Sensitivity of the SWAT model to the soil and land use data parametrisation: a case study in the Thyle catchment,Belgium

The sensitivity of the distributed hydrological SWAT model to the pre-processing of soil and land use data was tested for modelling rainfall-runoff processes in the Thyle catchment in Belgium. To analyse this sensitivity, 32 different soil and land use parameterisation scheme were generated and evaluated. The soil input data sources were a generalised soil association map at a scale of 1:500,000, a detailed soil map at a scale of 1:25,000 and the soil profile analytical database AARDEWERK. These soil data were combined with a detailed and a generalised land use map. The results suggest that the SWAT model is extremely sensitive to the quality of the soil and land use data and the adopted pre-processing procedures of the geographically distributed data. The resolution and fragmentation of the original map objects are significantly affected by the internal aggregation procedures of the SWAT model. The catchment size threshold value (CSTV) is thereby a key parameter controlling the internal aggregation procedure in the model. It is shown that a parabolic function characterises the relationship between the CSTV and the hydrological modelling performance of the uncalibrated model, suggesting that optimal uncalibrated modelling results are not obtained when the CSTV is minimised. The hydrological response of the SWAT model to the calculated soil properties is significant. Therefore preference should be given to the calculation of the derived hydrologic soil properties prior to averaging of the profile data. Finally some general guidelines are suggested for parameterising soil and land use in the SWAT model application.     

三峡库区不同植被覆盖对土壤碳的影响

植被覆盖变化对三峡库区生态环境产生重要影响.土壤有机碳在陆地生态系统的发育和运行等方面均起着极其重要的作用,所以本课题研究宜昌点军区柏树地,橘树地以及菜地的土壤性质状况.结果表明:土壤含水量是柏树林最大.菜地的最小,而土壤容重的大小顺序是:柑橘树地>柏树地>菜地.土壤有机碳、易氧化碳和二者的比值都是柏树地的最大,柑橘地的最小,菜地的处于中间状态.而微生物碳和微生物墒含量大小顺序是柏树地>柑橘树>菜地;微生物代谢墒的大小顺序是:柑橘地>菜地>柏树地.由此说明柏树生长有利于土壤活性碳源含量的提高和土壤质量的改善.     

岩溶山区不同土地利用方式对石灰土基本特性的影响

以重庆金佛山为例,针对岩溶山区不同土地利用系统,分析了土壤容重、孔隙度、质地、有机质、阳离子交换量等土壤基本特性对不同土地利用方式的响应.结果表明,由于土地利用强度不同,常绿阔叶林地土壤质量最优,耕地最差,退耕地的部分土壤特性得到恢复.土壤特性对不同土地利用方式的响应程度由高到低依次为有机质、阳离子交换量、黏粒含量、容重、孔隙度.有机质与阳离子交换量、机械组成的分形维数、容重和孔隙度均呈极显著相关,有机质是岩溶生态环境中石灰土壤质量演变的重要因子.     

农牧交错带开垦年限对土壤理化特性的影响

为研究农牧交错带天然草地转变为农田后,开垦年限对土壤理化特性的影响,按照邻近样地的取样原则,于2007年10月选择位于内蒙古东部农牧交错带太仆寺旗的天然草地和邻近的6个不同开垦年限的农田样地(垦殖年限为5、10、15、20、35、50 a)作为研究对象分析其土壤理化性状.结果表明:在0～30 cm土层中,天然草地转变为农田后,开垦年限对土壤养分含量和物理性状均有显著影响.土壤的有机碳含量、全氮含量、速效钾含量均随农田开垦年限的延长而降低.草地土壤的养分含量最高.与天然草地相比,0～10 cm土层,有机碳含量分别下降36%、47%、43%、57%、68%、68%;速效钾含量分别下降33%、55%、39%、65%、60%、40%.开垦年限对土壤物理性状也有明显影响,草地土壤的粘粒含量最高,砂粒含量最低;开垦年限越长的农田,土壤砂粒含量越高,粘粒含量越低;农田土壤的容重显著高于草地,随农田开垦年限的延长,土壤容重增加;而土壤pH值显示降低趋势.研究表明在研究区域天然草地具有较好的土壤养分保持能力,开垦年限越长越易导致土壤养分的缺乏和土壤的酸化和沙化,影响整个农牧交错带生态系统的稳定性和持续性.     

