6533b85dfe1ef96bd12bf0dd

RESEARCH PRODUCT

Spatial patterns of sediment connectivity in terraced lands: Anthropogenic controls of catchment sensitivity

Manuel Esteban Lucas-borjaAleix CalsamigliaJoan EstranyJulián García-comendadorJosep FortesaAdolfo Calvo-cases

subject

Hydrologygeographygeography.geographical_feature_category010504 meteorology & atmospheric sciencesLand managementDrainage basinSoil ScienceSedimentGlobal change04 agricultural and veterinary sciencesDevelopment01 natural sciences040103 agronomy & agricultureErosionSpatial ecology0401 agriculture forestry and fisheriesEnvironmental ChemistryEnvironmental scienceSensitivity (control systems)Surface runoff0105 earth and related environmental sciencesGeneral Environmental Science

description

In recent decades the dynamics of global change in developed countries has led to significant alterations in the hydrological and sediment dynamics of terraced land. Agricultural terraces were built to control overland flow and prevent erosion, acting as buffers and barriers throughout the sediment cascading system. Their abandonment and degradation increase the sensitivity of the catchment, promoting the collapse of dry-stone walls and the reworking of stored sediment. In this study, a geomorphometric Index of Connectivity (IC) –derived from high-resolution LiDAR data (0.9 pt m-2, RMSE Q8). This spatial matching was related to feedback dynamics between structural and functional connectivity, in which the failure of walls increases the concentration of runoff, which in turn accelerates the hydraulic processes causing their collapse. Identifying the most connected pathways within the most vulnerable structures in an integrated analysis could be a cost-effective strategy for establishing priority areas for the management of terraced lands.

https://doi.org/10.1002/ldr.2840