Performance of grass and eucalyptus riparian buffers in a pasture catchment,Western Australia,part 2: water quality

Declining water quality on the south coast of Western Australia has been linked to current agricultural practices. Riparian buffers were identified as a tool available to farmers and catchment managers to achieve water quality improvements. This study compares 10 m wide regenerating grass and Eucalyptus globulus buffer performance. Surface and subsurface water quality were monitored over a 3‐year period. Nutrient and sediment transport were both dominated by subsurface flow, in particular through the B‐horizon, and this may seriously limit the surface‐runoff‐related functions of the riparian buffers. Riparian buffer trapping efficiencies were variable on an event basis and annual basis. The grass buffer reduced total phosphorus, filterable reactive phosphorus, total nitrogen and suspended sediment loads from surface runoff by 50 to 60%. The E. globulus buffer was not as effective, and total load reductions in surface runoff ranged between 10 and 40%. A key difference between the grass and E. globulus buffers was the seasonality of sediment and nutrient transport. Surface runoff, and therefore sediment and nutrient transport, occurred throughout the year in the E. globulus buffer, but only during the winter in the grass buffer. As a consequence of high summer nutrient and sediment concentrations, half the annual loads moving via surface runoff pathways through the E. globulus buffer were transported during intense summer storms. This study demonstrates that grass and E. globulus riparian buffers receiving runoff from pasture under natural rainfall can reduce sediment and nutrient loads from surface runoff. However, in this environment the B‐horizon subsurface flow is the dominant flowpath for nutrient transport through the riparian buffers, and this subsurface flow pathway carries contaminant loads at least three times greater than surface runoff. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The performance of grass filter strips in controlling high‐concentration suspended sediment from overland flow under rainfall/non‐rainfall conditions

There is little information on the performance of vegetative filter strips (VFS) in filtering high‐concentration sediment from subcritical overland flow. Flume experiments on simulated grass strips were conducted using combinations of three slope gradients (3°, 9° and 15°), five 1‐m‐wide slope positions (from upslope to downslope), two flow rates (60 and 20 L min^‐1 m^‐1) and sediment concentrations of 100–300 kg m^‐3 under simulated rainfall and non‐rainfall conditions. The results showed that sediment deposition efficiency increased with VFS width as a power function. Rainfall significantly reduced sediment deposited within VFS. Higher sediment concentration corresponded to a larger sediment deposition load but reduced deposition efficiency. Flow rate had a negative effect on deposition efficiency but no effect on deposition load. Sediments were more easily deposited at the upper slope position than downslope, and the upper slope position had a higher percentage of coarse sediments. The deposited sediment had significantly greater median diameters (D₅₀) than the inflow sediment. A greater proportion of coarse sediments larger than 25 µm in diameter were deposited, and particles smaller than 1 µm and of 10–25 µm had a better deposition performance than particles of 1–10 µm. Rainfall reduced the deposited sediment D₅₀ at a slope gradient of 3° and had no significant influence on it at 9° or 15°. A higher sediment concentration led to a smaller D₅₀ of the deposited sediment. Rainfall had no significant effect on overland flow velocity. Both the deposited sediment load and D₅₀ decreased with increasing flow velocity, and flow velocity was the most sensitive factor impacting sediment deposition. The results from this study should be useful to control sediment flowing into rivers in areas with serious soil erosion. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Rainfall–runoff modelling of railway embankment steep slopes

Abstract

A distributed 1D rainfall–runoff model is presented. It consists of the Saint Venant continuity and momentum equations for overland flow and a modified Green-Ampt model for the infiltration on railway embankment steep slopes. The model is applied to adjacent 10-m-wide erosion control experimental plots with different percentages of grass cover. A relationship between the 2-day antecedent rainfall and initial moisture content was established and used to predict the saturated hydraulic conductivity (Ks). Average values of Ks for 0, 50 and 100% grass cover were found to be 0.1, 1.19 and 2.56 mm/h, respectively. For the majority of cases, the model simulated runoff with acceptable accuracy, 68% having Nash-Sutcliffe efficiency (NSE) values above 0.50. The average NSE value varied between 0.60 and 0.80, with 0% grass-covered plots yielding the highest values. As expected, the runoff volume decreased with increasing percentage of grass cover.