南方地区荒坡山地种植龙须草的生态效益研究

通过定位试验 ,采用定性与定量相结合的方法 ,研究了荒坡地种植龙须草对土壤理化性状、草地小气候环境和水土流失等的影响。结果表明 ,种植龙须草能降低土壤容重 ,提高土壤总孔隙度、非毛管孔隙度和毛管孔隙度 ,改善土壤通气透水性能 ,增加土壤贮水量 ,降低土温 ,减少水土流失 ,提高土壤肥力 ,可取得良好的生态效益。     

土地利用、覆被变化（LUCC）与环境变化关系研究进展

土地利用、覆被变化（LUCC）作为环境变化的主要原因之一,已成为全球变化研究的前沿和热点问题。文章总结了国内外 LUCC 与环境变化关系的主要研究成果和方法,继而从气候、碳循环、土壤环境、水环境以及生态环境对土地利用方式的限制等方面概括了 LUCC 与环境变化之间的关系。LUCC 通过改变大气成分和下垫面性质对气候造成影响;影响着陆地生态系统的碳循环;改变土壤的理化性质,带来土壤污染、土壤养分迁移等土壤质量问题;并且引起水体的非点源污染,影响区域的产水量和水循环。同时,环境变化对LUCC具有限制作用。不仅通过特定的气候环境直接限制土地的利用方式;还间接通过借助人类生态环境意识的改变,实现对区域土地利用强度与方式的约束。LUCC既是全球环境变化的原因,也是全球环境变化的结果。LUCC 与生态环境之间存在着复杂的、非线性的动态反馈关系。进一步探讨了当前 LUCC 与环境变化关系的主要研究方向和相关研究方法,针对目前存在的缺乏统一的指标体系,研究区域、时空尺度单一,以单要素静态研究为主,实验研究相对薄弱以及动态模拟不够等问题,提出加强跨学科综合交叉研究、注重多尺度探讨LUCC的环境效应、构建一个 LUCC 环境效应研究的统一指标体系及加强“3S”技术与模拟模型的融合等建议。为寻求更科学更合理的土地利用方式提供了基础信息。     

资源型城市土地利用变化及其对生态系统服务价值的影响

东营市是新兴的石油资源城市,土地利用/覆被变化剧烈且具有独特的区域特征。探讨该地区的土地利用变化及其对生态系统服务价值的影响有着重要的现实意义。为此,基于RS和GIS技术,利用Costanza提出的生态系统服务价值评估方法,研究了东营市1986—2008年间的土地利用变化及其引起的生态系统服务价值动态变化。研究结果表明：（1）耕地是东营市主要的土地利用类型,面积有所减少;未利用地和次生盐碱地所占比重较大,居民点及工矿用地大幅增加,油田生产建设和生态环境保护矛盾非常突出。（2）生态系统服务价值减少了6.68%。2008年东营市提供的生态服务仍然以维护原材料、气体调节、食物生产、气候等为主,而废物处理、水源涵养、生物多样性保护、土壤形成与保护和娱乐文化功能是比较弱的。今后应维护生物多样性保护和水源涵养功能,防止土壤盐渍化,提升区域生态系统服务功能;（3）生态系统服务价值对生态价值系数的敏感性指数均小于1,说明研究区内的生态系统服务价值缺乏弹性,研究结果是可信的。     

环境因素对密云水库上游流域土壤有机碳和全氮含量影响的通径分析

土壤是全球重要的碳库和氮库,在全球碳氮循环中具有重要地位。密云水库是华北地区最大的水库和北京市最重要的地表水水源地,其上游流域山地广布,地形复杂,气候变化明显,土壤类型和植被类型多样,影响土壤碳氮库的环境因素具有较强的变异性。为揭示环境因素对密云水库上游流域土壤有机碳（soil organic carbon,SOC）和全氮（total nitrogen,TN）含量的作用效应,采用野外采样、实验室分析与逐步回归分析和通径分析相结合的方法,研究了气候（温度和降水）、地形（海拔和坡度）、土壤理化性质（土壤容重、含水量、pH值和粘粒含量）等环境因素对流域SOC和TN含量的影响。结果表明：温度、土壤容重、含水量、pH值和粘粒含量对SOC含量的影响显著（P＆lt;0.001）,其中各因子的直接通径系数依次为：土壤含水量（0.439）＞土壤容重（-0.324）＞pH值（-0.238）＞温度（-0.209）＞土壤粘粒含量（0.092）,间接通径系数依次为：土壤容重（-0.425）＞土壤粘粒含量（0.305）＞土壤含水量（0.287）＞pH值（-0.179）＞温度（-0.043）,因此,土壤含水量、pH值和温度主要通过直接作用影响SOC含量,而土壤容重和粘粒含量则主要通过其它因子的作用间接影响SOC含量。海拔、土壤容重、含水量、pH 值和粘粒含量对 TN 含量的影响显著（P＆lt;0.001）,其中各因子的直接通径系数依次为：土壤含水量（0.456）＞海拔（0.234）＞土壤容重（-0.228）＞pH 值（-0.190）＞土壤粘粒含量（0.094）,间接通径系数依次为：土壤容重（-0.484）＞土壤粘粒含量（0.301）＞海拔（0.247）＞土壤含水量（0.257）＞pH 值（-0.202）,因此,土壤含水量主要通过直接作用影响TN含量,而土壤容重和粘粒含量主要通过土壤含水量的作用间接影响TN含量,海拔和土壤pH值的直接作用与间接作用     

