Seasonal and monthly hydrological budgets of a fen‐dominated forested watershed,James Bay region,Quebec

The hydrology of Quebec, Canada, boreal fens is poorly documented. Many peatlands are located in watersheds with impounded rivers. In such cases, their presence influences reservoir inflows. In recent years, some fens have been subjected to an increase of their wet area, a sign that they may be evolving towards an aquatic ecosystem. This dynamic process is called aqualysis. This article presents the seasonal and monthly hydrological budgets of a small watershed including a highly aqualysed fen (James Bay region). The monitoring of precipitation (P), runoff (Q) and groundwater levels (WL) was conducted during the ice‐free season. Three semiempirical equations (Thornthwaite, Priestley–Taylor and Penman–Monteith) were used and compared to calculate potential evapotranspiration. The first two equations, having fewer parameters, estimate higher potential evapotranspiration values than the third equation. The use of pressure‐level gauges installed in wells, for the calculation of peatland water storage, is inconclusive. Swelling of peat, peat decomposition and plant composition could be responsible for nonnegligible amounts of absorbed water, which are not entirely accounted for by well levels. The estimation of peat matrix water storage is potentially the largest source of error and the limiting factor to calculate water balances in this environment. The results show that the groundwater level and the water storage vary depending on the season and especially after a heavy rainfall. Finally, the results illustrate the complexity of water routing through the site and thus raise several questions to be resolved in the future. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Base flow‐driven shifts in tropical stream temperature regimes across a mean annual rainfall gradient

Climate change is expected to affect air temperature and watershed hydrology, but the degree to which these concurrent changes affect stream temperature is not well documented in the tropics. How stream temperature varies over time under changing hydrologic conditions is difficult to isolate from seasonal changes in air temperature. Groundwater and bank storage contributions to stream flow (i.e., base flow [BF]) buffer water temperatures against seasonal and daily fluctuations in solar radiation and air temperature, whereas rainfall‐driven runoff produces flooding events that also influence stream temperature. We used a space‐for‐time substitution to examine how shifts in BF and runoff alter thermal regimes in streams by analyzing hydrological and temperature data collected from similar elevations (400–510 m above sea level) across a 3,500‐mm mean annual rainfall gradient on Hawai'i Island. Sub‐daily water temperature and stream flow gathered for 3 years were analyzed for daily, monthly, and seasonal trends and compared with air temperature measured at multiple elevations. Results indicate that decreases in median BF increased mean, maximum, and minimum water temperatures as well as daily temperature range. Monthly and daily trends in stream temperature among watersheds were more pronounced than air temperature, driven by differences in groundwater inputs and runoff. Stream temperature was strongly negatively correlated to BF during the dry season but not during the wet season due to frequent wet season runoff events contributing to total flow. In addition to projected increases in global air temperature, climate driven shifts in rainfall and runoff are likely to affect stream flow and groundwater recharge, with concurrent influences on BF resulting in shifts in water temperature that are likely to affect aquatic ecosystems.     

EFFECTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE ON THE FRESHWATERS OF ARCTIC AND SUBARCTIC NORTH AMERICA

Region 2 comprises arctic and subarctic North America and is underlain by continuous or discontinuous permafrost. Its freshwater systems are dominated by a low energy environment and cold region processes. Central northern areas are almost totally influenced by arctic air masses while Pacific air becomes more prominent in the west, Atlantic air in the east and southern air masses at the lower latitudes. Air mass changes will play an important role in precipitation changes associated with climate warming. The snow season in the region is prolonged resulting in long-term storage of water so that the spring flood is often the major hydrological event of the year, even though, annual rainfall usually exceeds annual snowfall. The unique character of ponds and lakes is a result of the long frozen period, which affects nutrient status and gas exchange during the cold season and during thaw. GCM models are in close agreement for this region and predict temperature increases as large as 4°C in summer and 9°C in winter for a 2 × CO₂ scenario. Palaeoclimate indicators support the probability that substantial temperature increases have occurred previously during the Holocene. The historical record indicates a temperature increase of > 1°C in parts of the region during the last century. GCM predictions of precipitation change indicate an increase, but there is little agreement amongst the various models on regional disposition or magnitude. Precipitation change is as important as temperature change in determining the water balance. The water balance is critical to every aspect of hydrology and limnology in the far north. Permafrost close to the surface plays a major role in freshwater systems because it often maintains lakes and wetlands above an impermeable frost table, which limits the water storage capabilities of the subsurface. Thawing associated with climate change would, particularly in areas of massive ice, stimulate landscape changes, which can affect every aspect of the environment. The normal spring flooding of ice-jammed north-flowing rivers, such as the Mackenzie, is a major event, which renews the water supply of lakes in delta regions and which determines the availability of habitat for aquatic organisms. Climate warming or river damming and diversion would probably lead to the complete drying of many delta lakes. Climate warming would also change the characteristics of ponds that presently freeze to the bottom and result in fundamental changes in their limnological characteristics. At present, the food chain is rather simple usually culminating in lake trout or arctic char. A lengthening of the growing season and warmer water temperature would affect the chemical, mineral and nutrient status of lakes and most likely have deleterious effects on the food chain. Peatlands are extensive in region 2. They would move northwards at their southern boundaries, and, with sustained drying, many would change form or become inactive. Extensive wetlands and peatlands are an important component of the global carbon budget, and warmer and drier conditions would most likely change them from a sink to a source for atmospheric carbon. There is some evidence that this may be occurring already. Region 2 is very vulnerable to global warming. Its freshwater systems are probably the least studied and most poorly understood in North America. There are clear needs to improve our current knowledge of temperature and precipitation patterns; to model the thermal behaviour of wetlands, lakes and rivers; to understand better the interrelationships of cold region rivers with their basins; to begin studies on the very large lakes in the region; to obtain a firm grasp of the role of northern peatlands in the global carbon cycle; and to link the terrestrial water balance to the thermal and hydrological regime of the polar sea. Overall, there is a strong need for basic research and long-term monitoring. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Soil frost effects on soil water and runoff dynamics along a boreal forest transect: 1. Field investigations

To determine how soil frost changes flowpaths of runoff water along a hillslope, a transect consisting of four soil profiles directed towards a small stream in a mature forest stand was investigated at Svartberget, near Vindeln in northern Sweden. Soil temperature, unfrozen water content, groundwater level and snow depth were investigated along the transect, which started at the riparian peat, and extended 30 m upslope into mineral soils. The two, more organic‐rich profiles closest to the stream had higher water retention and wetter autumn conditions than the sandy mineral soils further upslope. The organic content of the soil influenced the variation in frost along the transect. The first winter (1995–96) had abnormally low snow precipitation, which gave a deep frost down to 40–80 cm, whereas the two following winters had frost depths of 5–20 cm. During winter 1995–96, the two organic profiles close to the stream had a shallower frost depth than the mineral soil profile higher upslope, but a considerably larger amount of frozen water. The fraction of water that did not freeze despite several minus degrees in the soil was 5–7 vol.% in the mineral soil and 10–15 vol.% in the organic soil. From the measurements there were no signs of perched water tables during any of the three snowmelt periods, which would have been strong evidence for changed water flowpaths due to soil frost. When shallow soil layers became saturated during snowmelt, especially in 1997 and 1998, it was because of rising groundwater levels. Several rain on frozen ground events during spring 1996 resulted in little runoff, since most of the rain either froze in the soil or filled up the soil water storage. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Hydrogeological response to climate change in alpine hillslopes