Citation Sajjan, A.K., Gyasi-Agyei, Y., and Sharma, R.H., 2013. Rainfall–runoff modelling of railway embankment steep slopes. Hydrological Sciences Journal, 58 (5), 1162–1176.

Editor D. Koutsoyiannis     

2007—2020年西藏草面温度时空分布特征

利用2007—2020年西藏38个气象站点平均草面温度（简称草温）、平均气温、平均地表温度、云量、降水量等观测资料,采用气候统计诊断方法分析了西藏草面温度的时空分异特征及其影响因素,以期科学研究当地草地生态系统和开展专业气象服务。结果表明：西藏年平均草温呈自东南向西北递减的分布。草温与海拔高度存在显著的负相关,海拔高度每升高100 m,季平均草温降低0.44~0.70 ℃,年平均草温降低0.58 ℃;与纬度有着显著的曲线关系,29.3°N以南（北）地区,随着纬度增加,草温随之升高（降低）。各站草温呈一峰一谷的日变化特征,日最低值出现在07:00—08:00（北京时间）,日最高值均出现在14:00;草温月平均最低值都出现在1月,月平均最高值出现在6月或7月;76%的站点草温的变化为夏季>春季>秋季>冬季的气候特征。西藏草温年较差为21.4 ℃,较气温年较差偏大3.1 ℃;草温日较差达35.7 ℃,远高于气温日较差,偏大21.6 ℃。草温与气温之差以夏季最大,其次是春季、冬季两者比较接近;草温与地表温度之差以春季最大,夏季次之,冬季最小。在空间分布上,月平均草温与气温、地表温度均呈显著的正相关,与平均风速、积雪日呈显著的负相关;积雪深度对草温的影响,除冬季外二者存在显著的负相关;大部分月份平均草温与总云量、低云量、降水量的关系不显著。86.8%的站点5—9月平均逐小时草温与降水量存在显著的负相关关系。     

The Ecological Restoration of Heavily Degraded Saline Wetland in the Yellow River Delta

As a result of discontinuous water flow, agriculture, and increasing urban use of fresh water affecting the natural wetlands of the Yellow River Delta, these areas have experienced significant degradation in the past two decades, ultimately diminishing the overall natural wetland land area in the region. This study aimed to address the issue of decreasing fresh water in the Yellow River Delta by studying the effects of three different approaches to restoration on long‐term wetland recovery. The results of the study demonstrated that soil salt and available Na contents significantly decreased in response to all three restoration treatments. Impacts of the restoration treatments were more significant in 2009 than in 2010, as shown by the high rate of activity in the reed debris group. The highest phosphatase activity of the experimental period was also observed in the reed debris group. Meanwhile, a marked variation in soil nutrient elements (total carbon (TC), total nitrogen (TN), available phosphorus, and available potassium) was observed in the restoration treatment plots throughout the experimental period. TC and TN contents were generally higher in the restoration treatment groups than in the control group. Moreover, urease and phosphatase activity levels were highly correlated with one another, as well as with soil nutrient elements. In 2009, the yield of the Suaeda salsa plant was highest in the reed debris treatment group and lowest in the ploughing treatment group. The S. salsa plant did show a positive response to all of the different restoration treatments. Taken together, these results suggest that restoration approaches that implement ploughing techniques aided in the restoration of degraded saline wetlands.     

Modeling sea dike breaching induced by breaking wave impact-laboratory experiments and computational model

Sea dikes are of crucial importance for the defense systems of low-lying coastal areas in countries such as Germany, The Netherlands, Denmark, etc. As sea dike breaching induced by storm surges is regarded as one of the main causes of coastal flood disasters, reliable predictions of both the breach initiation, formation and breach development is urgently needed. Although a simple preliminary model for the simulation of sea dike breaching initiated from the seaside was developed (Stanczak et al., 2006), its limitations showed the necessity for further research and for the development of a more detailed model. This paper therefore provides a summary of the results of laboratory experiments on the erosion of grass and clay revetment of a sea dike induced by breaking wave impact and describes the new detailed computational model, including an uncertainty analysis.     