Economic-based projections of future land use in the conterminous United States under alternative policy scenarios

Land-use change significantly contributes to biodiversity loss, invasive species spread, changes in biogeochemical cycles, and the loss of ecosystem services. Planning for a sustainable future requires a thorough understanding of expected land use at the fine spatial scales relevant for modeling many ecological processes and at dimensions appropriate for regional or national-level policy making. Our goal was to construct and parameterize an econometric model of land-use change to project future land use to the year 2051 at a fine spatial scale across the conterminous United States under several alternative land-use policy scenarios. We parameterized the econometric model of land-use change with the National Resource Inventory (NRI) 1992 and 1997 land-use data for 844 000 sample points. Land-use transitions were estimated for five land-use classes (cropland, pasture, range, forest, and urban). We predicted land-use change under four scenarios: business-as-usual, afforestation, removal of agricultural subsidies, and increased urban rents. Our results for the business-as-usual scenario showed widespread changes in land use, affecting 36% of the land area of the conterminous United States, with large increases in urban land (79%) and forest (7%), and declines in cropland (-16%) and pasture (-13%). Areas with particularly high rates of land-use change included the larger Chicago area, parts of the Pacific Northwest, and the Central Valley of California. However, while land-use change was substantial, differences in results among the four scenarios were relatively minor. The only scenario that was markedly different was the afforestation scenario, which resulted in an increase of forest area that was twice as high as the business-as-usual scenario. Land-use policies can affect trends, but only so much. The basic economic and demographic factors shaping land-use changes in the United States are powerful, and even fairly dramatic policy changes, showed only moderate deviations from the business-as-usual scenario. Given the magnitude of predicted land-use change, any attempts to identify a sustainable future or to predict the effects of climate change will have to take likely land-use changes into account. Econometric models that can simulate land-use change for broad areas with fine resolution are necessary to predict trends in ecosystem service provision and biodiversity persistence.     

科尔沁沙地土地利用变化对土壤特性的影响

在中国科学院奈曼沙漠化研究站放牧试验场周围,选取了不同利用方式和类型的草地（封育和放牧）、林地（乔木和灌木）和农田（灌溉和非灌溉）为研究样地,调查了0～30cm土层每隔10cm的土壤水分质量分数和有机养分（有机碳和全氮）,分析了土地利用变化对土壤水分质量分数和有机养分的影响。结果发现,垂直空间分布上,无论哪种土地类型样地,土壤水分质量分数和有机养分各土层间均无显著差异性（P〉0.05）,土层垂直变化对土壤特性影响均较小。在不同土地利用方式水平空间分布上,土壤水分质量分数和有机养分（土壤有机碳和全氮）灌木林地均显著高于乔木林地（P〈0.05）,而封育草地和放牧草地间以及灌溉农田与非灌溉农田间土壤水分质量分数和有机养分均无显著差异性（P〉0.05）。不同土地利用类型水平分布上,草地土壤水分质量分数显著低于林地和农田（P〈0.05）,而土壤养分质量分数草地显著高于林地和农田（P〈0.05）。分析表明,对沙质草地进行围栏封育和旱作农田退耕还林还草的同时,对水浇农田实行保护性耕作和精细管理,有利于沙地土壤环境改善与生态系统恢复。     

Simulation of soil carbon changes due to land use change in urban areas in China

Land use change can have a strong impact on soil carbon dynamics and carbon stocks in urban areas. Due to rapid urbanization, large areas of land have been paved, and other areas have undergone rapid land use change. Evaluation of the impact of urbanization on carbon dynamics and carbon stock (30 cm) has become an issue of urgent concern. The soil carbon dynamics, due to rapid land use change in Tianjin Binhai New Area of China, have been simulated in this paper using the RothC model. Because this area is saline, a modified version of RothC that includes a salt rate modifier provided more accurate simulations than the original model. The conversion to urban green land was not accurately simulated by either of the models because of the undefined changes in soil and plant conditions. According to the model, changes of arable to grassland resulted in a decline in soil carbon stocks, and changes of grassland to forest and grassland to arable resulted in increased soil carbon stocks in this area. Across the whole area simulated, the total carbon stocks in 2010 had decreased due to land use change by 6.5% from the 1979 value. By 2050, a further decrease of 21.9% is expected according to the 2050 plan for land use and the continuing losses from the soils due to previous land use changes.     