Climate change threatens water resources in snowmelt‐dependent regions by altering the fraction of snow and rain and spurring an earlier snowmelt season. The bulk of hydrological research has focused on forecasting response in streamflow volumes and timing to a shrinking snowpack; however, the degree to which subsurface storage offsets the loss of snow storage in various alpine geologic settings, i.e. the hydrogeologic buffering capacity, is still largely unknown. We address this research need by assessing the affects of climate change on storage and runoff generation for two distinct hydrogeologic settings present in alpine systems: a low storage granitic and a greater storage volcanic hillslope. We use a physically based integrated hydrologic model fully coupled to a land surface model to run a base scenario and then three progressive warming scenarios, and account for the shifts in each component of the water budget. For hillslopes with greater water retention, the larger storage volcanic hillslope buffered streamflow volumes and timing, but at the cost of greater reductions in groundwater storage relative to the low storage granite hillslope. We found that the results were highly sensitive to the unsaturated zone retention parameters, which in the case of alpine systems can be a mix of matrix or fracture flow. The presence of fractures and thus less retention in the unsaturated zone significantly decreased the reduction in recharge and runoff for the volcanic hillslope in climate warming scenarios. This approach highlights the importance of incorporating physically based subsurface flow in to alpine hydrology models, and our findings provide ways forward to arrive at a conceptual model that is both consistent with geology and hydrologic principles. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Meltwater storage and delaying characteristics of Gangotri Glacier (Indian Himalayas) during ablation season

Himalayan basins have considerable snow‐ and glacier‐covered areas, which are an important source of water, particularly during summer season. In the Himalayan region, in general, the glacier melt season is considered to be from May to October. Changes in hydrological characteristics of the runoff over the melt season can be understood by studying the variation in time to peak and time lag between melt generation and its emergence as runoff. In the present study, the runoff‐delaying characteristics of Gangotri Glacier, one of the largest glaciers in the Indian Himalayas, have been studied. For this purpose, hourly discharge and temperature data were collected near the snout of the glacier (4000 m) for three ablation seasons (2004–2006). The diurnal variations in discharge and temperature provided useful information on water storage and runoff characteristics of the glacier. In the early stages of the ablation period, poor drainage network and stronger storage characteristics of the glaciers due to the presence of seasonal snow cover resulted in a much delayed response of melt water, providing a higher time lag and time to peak as compared to the peak melt season. A comparison of runoff‐delaying parameters with the discharge ratio clearly indicated that changes in time lag and time to peak are inversely correlated with variations in discharge. Impact of such meltwater storage and delaying characteristics of glaciers on hydropower projects being planned/developed on glacier‐fed streams in India has been discussed. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Effects of deforestation and weather on diurnal frost heave processes on the steep mountain slopes in south central Japan

Freezing and thawing processes play an important role for the gravitational transport of surface materials on steep mountain slopes in Japan. The effects of deforestation on frost heave activity were observed through the 2012/2013 winter season in Ikawa University Forest, a southern mountainous area in central Japan (1180–1310 m above sea level). During periods without snow cover, needle ice development prevailed at a clear‐cut site, and the downslope sediment movement of upper soil was 10 to 15 cm through the winter season. At a non‐cut site, rise and fall in the ground surface level prevailed on a weekly scale, with no evident downslope movements at the surface; ice lens formation in the soil layer is assumed. Abrupt changes in the radiation budget, such as the strengthening of nighttime radiative cooling and increases in daytime direct insolation, induced frequent development/deformation of needle ice at the clear‐cut site. In snow‐free periods, the day‐to‐day variability in needle ice growth length and in nighttime averaged net radiation showed significant correlations; cloudy weather with warmer and moist air intrusion associated with synoptic disturbances prevented the occurrence of needle ice. Namely, day‐to‐day weather changes directly affected the mass movement of the upper soil after deforestation. Shallow snow cover occurred discontinuously through the winter and is likely an important factor in keeping the soil moisture sufficiently high in the upper soil layer for initiating needle ice during snow‐free periods. We also discuss contributions of coastal extratropical cyclone activities providing both snow cover and cloudy weather in the southern mountain areas of central Japan to the intra‐seasonal variability in frost heave and its indirect effect on soil creep and landslides on the deforested steep slopes. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Effects of managed burning in comparison with vegetation cutting on dissolved organic carbon concentrations in peat soils

