25%. At the watershed outlet, sediment and TP loading reduction was r 15% after conversion of croplands to CRP grasslands and implementation of no-till practices because only about 8%of the watershed area was targeted for BMPs and/or resuspension of sediment deposited on the stream bed masked the downstream improvements in water quality.     

Identification of optimal strategies for agricultural nonpoint source management in Ulansuhai Nur watershed of Inner Mongolia,China

In this study, an environmental-friendly modeling system was developed and applied to an agriculture nonpoint source (AGNPS) management in Ulansuhai Nur watershed. In this system, water environmental capacity, credibility-based chance-constrained programming (CCCP), and AGNPS optimization models were integrated into a general modeling framework. It could be used to calculate water environmental capacity of total nitrogen and total phosphorus in Ulansuhai Nur watershed, which could consequentially provide input data for the developed AGNPS optimization model. Also, the inherent uncertainties in estimating water environmental capacities that can be expressed as possibilistic distributions were reflected and addressed based on computational results of three widely used methods. Such uncertainties were consequentially transferred to the proposed CCCP model based on the adoption of multiple credibility satisfactory levels, significantly facilitating objectivity reflection of decision alternatives. The developed modeling system was then applied to Ulansuhai Nur watershed of Inner Mongolia, a semi-arid river basin in northwestern China. Optimal strategies for AGNPS management in Ulansuhai Nur watershed were generated with consideration of the maximum total agricultural income under multiple policy scenarios. The results showed that the total agricultural income would increase with point source pollution being cut down, and would decrease with rising credibility levels, representing decreasing system violation risks. It was indicated that the higher of total nitrogen/phosphorus discharge being less than water environmental capacity of Ulansuhai Nur, the lower the total agriculture incomes. The proposed methods could help decision makers establish various production patterns with cost-effective agriculture nonpoint source management schemes in the basin of Ulansuhai Nur, and gain in-depth insights into the trade-offs between total agricultural incomes and system reliabilities.     

Development of a polder module in the SWAT model: SWATpld for simulating polder areas in south‐eastern China

Polders are one of the most common artificial hydrological entities in the plain river network regions of China. Due to enclosed dikes, manual drainage, and irrigation intake operations, polders have had a significant impact on the hydrological processes of these areas. Distributed hydrological models are effective tools to understand and reproduce the hydrological processes of a watershed. To date, however, few models are able to simulate the drainage and irrigation intake interactions of polders at a watershed scale. This study develops a modified version of the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) model, which is designed to better represent polders (SWATpld). The SWATpld model simulates drainage and irrigation intake processes by calculating the excess‐water storage in the inner rivers and irrigation schedule for paddy rice in the polder. Both SWAT and SWATpld models were tested for the Liyang watershed. SWATpld outperformed SWAT in simulating the daily discharge and intake of the experimental polder and predicting the monthly peak flow at the outlet of the Liyang watershed, which suggests that the modified model simulates the hydrological responses of the study watershed with polder operations more realistically than the original SWAT model does. Further evaluation at various locations and in various climate conditions would increase the confidence of this model.     

Sensitivity of streamflow from a Himalayan catchment to plausible changes in land cover and climate

Global climate change will likely increase temperature and variation in precipitation in the Himalayas, modifying both supply of and demand for water. This study assesses combined impacts of land‐cover and climate changes on hydrological processes and a rainfall‐to‐streamflow buffer indicator of watershed function using the Soil Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) in Kejie watershed in the eastern Himalayas. The Hadley Centre Coupled Model Version 3 (HadCM3) was used for two Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) emission scenarios (A2 and B2), for 2010–2099. Four land‐cover change scenarios increase forest, grassland, crops, or urban land use, respectively, reducing degraded land. The SWAT model predicted that downstream water resources will decrease in the short term but increase in the long term. Afforestation and expansion in cropland will probably increase actual evapotranspiration (ET) and reduce annual streamflow but will also, through increased infiltration, reduce the overland flow component of streamflow and increase groundwater release. An expansion in grassland will decrease actual ET, increase annual streamflow and groundwater release, while decreasing overland flow. Urbanization will result in increases in streamflow and overland flow and reductions in groundwater release and actual ET. Land‐cover change dominated over effects on streamflow of climate change in the short and middle terms. The predicted changes in buffer indicator for land‐use plus climate‐change scenarios reach up to 50% of the current (and future) range of inter‐annual variability. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The non-point source pollution in livestock-breeding areas of the Heihe River basin in Yellow River

