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Abstract

This paper investigates for a 25-year period the sediment distribution in a semi-arid Brazilian basin (2 × 10⁴ km²) with a network containing more than 4000 surface reservoirs. The methodology is based on rating curves and fitted parameters derived from field data. The results showed that suspended load corresponded to 70% of the total sediment yield (148 t km^-2 year^-1). The relatively low contribution of the suspended load (compared with other semi-arid regions) was attributed to the impact of the numerous upstream reservoirs, which retained 235 t km^-2 year^-1. The micro (<1 hm³), small (1–10 hm³), medium-sized (10–50 hm³), and large or strategic (>50 hm³) reservoirs responded to, respectively, 5, 17, 30 and 48% of the total sediment retention by the reservoir network. This indicates that retention in the non-strategic reservoirs has a positive impact on water availability, since siltation of the strategic reservoirs would be expected to more than double if only such reservoirs existed.

Citation Lima Neto, I. E., Wiegand, M. C. &; de Araújo, J. C. (2011) Sediment redistribution due to a dense reservoir network in a large semi-arid Brazilian basin. Hydrol. Sci. J. 56(2), 319–333.     

基于分布式大流域径流模型的中国西北黑河流域水文模拟

水资源短缺是中国西北干旱地区长期的问题,区域人口增加、城市化扩张,加之气候变化的影响进一步加剧了西北地区水资源短缺,也使生活用水、灌溉用水、工业用水和维持生态系统稳定的用水危险加剧.采用分布式大流域径流模型(DLBRM)模拟黑河流域水文(中国第二大内陆河,流域面积128 000 km2)来理解区域的冰川和积雪融化水、地下水、地表水、蒸散发等方面的分布,评估气候变化对水文的影响和冰川退缩对中游和下游来水量的影响.模拟结果表明,黑河流域的大部分产流那源于黑河上游地区的祁连山.模拟1990-2000年黑河河流日流量变化结果认为,黑河中游正义峡给下游的供水为10×108m3,其中地表径流占51%,层间流占49%.中游地区沙土具有较高的蒸腾发能力,近一半的地表水被蒸发掉.模拟实践证明,分布式大流域径流模型可以结合气候变化、水资源管理方面的成果,改进流域水文模拟的精度.     

黄土高原祖厉河流域潜在植被分布模拟研究

植被空间分布格局深受环境影响, 分析植被与环境之间的关系一直是植物生态学的中心问题。论文从黄土高原自然植被恢复问题出发, 引出植被恢复的参照标准- 潜在自然植被。 依据气象站和雨量站观测资料, 建立气温降水与海拔高度和地理位置的统计方程, 以GIS 为技术支撑, 对两大环境变量进行空间化。通过野外观测取样, 结合气温降水的空间分布, 界定祖厉河流域不同草地覆盖度的生境空间。根据生境空间边界函数, 对整个流域内的潜在草地植被分布进行模拟。草地分布现状与潜在草地分布对比发现, 低覆盖草地由北向南扩展, 占潜在中覆盖草地面积的37.39%, 占潜在高覆盖草地面积的34.98%。中覆盖草地也在此向南部区域和北部山地扩展, 占潜在高覆盖草面积的11.51%。高覆盖草地收缩到南部和北部山地狭小地带, 仅占其应有区域的4.84%。     

面向城市平原地区暴雨积涝汇水区分级划分的方法研究

汇水区划分是分布式水文模型计算的基础。针对现有方法使用DEM在平原城市地区划分的汇水区不符合实际地形情况,本文提出了一种面向城市平原地区分级划分汇水区的技术方法。该方法从城市用地分类角度出发将城市分为中心城区和郊区,依据城市排水主干水系进行汇水区一级划分,将影响中心城区和郊区的不同径流因子分别融入DEM中,利用细化的DEM进行二级汇水区划分;在此基础上,根据实际汇流情况,结合Voronoi图,对中心城区进行三级划分,最后通过GIS技术进行修正。该方法既结合了传统DEM生成子流域的算法,又融入了城市区域地物地貌特点,能更好地满足城市地区的需要。选择上海市嘉定区西北部地区为实验样区,利用该方法进行汇水区划分比较表明,其对于城市平原地区具有很好的适用性。     

水生态屏障适宜宽度界定研究进展

在总结水生态屏障研究历程的基础上,对水生态屏障的概念进行了探讨,提出了水生态屏障的定义。从河流、湖泊、水库3种主要水生态屏障类型说明水生态屏障的主要功能及适宜宽度研究进展,并从生态学、水文学、地理学、遥感学的技术应用评述了水生态屏障宽度的界定方法。目前,对水生态屏障适宜宽度的标准还缺乏统一的认识,流域尺度下水库生态屏障适宜宽度的界定是水生态屏障宽度界定面临的难点问题,提出综合水文学、生态学、环境科学及地形、遥感、地理信息等多学科理论及技术手段构建流域尺度的生态水文模型是界定水生态屏障及其水库生态屏障适宜宽度的有效方法。     