Given the continuing concern about rising concentrations of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) in stream water leaving peat‐covered catchments, this study has considered the impact of managed burning or cutting of Calluna vulgaris, a dominant vegetation cover in many UK peatlands. Pristine mature Calluna stands were compared with those that had been subject to cutting and or managed burning up to 5 years after intervention. The study measured the DOC concentration of both soil and surface runoff water over a period of 12 months in comparison with water table depth, conductivity, and pH. The results show the following:

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Oscillating peat surface levels in a restiad peatland,New Zealand—magnitude and spatiotemporal variability

Hydrology, particularly the water table position below the surface (relative water level, RWL), is an important control on biogeochemical and ecological processes in peatlands. The surface elevation (SE) in a peatland oscillates in response to changes in effective stress on the peat matrix mainly caused by water level fluctuations. This phenomenon is called peatland surface oscillation (PSO). To investigate the spatiotemporal variability of PSO, surface elevation and the water level above sea level (AWL) were measured monthly (23 sites) over one year in a warm‐temperate restiad peatland, New Zealand. At one site peat surface elevation was measured indirectly by monitoring AWL and RWL continuously with pressure transducers. Annual PSO (the difference between maximum and minimum surface elevation) ranged from 3·2 to 28 cm (mean = 14·9 cm). Surface elevation changes were caused by AWL fluctuations. Spatially homogenous AWL fluctuations (mean 40 cm among sites) translated into RWL fluctuations reduced 27–56% by PSO except for three sites with shallow and dense peat at the peatland margin (7–17%). The SE‐AWL relationship was linear for 15 sites. However, eight sites showed significantly higher rates of surface elevation changes during the wet season and thus a non‐linear behaviour. We suggest flotation of upper peat layers during the wet season causing this non‐linear behaviour. Surprisingly, PSO was subjected to hysteresis: the positive SE‐AWL relationship reversed after rainfall when the surface slowly rose despite rapidly receding AWL. Hysteresis was more prominent during the dry season than during the wet season. Total peat thickness and bulk density together could only explain 50% of the spatial variability of PSO based on manual measurements. However, we found three broad types of SE‐AWL relationships differing in shape and slope of SE‐AWL curves. These oscillation types reflected patterns in vegetation and flooding. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Land cover controls on depression‐focused recharge on the Oak Ridges Moraine,southern Ontario,Canada

The Oak Ridges Moraine (ORM) is a key hydrogeologic feature in southern Ontario. Previous research has emphasized the importance of depression‐focused recharge (DFR) for the timing and location of water recharge to the ORM's aquifers. However, the significance of DFR has not been empirically demonstrated, and the ORM's permeable surficial deposits imply that rainfall and snowmelt will largely recharge vertically rather than move laterally to topographic depressions. The exception may be during winter and spring, when concrete soil frost limits infiltration and encourages overland flow. The potential for DFR was examined for closed depressions under forest and agricultural land covers with similar soils and surficial geology. Air temperatures, precipitation, snow depth and water equivalent, soil water contents, soil freezing, and depression surface‐water levels were monitored during the winter and spring of 2012–2013 and 2013–2014. Recharge (R) was estimated at the crest and base of each depression using a 1‐dimensional water balance approach and surface‐applied Br^? tracing. Both forest and agricultural land covers experienced soil freezing; however, forest soils did not develop concrete frost. Conversely, agricultural fields saw concrete frost, overland flow, episodic ponding, and subsequent drainage of rain‐on‐snow and snowmelt inputs in open depressions. Recharge at the base of open depressions exceeded that in surrounding areas by an order of magnitude, suggesting that DFR is a significant hydrologic process during winter and spring under agricultural land cover on the ORM. Closed topographic depressions under agricultural land cover on the ORM crest may serve as critical recharge “hot spots” during winter and spring, and the ability of the unsaturated zone beneath these depressions to modify the chemistry of recharging water deserves further attention.     