Impacts of land use conversion on soil properties and soil erodibility

Land use conversion can affect natural ecological processes such as surface runoff and erosion. Therefore, it has potential to change soil stability To investigate this process in depth, Iskalan creek catchment in the Black sea region, where excessive land use applications and erosion events have often occured, was selected as the study area. The objective was to determine the effects of land use conversion on soil properties, soil erodibility and the relationships among soil properties and some erodibility indices. Duplicate topsoil samples were taken by using steel cylinders at 100 different sampling points from three different land use types; 34 of them are in farmlands, 34 in rangelands and 32 in forestlands. Soil particle size distribution, loss of ignition, pH, electrical conductivity skeleton percentage and three erodibility indices were determined. Data were analysed by using Pearson correlation analysis (at 95% and 99% significance level), ANOVA and Tukey's test at 95 % significance level. According to study results, land use conversion affects some properties of soils significantly Loss of ignition of soils in forests was significantly higher than soils in farmlands and rangelands. Soil skeleton percentage in rangelands and farmlands were significantly different. The study results showed that there was significant difference between pH of soils in forests and farmlands (p < 0.05). Pearson correlation analysis results showed significant correlations among erodibility indices and certain soil properties such as clay and sand fraction of soils (p < 0.05 and p < 0.01). Topsoils of the study area were sensitive to erosion according to all three erodibility indices. The most sensitive soils were in farmlands.     

Integrating wetlands and riparian zones in river basin modelling

Wetlands, and in particular riparian wetlands, represent an interface between the catchment area and the aquatic environment. They control the exchange of water and related chemical fluxes from the upper catchment area to surface waters like streams and lakes. Their influence on water and nutrient balances has been investigated mainly at the patch scale. In this study an attempt was made (a) to integrate riparian zones and wetlands into eco-hydrological river basin modelling, and (b) to quantify the impacts of riparian wetland processes on water and nutrient fluxes in a meso-scale catchment located in the northeastern German lowland. The investigation was performed by analysing hydro-chemical field data and applying the eco-hydrological model SWIM (Soil and Water Integrated Model), which was extended to reproduce the relevant water and nutrient flows and retention processes at the catchment scale in general, and in riparian zones and wetlands in particular. The main extensions introduced in the model were: (1) implementation of daily groundwater table dynamics at the hydrotope level, (2) implementation of water and nutrient uptake by plants from groundwater in riparian zones and wetlands, and (3) assessment of nutrient retention in groundwater and interflow. The simulation results indicate that wetlands, though they represent relatively small parts of the total catchment area, may have a significant impact on the overall water and nutrient balances of the catchment. The uncertainty of the simulation results is considerably high, with the main sources of uncertainty being the model parameters representing the geo-hydrology and the input data for land use management.     

Meso-scale landscape analysis based on landscape balance investigations: problems and hierarchical approaches for their resolution

Varied utilization demands of society to the landscape are leading to an overlay of interests and thus to land use conflicts. Thereby, essential landscape functions like the regulation function (i.e. run-off regulation, groundwater recharge, groundwater protection, buffer functions of the soil, etc.) may be affected, and result in stresses to our natural resources like soil and water. The land use conflicts become especially obvious in a regional context. The diminution of such land use conflicts in terms of a regional management of environment and natural resources requires the knowledge of the response of the landscape balance to land use changes. The results of integrated landscape analysis enable the calculation of scenarios that allow the derivation of site-suitable land use variants with positive effects (decrease) to material out-wash from landscape parts and material inputs into surface water and groundwater. Numerous and complex methodological problems arise with such analysis, as well as with the investigation and assessment of the landscape water balance and water-bound material fluxes on the mesoscale.As a contribution for the resolution of these problems, the authors present a hierarchical nested approach that interlinks scale-specific methods. Due to the complexity and difficult implementation from purely system-oriented approaches in both applied landscape research and planning, the connection to more pragmatic approaches is herewith striked. Thus, information about the impact of land use changes on the landscape balance, as well as the assessment of landscape functions for both watersheds and administrative units should be enabled. Beside the check of the scale-specific applicability of models (i.e. E2D/3D, ABIMO, ASGi, SWAT, modifications of the USLE), the transferability of parameter- and indicator systems for the assessment of the landscape balance on the concerned scale levels is also investigated. An important objective is thereby the optimization of the validity of landscape information for the spatio-temporal levels of the mesoscale.     

