Changes to sediment sources following wildfire in a forested upland catchment,southeastern Australia

Few investigations link post‐fire changes to sediment sources and erosion processes with sediment yield response at the catchment scale. This linkage is essential if downstream impacts on sediment transport after fire are to be understood in the context of fire effects across different forest environments. In this study, we quantify changing source contributions to fine sediment (<63 µm) exported from a eucalypt forest catchment (136 ha) burnt by wildfire. The study catchment is one of a pair of research catchments located in the East Kiewa River valley in southeastern Australia that have been the subject of a research program investigating wildfire effects on runoff, erosion, and catchment sediment/nutrient exports. This previous research provided the opportunity to couple insights gained from a range of measurement techniques with the application of fallout radionuclides ¹³⁷Cs and ²¹⁰Pb_ex to trace sediment sources. It was found that hillslope surface erosion dominated exports throughout the 3·5‐year post‐fire measurement period. During this time there was a pronounced decline in the proportional surface contribution from close to 100% in the first six months to 58% in the fourth year after fire. Over the study period, hillslope surface sources accounted for 93% of the fine sediment yield from the burnt catchment. The largest decline in the hillslope contribution occurred between the first and second years after fire, which corresponded with the previously reported large decline in sediment yield, breakdown of water repellency in burnt soils, substantial reduction in hillslope erodibility, and rapid surface vegetation recovery. Coupling the information on sediment sources with hillslope process measurements indicated that only a small proportion of slopes contributed sediment to the catchment outlet, with material derived from near‐channel areas dominating the post‐fire catchment sediment yield response. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Modelling the impacts of subsurface drainage on surface runoff and sediment yield in the Le Sueur Watershed,Minnesota, USA

Abstract

Tile drainage influences infiltration and surface runoff and is thus an important factor in the erosion process. Tile drainage reduces surface runoff, but questions abound on its influence on sediment transport through its dense network and into the stream network. The impact of subsurface tiling on upland erosion rates in the Le Sueur River watershed, USA, was assessed using the Water Erosion Prediction Project (WEPP) model. Six different scenarios of tile drainage with varying drainage coefficient and management type (no till and autumn mulch-till) were evaluated. The mean annual surface runoff depth, soil loss rate and sediment delivery ratio (SDR) for croplands, based on a 30-year simulation for the watershed with untiled autumn mulch-till (Scenario 1), were estimated to be 83.5 mm, 0.27 kg/m² and 86.7%, respectively; on no-till management systems (Scenario 4), the respective results were 72.3 mm, 0.06 kg/m² and 88.2%. Tile drains reduced surface runoff, soil loss and SDR estimates for Scenario 1 by, on average, 14.5, 8.1 and 7.9%, respectively; and for Scenario 4 by an estimated 31.5, 22.1 and 20.2%, respectively. The impact of tile drains on surface runoff, soil loss and SDR was greater under the no-till management system than under the autumn mulch-till management system. Comparison of WEPP outputs with those of the Soil Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) showed differences between the two methods.

Editor Z.W. Kundzewicz

Citation Maalim, F.K. and Melesse. A.M., 2013. Modelling impacts of subsurface drainage on surface runoff and sediment yield in the Le Sueur Watershed in Minnesota, USA. Hydrological Sciences Journal, 58 (3), 570–586.     

Evaluating the effect of non-uniform and deficient irrigation—Part I

A method for evaluating the effect of non-uniform and deficient irrigation is presented. The method is based on a deterministic mathematical model that evaluates the effect of the soil water fluctuation in the root zone during the irrigation season on the crop yield.The problem is viewed in conjunction with the management strategy of irrigation water application under the assumption that only shortage of water causes a reduction in yield. The parameters describing the deficit zone of the application pattern, the soil-crop-atmosphere system and the crop response are incorporated in the model. Crop yield predictions are made through the relative water use and a multiplicative and an additive yield functions.A numerical example is used to illustrate the use of the model in sprinkler irrigation practice. The results agree well with those derived from the mathematical model evaluating the irrigation regime and the yield on each square of the irrigated area separately.     