Generation and regulation of summer runoff in a boreal flat fen

Hydrometric measurements, electrical conductivity, water isotopic and hydrochemical components of stream water were used to study summer runoff generation in a flat fen. Different processes generated runoff at low- and high-flows. At storm-flows, fen runoff was generated from overland flow, originating from upland surface water. Temporary storage of water on the fen surface attenuated and delayed flow peaks. At low-flows, runoff at the fen outlet was generated from shallow subsurface flow in the Acrotelm. During low-flow periods, water originated mainly from peat storage water while during episodic events the wetland water storage was renewed by inflowing stream water. Assessment and modeling of hydrological effects of peatlands should be performed separately for low-flows and high-flows, based on the dominating runoff generating processes. Attenuation and retardation of storm-flows in fens by temporary surface storage will depend on the geometric properties of both storage sections and sections controlling outflow. A routing reservoir model adapted for flat fens can be used for simulation of attenuation and retardation in runoff events, and it is suggested that the model concept should be tested for a broader range of peatlands.     

Evaluation of infiltration‐based stormwater management to restore hydrological processes in urban headwater streams

Urbanization threatens headwater stream ecosystems globally. Watershed restoration practices, such as infiltration‐based stormwater management, are implemented to mitigate the detrimental effects of urbanization on aquatic ecosystems. However, their effectiveness for restoring hydrologic processes and watershed storage remains poorly understood. Our study used a comparative hydrology approach to quantify the effects of urban watershed restoration on watershed hydrologic function in headwater streams within the Coastal Plain of Maryland, USA. We selected 11 headwater streams that spanned an urbanization–restoration gradient (4 forested, 4 urban‐degraded, and 3 urban‐degraded) to evaluate changes in watershed hydrologic function from both urbanization and watershed restoration. Discrete discharge and continuous, high‐frequency rainfall‐stage monitoring were conducted in each watershed. These datasets were used to develop 6 hydrologic metrics describing changes in watershed storage, flowpath connectivity, or the resultant stream flow regime. The hydrological effects of urbanization were clearly observed in all metrics, but only 1 of the 3 restored watersheds exhibited partially restored hydrologic function. At this site, a larger minimum runoff threshold was observed relative to the urban‐degraded watersheds, suggesting enhanced infiltration of stormwater runoff within the restoration structure. However, baseflow in the stream draining this watershed remained low compared to the forested reference streams, suggesting that enhanced infiltration of stormwater runoff did not recharge subsurface storage zones contributing to stream baseflow. The highly variable responses among the 3 restored watersheds were likely due to the spatial heterogeneity of urban development, including the level of impervious cover and extent of the storm sewer network. This study yielded important knowledge on how restoration strategies, such as infiltration‐based stormwater management, modulated—or failed to modulate—hydrological processes affected by urbanization, which will help improve the design of future urban watershed management strategies. More broadly, we highlighted a multimetric approach that can be used to monitor the restoration of headwater stream ecosystems in disturbed landscapes.     

The role of surface and sub-surface runoff processes in controlling cation export from a wetland watershed