草鱼不同养殖模式底泥间隙水与上覆水营养盐的分布特征

于2009年6～10月采集草鱼(Ctenopharyngodon idellus)不同养殖模式围隔底泥的样品,对上覆水和间隙水中营养盐形态与含量进行分析,探讨间隙水和上覆水中营养盐浓度间的相关关系。结果表明:草鱼不同养殖模式围隔大部分间隙水中营养盐浓度要高于上覆水,上覆水与间隙水中PO43--P浓度呈极显著的正相关性(P<0.01)。上覆水和间隙水中的NO2--N和NO3--N浓度垂直分布特征随月变化规律较一致。养殖期间,间隙水溶解态无机氮(DIN)中NH4+-N比例最高,占95%以上。间隙水中NH4+-N浓度随深度增加而逐渐升高(0～10cm),而NO2--N和NO3--N浓度则随深度增加而减小(0～4cm)。表层底泥在0→1cm方向PO43--P浓度明显增加,从2～3cm层后多数养殖模式下浓度缓慢下降,而4→10cm方向上浓度会随深度增加而明显下降。总体而言,三元混养组中(GSL2)上覆水中营养盐的浓度一般要低于GSL1组和GSL3组,且养殖期间该组底层水DO浓度要高于GSL1组和GSL3组,初步认为是一种较为优化的草鱼混养模式。     

Some effects of eutrophication and the removal of aquatic plants by grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella) on rainbow trout (Salmo gairdnerii) in Lake Parkinson,New Zealand

Temporary removal of aquatic plants in Lake Parkinson, a small, eutrophic dune lake, resulted in a number of changes to the population of stocked rainbow trout (Salmo gairdnerii). During each summer the lake stratified and low oxygen levels limited the distribution of trout to shallow (0–4 m) surface waters. In the first summer following weed removal the numbers of black shags (Phallacrocorax carbo) counted at the lake increased, and their predation resulted in a decline in trout density. However, the growth rate and condition of the trout population then exceeded that of trout present before weed removal. During the second summer after weed removal a cladoceran bloom was followed by low phytoplankton levels and high ammonia concentrations. A prolonged calm compounded this situation with the result that oxygen levels in bottom and surface waters dropped below 2 ppm. These low oxygen levels eliminated the trout population, but other fish species present survived. Elimination of aquatic plants affected the population dynamics of other fish species in the lake with potential implications for the trout. The experiment demonstrated the importance of weed beds in maintaining a stable fish community in lakes such as Lake Parkinson.     

Deep scattering layers resolved by narrow‐beam echo sounder along 35°s in the south pacific

The narrow‐beam echo sounder (3.5° half angle, 20 kHz) is capable of resolving the configuration of deep scattering layers to 750 m and was used to study the ecology and population density of organisms that make up the layers. Several layers to 1,000 m depth were identified in the South Pacific Ocean, and the population densities calculated. Swimming speeds of possible predators are estimated at 0.2–0.3 m.sec‐¹. Among organisms calculated to range in length from 0.01 m to 0.07 m, the larger were interpreted as grazing on smaller organisms, after comparing results from two echo sounders of 12 kHz and 20 kHz frequencies respectively.     

Effect of grass coverage on sediment yield in the hillslope-gully side erosion system

By scouring experiments, the changeable process and characteristics of sediment yield in the hillslope-gully side erosion system with different coverage degrees and spatial locations of grass were studied. Five grass coverage degrees of 0, 30%, 50%, 70%, 90%, three spatial locations of grass (upslope, mid-slope, low-slope) and two water inflow rates of 3.2 L/min, 5.2 L/min were applied to a 0.5 by 7 m soil bed in scouring experiments. Results showed that the sediment yield decreased with the increase of grass coverage degree at 3.2 L/min water inflow rate in scouring experiments and the sediment yield with different grass locations on the sloping surface was in the order of upper > middle > lower. At 5.2 L/min water inflow rate, the differences of sediment yield among various grass coverage degrees were increased, whereas the changeable tendency of sediment yield with different grass locations on the whole sloping surface was not very obvious. The proportion of sediment yield from the gully side increased in an exponential relationship with the increase of grass coverage degree. When the grass was located on the lower position of hillslope, the influence for accelerating gully erosion is the greatest.