A GIS-based distributed soil and water assessment tools (SWAT) model was used to simulate the runoff, sediment yield and the load of the non-point source pollution in the Heihe River basin, which is a tributary and main water supply source of the Yellow River. It is a typical stockbreeding area, and its industry and agriculture are not well developed. The main pollution source of the Heihe River was livestock related non-point source pollution. With GIS and remote sensing techniques, a database of non-point source pollution in the Heihe River basin was established. The SWAT model was parameterized for this area. The pollution load and transportation rules such as nitrogen were illustrated. After several years of hard work, the situations of point source pollution were more and more accurate. This paper provided an effective way to assess and calculate the pollution load in the wide agriculture area in China. With the help of historical data formulated parameters, the non-point source load and the theory of pollution load distribution were illustrated about the Heihe River basin. In 2000, the soluble N load in this area was 1.06 × 106 kg. By the simulation, the main pollution sources were in the south east of the basin, where the pasturing areas located in the south-east of Ruoergai County and in north of the Hongyuan County.     

Agricultural management impacts on groundwater: simulations of existing and alternative management options in Peninsular India

Understanding the principal causes and possible solutions for groundwater depletion in India is important for its water security, especially as it relates to agriculture. A study was conducted in an agricultural watershed in Andhra Pradesh, India to assess the impacts on groundwater of current and alternative agricultural management. Hydrological simulations were used as follows: (1) to evaluate the recharge benefits of water‐harvesting tillage through a modified Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) model and (2) to predict the groundwater response to changing extent and irrigation management of rice growing areas. The Green–Ampt infiltration routine was modified in SWAT was modified to represent water‐harvesting tillage using maximum depression storage parameter. Water‐harvesting tillage in rainfed croplands was shown to increase basin‐scale groundwater recharge by 3% and decrease run‐off by 43% compared with existing conventional tillage. The groundwater balance (recharge minus irrigation withdrawals), negative 11 mm/year under existing management changed to positive (18–45 mm/year) when rice growing areas or irrigation depths were reduced. Groundwater balance was sensitive to changes in rice cropland management, meaning even small changes in rice cropland management had large impacts on groundwater availability. The modified SWAT was capable of representing tillage management of varying maximum depression storage, and tillage for water‐harvesting was shown to be a potentially important strategy for producers to enhance infiltration and groundwater recharge, especially in semi‐arid regions where rainfall may be becoming increasingly variable. This enhanced SWAT could be used to evaluate the landscape‐scale impacts of alternative tillage management in other regions that are working to develop strategies for reducing groundwater depletion. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Catchment scale hydrology of an irrigated cropping system under soil conservation practices

Soil erosion by water is a pressing environmental problem caused and suffered by agriculture in Mediterranean environments. Soil conservation practices can contribute to alleviating this problem. The aim of this study is to gain more profound knowledge of the effects of conservation practices on soil losses by linking crop management and soil status to runoff and sediment losses measured at the outlet of a catchment during seven years. The catchment has 27.42 ha and is located in a commercial farm in southern Spain, where a package of soil conservation practices is an essential component of the farming system. The catchment is devoted to irrigated annual crops with maize–cotton–wheat as the primary rotation. Mean annual rainfall‐induced runoff coefficient was 0.14 and mean annual soil loss was 2.4 Mg ha^?1 y^?1. Irrigation contributed to 40% of the crop water supply, but the amount of runoff and sediment yield that it generated was negligible. A Principal Components Analysis showed that total soil loss is determined by the magnitude of the event (rainfall and runoff depths, duration) and by factors related to the aggressiveness of the events (rainfall intensity and preceding soil moisture). A third component showed the importance of crop coverage to reduce sediment losses. Cover crops grown during autumn and early winter and crop residues protecting the soil surface enhanced soil conservation notably. The role of irrigation to facilitate growing cover crops in Mediterranean environments is discussed. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.