Water and cation budgets were calculated for two sub-basins within a small low relief watershed in South-Central Ontario during a period of ephemeral runoff which was initiated by spring snow melt. The hydrology of one (upland) sub-basin was strongly influenced by seasonal fluctuations in the level of regional ground water. Saturated contributing areas formed in low lying regions adjacent to the stream channel where the water table rose to the surface, and stream discharge was a mixture of ground water and saturation overland flow. In the second sub-basin a wetland provided a large and spatially less variable saturated contributing area. Clay soils underlying the wetland resulted in a shallow perched water table, poorly drained and highly organic soils, and greatly reduced inputs of regional ground water. Stream discharge was largely the result of surface runoff from the wetland and adjacent areas of saturated soil.Inter-basin variations in water export were by far greater than variations in stream chemistry. As a result, inter-basin variations in cation export strongly reflected variations in water export over the time interval in which the majority of a given ion was lost from the watershed. Spatial differences in water export were least at the onset of runoff when basin saturation was greatest and overland flow made large contributions to the discharge from both sub-basins. Potassium and hydrogen had high concentrations at this time which caused these ions to show only small spatial differences in export. With decreases in the areal extent of soil saturation, and increases in the storage capacity of the wetland, the hydrologic contrast between sub-basins increased. Greater water loss from the upland area resulted from a greater discharge of regional ground water, and a more rapid expansion of the saturated contributing areas during storm events. Calcium, magnesium, and sodium concentrations increased steadily during the first 3 weeks of runoff, so that the peak export of these cations occurred later in the runoff period at times of higher concentration, but lower and spatially more variable discharges. Consequently, spatial differences in the loss of these ions was great and favoured the upland sub-basin, since the majority of export occurred when the hydrologic contrast between sub-basins was largest.     

Rainfall–runoff responses on Arctic hillslopes underlain by continuous permafrost,North Slope,Alaska, USA

The Arctic hydrologic cycle is intensifying, as evidenced by increased rates of precipitation, evapotranspiration, and riverine discharge. However, the controls on water fluxes from terrestrial to aquatic systems in upland Arctic landscapes are poorly understood. Upland landscapes account for one third of the Arctic land surface and are often drained by zero‐order geomorphic flowpath features called water tracks. Previous work in the region attributed rapid runoff response at larger stream orders to water tracks, but models suggest water tracks are hydrologically disconnected from the surrounding hillslope. To better understand the role of water tracks in upland landscapes, we investigated the surface and subsurface hydrologic responses of 6 water tracks and their hillslope watersheds to natural patterns of rainfall, soil thaw, and drainage. Between storms, both water track discharge and the water table in the hillslope watersheds exhibited diel fluctuations that, when lagged by 5 hr, were temporally correlated with peak evapotranspiration rate. Water track soils remained saturated for more of the summer season than soils in their surrounding hillslope watersheds. When rainfall occurred, the subsurface response was nearly instantaneous, but the water tracks took significantly longer than the hillslopes to respond to rainfall, and longer than the responses previously observed in nearby larger order Arctic streams. There was also evidence for antecedent soil water storage conditions controlling the magnitude of runoff response. Based on these observations, we used a broken stick model to test the hypothesis that runoff production in response to individual storms was primarily controlled by rainfall amount and antecedent water storage conditions near the water track outlet. We found that the relative importance of the two factors varied by site, and that water tracks with similar watershed geometries and at similar landscape positions had similar rainfall–runoff model relationships. Thus, the response of terrestrial water fluxes in the upland Arctic to climate change depends on the non‐linear interactions between rainfall patterns and subsurface water storage capacity on hillslopes. Predicting these interactions across the landscape remains an important challenge.     

Moisture dynamics and hydrophysical properties of a transplanted acrotelm on a cutover peatland