冲湖积平原水源地的水文勘测

本文系统地阐述了冲湖积平原水源地水文勘测工作方法及要求，结合小杨庄水源地指出了水文勘测工作的重要性。     

Study on Variation of Fitting Goodness of Relation Between Earthquake Frequency and Magnitude before Moderately Strong Earthquakes (Ms≥5.0)

In this paper,characteristics of spatial and temporal variation of linear fitting goodness before some moderately strong earthquakes(Ms≥5.0)in the eastern part of China(east of longitude 180)are studied according to the famous Gutenberg-Richter's relation expressed as lgN=a-bM,by using the moderate and small events that occurred in and around the source area.The results show that the linear goodness of fitting varies abnormally prior to these moderately strong earthquakes.In the early stage of the earthquake preparatory process,distribution of the energy released through small events in and around the source area is isostatic and the fitting goodness approximates 1,while the distribution of the energy turns to be isostatic before moderately strong earthquakes,leading to the obvious decrease of the linear goodness of fitting.This phenomenon could be a medium term anomaly and a medium term criterion for moderately strong earthquake prediction.     

土地利用分类及其影响因素研究

土地利用分类是研究土地利用的最基础工作，它直接影响着土地利用的科研与实践，本文在全面研究土地利用分类理论与方法的基础上，比较且说明了当前国内外土地利用分类的优劣。并提出多层统一标准的系统分类设想。     

Streamflow and suspended sediment yield following the 2000 Bobcat fire,Colorado

Postfire runoff and erosion are a concern, and more data are needed on the effects of wildfire at the watershed‐scale, especially in the Colorado Front Range. The goal of this study was to characterize and compare the streamflow and suspended sediment yield response of two watersheds (Bobcat Gulch and Jug Gulch) after the 2000 Bobcat fire. Bobcat Gulch had several erosion control treatments applied after the fire, including aerial seeding, contour log felling, mulching, and straw wattles. Jug Gulch was partially seeded. Study objectives were to: (1) measure precipitation, streamflow, and sediment yields; (2) assess the effect of rainfall intensity on peak discharges, storm runoff, and sediment yields; (3) evaluate short‐term hydrologic recovery. Two months after the fire, a storm with a maximum 30 min rainfall intensity I₃₀ of 42 mm h^?1 generated a peak discharge of 3900 l s^?1 km^?2 in Bobcat Gulch. The same storm produced less than 5 l s^?1 km^?2 in Jug Gulch, due to less rainfall and the low watershed response. In the second summer, storms with, I₃₀ of 23 mm h^?1 and 32 mm h^?1 generated peak discharges of 1100 l s^?1 km^?2 and 1700 l s^?1 km^?2 in the treated and untreated watersheds respectively. Maximum water yield efficiencies were 10% and 17% respectively, but 18 of the 23 storms returned ≤2% of the rainfall as runoff, effectively obscuring interpretation of the erosion control treatments. I₃₀ explained 86% of the variability in peak discharges, 74% of the variability in storm runoff, and >80% of the variability in sediment yields. Maximum single‐storm sediment yields in the second summer were 370 kg ha^?1 in the treated watershed and 950 kg ha^?1 in the untreated watershed. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Impacts of land use and land cover changes on hydrological processes and sediment yield determined using the SWAT model

Land use and land cover (LULC) changes strongly affect local hydrology and sediment yields.The current study focused on a basin in the Brazilian Amazon and had the following three objectives:(1) to perform an effective diagnosis of flow and sediment yield,(2) to evaluate the impacts of LULC changes over the last 40 years on the hydro-sedimentological variables,and (3) to investigate the impacts of the possible trends or breaking points in the flow,surface runoff,and sediment yield series.The Soi...     

基于Hoek-Brown的岩石横观各向同性屈服准则研究

为了描述岩石强度的各向异性特征,通过引入材料的微结构张量,考虑单轴抗压强度σ_cβ随层理倾角β而变化,提出了基于微结构张量的修正Hoek-Brown屈服准则。开展不同层理倾角(0°、15°、30°、45°、60°、75°和90°)的页岩试样不同围压(0、5、10、15和20 MPa)下的三轴压缩试验,结果显示,页岩峰值强度与层理倾角β呈"U"形曲线关系,在围压较低时呈"肩"形曲线关系,弹性模量E_t和泊松比ν对围压不敏感,其平均值随层理倾角β的变化关系分别呈倒"U"形、"肩"形。页岩的微观和宏观破坏图像表明,其破坏模式受围压和层理倾角双重控制。试验值与模型预测值的对比表明,修正的Hoek-Brown屈服准则可较好地对页岩强度的各向异性进行模拟。同时,采用Koteshwar千枚岩、Koteshwar板岩、绿泥石片岩等层状结构岩石的单轴和三轴压缩试验数据,进一步验证了提出的修正Hoek-Brown屈服准则对多数具有层理结构的横观各向同性岩石峰值强度模拟具有普遍适用性,并对屈服准则在试验数据较多和较少情况下的峰值强度模拟效果进行了评价。