Search results for "Runoff"
showing 10 items of 294 documents
Plot-scale measurement of soil erosion at the experimental area of Sparacia (southern Italy)
2004
Obtaining good quality soil loss data from plots requires knowledge of the factors that affect natural and measurement data variability and of the erosion processes that occur on plots of different sizes. Data variability was investigated in southern Italy by collecting runoff and soil loss from four universal soil-loss equation (USLE) plots of 176 m2, 20 ‘large’ microplots (0·16 m2) and 40 ‘small’ microplots (0·04 m2). For the four most erosive events (event erosivity index, Re ≥ 139 MJ mm ha−1 h−1), mean soil loss from the USLE plots was significantly correlated with Re. Variability of soil loss measurements from microplots was five to ten times greater than that of runoff measurements. D…
Soil degradation and its impact on desertification: A research design for Mediterranean environments
1988
Summary Much is said but little is known of the processes and linkages of soil degradation with desertification. With particular emphasis on South-East Spain, a research design is proposed to characterize the processes, their dynamics and effect on productivity. Through detailed monitoring of plot experiments at three slope positions, changes in soil physical and chemical parameters and analyses of runoff and eroded sediments will be related to induced destruction of the vegetation. Knowing the cause and process will lead to the identification of management techniques that may protect vulnerable Mediterranean environments.
The immediate effectiveness of barley straw mulch in reducing soil erodibility and surface runoff generation in Mediterranean vineyards
2016
Soil and water loss in agriculture is a major problem throughout the world, and especially in Mediterranean areas. Non-conservation agricultural practices have further aggravated the situation, especially in vineyards, which are affected by one of the highest rates of soil loss among cultivated lands. Therefore, it is necessary to find the right soil practices for more sustainable viticulture. In this regard, straw mulching has proven to be effective in other crop and fire affected soils, but, nonetheless, little research has been carried out in vineyards. This research tests the effect of barley straw mulching on soil erosion and surface runoff on vineyards in Eastern Spain where the soil …
Integrating Extensive Livestock and Soil Conservation Policies in Mediterranean Mountain Areas for Recovery of Abandoned Lands in the Central Spanish…
2016
Land abandonment is a global issue with important implications in Mediterranean mountain areas. Abandoned Mediterranean croplands start a process of secondary succession that is initially colonized by grasslands, shrubs and forest. In Mediterranean mountain areas, the process is very slow, so the shrubs remain for decades, preventing livestock from accessing pastureland. Therefore, farmers have to burn or clear the shrubs in order to provide pasture, a practice that has recently been encouraged by several regional governments in Spain. Data from experimental plots of the Aisa Valley Experimental Station in the Spanish Pyrenees allow to evaluate the effects of burning and clearing shrubs on …
Soil Erosion as an Environmental Concern in Vineyards. The Case Study of Celler del Roure, Eastern Spain, by Means of Rainfall Simulation Experiments
2018
Soil erosion in vineyards is considered as an environmental concern as it depletes soil fertility and causes damage in the fields and downstream. High soil and water losses decrease soil quality, and subsequently, this can reduce the quality of the grapes and wine. However, in specialized journals of viticulture and enology, soil erosion studies are not present. This paper surveys the soil erosion losses in the vineyards of Celler del Roure, Eastern Spain, as an example of Mediterranean vineyards. We applied rainfall simulation experiments (10 plots) using a small portable rainfall simulator and 55 mm h−1 in one hour to characterize soil erodibility, runoff discharge, and soil erosion…
Relationship of Weather Types on the Seasonal and Spatial Variability of Rainfall, Runoff, and Sediment Yield in the Western Mediterranean Basin
2020
Producción Científica
Long-Term Hydrological Regime Monitoring of a Mediterranean Agro-Ecological Wetland Using Landsat Imagery: Correlation with the Water Renewal Rate of…
2021
The Natural Park of Albufera (Valencia, Spain) is one of the Spanish Mediterranean wetlands where rice is cultivated intensively. The hydrology of the Albufera Lake, located in the center, combines natural contributions with complex human management. The aim of our study was to develop a new methodology to accurately detect the volume of flood water in complex natural environments which experience significant seasonal changes due to climate and agriculture. The study included 132 Landsat images, covering a 15-year period. The algorithm was adjusted using the NDWI index and simultaneous measurements of water levels in the rice fields. The NDVI index was applied to monitor the cultivated area…
Las crecidas en ramblas valencianas mediterráneas
2001
This paper takes into account the characterisation of ephemeral stream hydrology from Mediterranean environments. The heavy floods that these countries suffer are due to firstly, the physical watershed features (steep slopes, scarced vegetation cover and thin soils) and, secondly, to the intense and variable rainfall. Large quantities of precipitation fall in a matter of hours, or even minutes, over very steep catchments, causing catastrophic flash-floods, with very pointed hydrographs and short time lags. Using hydrological daily data from the Rambla de la Viuda basin and five-minute data from both Barranc de Carraixet and Rambla de Poyo basins, we have analysed the rainfall- runoff proces…
Long-term impact of rainfed agricultural land abandonment on soil erosion in the Western Mediterranean basin
2018
[EN] Land abandonment is widespread in the Mediterranean mountains. The impact of agricultural abandonment results in a shift in ecosystem evolution due to changes in soil erosion, but little is known about long-term soil and water losses. This paper uses 11 years of measurements in two paired plots (abandoned vs control) with four subplots to determine how soil and water losses evolved after abandonment within an agricultural parcel. For two years (2004¿2005) both plots were under tillage, and after 2006 one plot was abandoned. The monitored plots measured runoff and sediment concentration after each rainfall event.
Sensitivity analysis on the relationship between vegetation growth and multi-polarized radar data
2009
Spatially distributed soil moisture is required for watershed applications such as drought and flood prediction, crop irrigation scheduling, etc. In particular, an accurate assessment of the spatial and temporal variation of soil moisture is necessary to improve the predictive capability of runoff models, and for improving and validating hydrological processes forecasting. In recent years, several models have been developed in order to retrieve soil moisture using RADAR data. However, these models need precise prior knowledge about surface roughness. Within this framework, the present research aims to investigate the capabilities of multi polarimetric RADAR images to overcome the use of in …