The natural carbon storage function of peatland ecosystems can be severely affected by the abandonment of peat extraction, influencing peatland drainage, leading to large and persistent sources of atmospheric CO₂. Moreover, these cutover peatlands have a low and variable water table position and high tension at the surface, creating harsh ecohydrological conditions for vegetation re‐establishment, particularly peat forming Sphagnum moss. Standard restoration techniques aim to restore the peatland to a carbon accumulating system through various water management techniques to improve hydrological conditions and by reintroducing Sphagnum at the surface. However, restoring the hydrology of peatlands can be expensive due to the cost of implementing the various restoration techniques. This study examines a peat extraction‐restoration technique where the acrotelm is preserved and replaced directly on the cutover peat surface. An experimental peatland adopting this acrotelm transplant technique had both a high water table and peat moisture conditions providing sufficient water at the surface for Sphagnum moss. Average water table conditions were higher at the experimental site (?8·4 ± 4·2 cm) compared to an adjacent natural site (?12·7 ± 6·0 cm) suggesting adequate moisture conditions at the restored surface. However, the experimental site experienced high variability in volumetric moisture content (VMC) in the capitula zone (upper 2 cm) where large diurnal changes in VMC (～30%) were observed, suggesting possible disturbance to the peat matrix structure during the extraction‐restoration process. However, soil–water retention analysis and physical peat properties (porosity and bulk density) suggest that no significant differences existed between the natural and experimental sites. Any structural changes within the peat matrix were therefore minimal. Moreover, low soil‐water tensions were maintained well above the laboratory measured critical Sphagnum threshold of 33% (?100 mb) VMC, further indicating favourable conditions for Sphagnum moss survival and growth. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Snow cover and runoff modelling in a high mountain catchment with scarce data: effects of temperature and precipitation parameters

Snowmelt is an important source of runoff in high mountain catchments. Snowmelt modelling for alpine regions remains challenging with scarce gauges. This study simulates the snowmelt in the Karuxung River catchment in the south Tibetan Plateau using an altitude zone based temperature‐index model, calibrates the snow cover area and runoff simulation during 2003–2005 and validates the model performance via snow cover area and runoff simulation in 2006. In the snowmelt and runoff modelling, temperature and precipitation are the two most important inputs. Relevant parameters, such as critical snow fall temperature, temperature lapse rate and precipitation gradient, determine the form and amount of precipitation and distribution of temperature and precipitation in hydrological modelling of the sparsely gauged catchment. Sensitivity analyses show that accurate estimation of these parameters would greatly help in improving the snowmelt simulation accuracy, better describing the snow‐hydrological behaviours and dealing with the data scarcity at higher elevations. Specifically, correlation between the critical snow fall temperature and relative humidity and seasonal patterns of both the temperature lapse rate and the precipitation gradient should be considered in the modelling studies when precipitation form is not logged and meteorological observations are only available at low elevation. More accurate simulation of runoff involving snowmelt, glacier melt and rainfall runoff will improve our understanding of hydrological processes and help assess runoff impacts from a changing climate in high mountain catchments. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The role of recharge and evapotranspiration as hydraulic drivers of ion concentrations in shallow groundwater on Everglades tree islands,Florida (USA)

Recently, evapotranspiration has been hypothesized to promote the secondary formation of calcium carbonate year‐round on tree islands in the Everglades by influencing groundwater ions concentrations. However, the role of recharge and evapotranspiration as drivers of shallow groundwater ion accumulation has not been investigated. The goal of this study is to develop a hydrologic model that predicts the chloride concentrations of shallow tree island groundwater and to determine the influence of overlying biomass and underlying geologic material on these concentrations. Groundwater and surface water levels and chloride concentrations were monitored on eight constructed tree islands at the Loxahatchee Impoundment Landscape Assessment (LILA) from 2007 to 2010. The tree islands at LILA were constructed predominately of peat, or of peat and limestone, and were planted with saplings of native tree species in 2006 and 2007. The model predicted low shallow groundwater chloride concentrations when inputs of regional groundwater and evapotranspiration‐to‐recharge rates were elevated, while low evapotranspiration‐to‐recharge rates resulted in a substantial increase of the chloride concentrations of the shallow groundwater. Modeling results indicated that evapotranspiration typically exceeded recharge on the older tree islands and those with a limestone lithology, which resulted in greater inputs of regional groundwater. A sensitivity analysis indicated the shallow groundwater chloride concentrations were most sensitive to alterations in specific yield during the wet season and hydraulic conductivity in the dry season. In conclusion, the inputs of rainfall, underlying hydrologic properties of tree islands sediments and forest structure may explain the variation in ion concentration seen across Everglades tree islands. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Soil frost effects on soil water and runoff dynamics along a boreal transect: 2. Simulations