Systems of agriculture farming in the Uttranchal Himalaya,India

Agricultural practices are the main stay of the people of Uttranchal. Out of the total population,more than 75% people are engaged either with the main occupation of agriculture or its allied practices,dominated by traditional subsistence cereal farming.Among them, the main crops are rice, wheat, millet,barley, all types of pulses, all types of oilseeds and almost all types of fruits. The crops, vegetables and fruits of all varieties are grown in the different climatic zones such as tropical, temperate, and cold because, the region is characterized by the different altitudinal zones elevated from 200 m to more than 8000m. As a result, different climates are found from hot tropical to sub temperate and chilly cold. Pulses varieties are grown extensively. Among vegetables,potato, onion, carrot, all types of green leaf vegetables,brinzal, pumpkin, ladyfinger, pea, gram, radish,ginger, garlic, etc, are grown widely. All fruit varieties are grown in the different altitudinal zones. The mainfruits are orange, malta (a big size of orange),elephant citrus, lemon and all other types of citrus,apple, stone fruits including peach and pears, manykinds of nuts, and the fruits which are grown in the low lying areas. In spite of feasible climatic conditions,agricultural dominant society, and availability of all types of crops, the production and productivity of these crops are very low, even they are unable to meet the grain-need of the people in Uttaranchal. Agricultural crops are grown almost in all the altitudinal zones -- from the low-lying areas, which are called ‘Ga. ngarh‘, to the highly elevated region,where the legendary term is given as ‘Danda‘. The growing seasons vary according to the heights. The present paper aims to discuss the agricultural practices including cropping season, cropping pattern,land use, production of cropsagricultural system in thisand ecological aspect of Himalayan state and suggest some measures for developing farming system,which could lead the sustainability, in terms of meeting the food grain needs of the people on the one hand and restoring the ecological balance on the other.     

Integration of InVEST-habitat quality model with landscape pattern indexes to assess mountain plant biodiversity change: A case study of Bailongjiang watershed in Gansu Province

Journal of Geographical Sciences - Mountains in western China, hosted rich biodiversity and millions of people and inhabitant with vital ecosystem services, had experienced the most serious...     

The place of rural, remote and least-wealthy small islands in international water development: the nexus of geography–technology sustainability in Chuuk State, Federated States of Micronesia

Many least-wealthy, rural, remote and resource-poor small island communities are unlikely to benefit from high-profile global water improvement initiatives. Their small landmasses, geologic composition, geography, social and technological isolation, colonial history, and weak educational and financial resources constitute significant barriers to improving access to safe drinking water. This paper discusses the relatively unique position of such island societies in the international community, providing a case study of the Federated States of Micronesia that integrates data and information pertaining to water resources management and governance, spanning from the island village to national scale. A vision is offered regarding the interaction between small island human and biophysical water systems, manifesting ways to pursue water resource development to improve public health which are constructed to be economically, physically and culturally sustainable.     

Eco-compensati on in Guanting Reservoir Watershed Based on Spatiotemporal Variations of Water Yield and Purification Services

Guanting Reservoir (GR) is one of the most important water sources for Beijing and neighboring regions. Due to water pollution, it was withdrawn from the system to supply Beijing drinking water; however, after a thorough treatment process, GR was made a reserve water source since 2007. To develop a comprehensive and quantitative analysis of water yield and purification services in the GR watershed, this study selected two time periods: the period when GR was withdrawn from the system supplying local drinking water and the period that it has been designated a reserve water source. The InVEST model was used to evaluate the quantities of water yields, and total nitrogen and total phosphorus outputs from 1995 to 2010 Additionally, the spatiotemporal variations of water yield services and water quality purification services in the GR watershed were analyzed. The results showed that water yield services in the GR watershed first weakened and then became stronger, but weakened overall during the years 1995 to 2010. Water yield capacity in the basin decreased from 1.89×109 m³ in 1995 to 1.43×109 m³ in 2010 (a drop of 24.0% in total). Water quality purification services also showed the same tendency. Total nitrogen output decreased from 4028.7 t in 1995 to 3611.4 t in 2010, while total phosphorus decreased from 379.7 t in 1995 to 354.0 t in 2010. Nitrogen and phosphorus purification services were enhanced by 10.4% and 6.8%, respectively. Changes in the climate and land use were the main factors which lead to the changes in the water yield service in the GR watershed. Policies intended to protect water resource have matched the varying trends of water quality purification services during different periods. On one hand, the research results provide a foundation to identify key fields for eco-compensation in the Guanting Reservoir basin. On another hand, the ecosystem service value will increase on the basis of eco-compensation criteria through setting the scenarios of returning farmland to forest and ecological protection. This method directly reflects increases in ecosystem service values that have occurred since measures to protect the ecological environment have been implemented. This method is more persuasive and feasible than using eco-compensation criteria based on regional ecosystem service values determined by land use/ coverage type. It can provide a new way to assess eco-compensation in the Guanting Reservoir basin and other regions.     

Assessing the effects of land cover and future climate conditions on the provision of hydrological services in a medium‐sized watershed of Portugal

The separated and combined effects of land‐cover scenarios and future climate on the provision of hydrological services were evaluated in Vez watershed, northern Portugal. Soil and Water Assessment Tool was calibrated against daily discharge, sediments and nitrates, with good agreements between model predictions and field observations. Four hypothetical land‐cover scenarios were applied under current climate conditions (eucalyptus/pine, oak, agriculture/vine and low vegetation). A statistical downscaling of four General Circulation Models, bias‐corrected with ground observations, was carried out for 2021–2040 and 2041–2060, using representative concentration pathway 4.5 scenario. Also, the combined effects of future climate conditions were evaluated under eucalyptus/pine and agriculture/vine scenario. Results for land cover revealed that eucalyptus/pine scenario reduced by 7% the annual water quantity and up to 17% in the summer period. Although climate change has only a modest effect on the reduction of the total annual discharge (?7%), the effect on the water levels during summer was more pronounced, between ?15% and ?38%. This study shows that climate change can affect the provision of hydrological services by reducing dry season flows and by increasing flood risks during the wet months. Regarding the combined effects, future climate may reduce the low flows, which can be aggravated with eucalyptus/pine scenario. In turn, peak flows and soil erosion can be offset. Future climate may increase soil erosion and nitrate concentration, which can be aggravated with agriculture scenario. Results moreover emphasize the need to consider both climate and land‐cover impacts in adaptation and land management options at the watershed scale. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.