A physically based SVAT‐model was tested with soil and snow physical measurements, as well as runoff data from an 8600 m² catchment in northern Sweden in order to quantify the influence of soil frost on spring snowmelt runoff in a moderately sloped, boreal forest. The model was run as an array of connected profiles cascading to the brook. For three winter seasons (1995–98) it was able to predict the onset and total accumulation of the runoff with satisfactory accuracy. Surface runoff was identified as only a minor fraction of the total runoff occurring during short periods in connection with ice blocking of the water‐conducting pores. Little surface runoff, though, does not mean that soil frost is unimportant for spring runoff. Simulations without frost routines systematically underestimated the total accumulated runoff. The possibility of major frost effects appearing in response to specific combinations of weather conditions were also tested. Different scenarios of critical initial conditions for the winter, e.g. high water saturation and delayed snow accumulation leading to an increased frost penetration, were tested. These showed that under special circumstances there is potential for increased spring runoff due to soil frost. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Determining annual cryosphere storage contributions to streamflow using historical hydrometric records

Alpine glaciers and perennial snow fields are important hydrologic elements in many mountain environments providing runoff during the late summer and during periods of drought. Because relatively long records of glacier mass–balance data are absent from many glacierized catchments, it remains unclear to what extent shrinking perennial snow and glaciers have affected runoff trends from these watersheds. Here, we employ a hydrograph separation technique that uses a double mass curve in an attempt to isolate changes in runoff due to glacier retreat and disappearance of perennial snow. The method is tested using hydrometric data from 20 glacierized and 16 nonglacierized catchments in the Columbia Basin of Canada. The resulting estimates on cryosphere storage contribution to streamflow were well correlated to other regional estimates on the basis of measurements as well as empirical and mechanistic models. Annual cryosphere runoff changed from +19 to ?55% during the period 1975–2012, with an average decline of 26%. For August runoff, these changes ranged from +17 to ?66%, with an average decrease of 24%. Reduction of cryosphere contributions to annual and late summer flows is expected to continue in the coming decades as glaciers and the perennial snow patches shrink. Our method to isolate changes in late summer cryospheric storage contributions can be used as a first order estimate on changes in glacier contributions to flow and may help researchers and water managers target watersheds for further analysis.     

Seasonal and event‐based drivers of runoff and phosphorus export through agricultural tile drains under sandy loam soil in a cool temperate region

Frequent algal blooms in surface water bodies caused by nutrient loading from agricultural lands are an ongoing problem in many regions globally. Tile drains beneath poorly and imperfectly drained agricultural soils have been identified as key pathways for phosphorus (P) transport. Two tile drains in an agricultural field with sandy loam soil in southern Ontario, Canada were monitored over a 28‐month period to quantify discharge and the concentrations and loads of dissolved reactive P (DRP) and total P (TP) in their effluent. This paper characterizes seasonal differences in runoff generation and P export in tile drain effluent and relates hydrologic and biogeochemical responses to precipitation inputs and antecedent soil moisture conditions. The generation of runoff in tile drains was only observed above a clear threshold soil moisture content (~0.49 m³·m^?3 in the top 10 cm of the soil; above field capacity and close to saturation), indicating that tile discharge responses to precipitation inputs were governed by the available soil‐water storage capacity of the soil. Soil moisture content approached this threshold throughout the non‐growing season (October – April), leading to runoff responses to most events. Concentrations of P in effluent were variable throughout the study but were not correlated with discharge (p > 0.05). However, there were significant relationships between discharge volume (mm) and DRP and TP loads (kg ha^?1) for events occurring over the study period (R² ≥ 0.49, p ≤ 0.001). This research has shown that the hydrologic and biogeochemical responses of tile drains in a sandy loam soil can be predicted to within an order of magnitude from simple hydrometric data such as precipitation and soil moisture once baseline conditions at a site have been determined. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.