Future habitat loss and extinctions driven by land‐use change in biodiversity hotspots under four scenarios of climate‐change mitigation

Numerous species have been pushed into extinction as an increasing portion of Earth's land surface has been appropriated for human enterprise. In the future, global biodiversity will be affected by both climate change and land‐use change, the latter of which is currently the primary driver of species extinctions. How societies address climate change will critically affect biodiversity because climate‐change mitigation policies will reduce direct climate‐change impacts; however, these policies will influence land‐use decisions, which could have negative impacts on habitat for a substantial number of species. We assessed the potential impact future climate policy could have on the loss of habitable area in biodiversity hotspots due to associated land‐use changes. We estimated past extinctions from historical land‐use changes (1500–2005) based on the global gridded land‐use data used for the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Fifth Assessment Report and habitat extent and species data for each hotspot. We then estimated potential extinctions due to future land‐use changes under alternative climate‐change scenarios (2005–2100). Future land‐use changes are projected to reduce natural vegetative cover by 26‐58% in the hotspots. As a consequence, the number of additional species extinctions, relative to those already incurred between 1500 and 2005, due to land‐use change by 2100 across all hotspots ranged from about 220 to 21000 (0.2% to 16%), depending on the climate‐change mitigation scenario and biological factors such as the slope of the species–area relationship and the contribution of wood harvest to extinctions. These estimates of potential future extinctions were driven by land‐use change only and likely would have been higher if the direct effects of climate change had been considered. Future extinctions could potentially be reduced by incorporating habitat preservation into scenario development to reduce projected future land‐use changes in hotspots or by lessening the impact of future land‐use activities on biodiversity within hotspots.     

SWAT parameterization for the identification of critical diffuse pollution source areas under data limitations

For lowering sediment, nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) pollution of surface water bodies at the catchment scale, environmental legislation require programs of pollution abatement measures. To be able to ensure the cost-effectiveness of such programs we first need to identify high risk areas, which give rise to increased pollutant runoff. Process-based GIS models provide the opportunity to identify such critical areas and hence better target diffuse pollution abatement actions. However, these models are data intensive and their spatially-distributed parameterization in poorly monitored catchments is not feasible without extensive input data pre-processing and significant simplifying assumptions. This study implements the widely-used SWAT river basin model (Soil Water Assessment Tool) to study a medium-sized Greek catchment with the typical data limitations met at the national level, in order to identify critical diffuse pollution source areas that may serve as the key areas for meeting the objective of ‘good ecological status’ of water bodies set by the European Water Framework Directive (WFD). Model parameterization and evaluation are presented along with the decisions made to overcome problems related to data representation in the catchment, in an effort to provide guidance on SWAT modeling in areas with similar characteristics. The results show that sediments and nutrients could be adequately reproduced in large time steps (monthly or seasonal) and that even with the current data limitations, the seasonal variation and the most critical areas of pollutant losses to waters could be adequately identified. The study proposes a transparent modeling approach under data limitations without neglecting possible deficiencies; however, it maintains that the SWAT model, if appropriately parameterized with respect to the land-use and soil differentiation within a limited-gauged catchment, can still facilitate the selection and placement of suitable practices across the landscape for a cost-effective diffused pollution management.     

A review of source tracking techniques for fine sediment within a catchment

Excessive transport of fine sediment, and its associated pollutants, can cause detrimental impacts in aquatic environments. It is therefore important to perform accurate sediment source apportionment to identify hot spots of soil erosion. Various tracers have been adopted, often in combination, to identify sediment source type and its spatial origin; these include fallout radionuclides, geochemical tracers, mineral magnetic properties and bulk and compound-specific stable isotopes. In this review, the applicability of these techniques to particular settings and their advantages and limitations are reviewed. By synthesizing existing approaches, that make use of multiple tracers in combination with measured changes of channel geomorphological attributes, an integrated analysis of tracer profiles in deposited sediments in lakes and reservoirs can be made. Through a multi-scale approach for fine sediment tracking, temporal changes in soil erosion and sediment load can be reconstructed and the consequences of changing catchment practices evaluated. We recommend that long-term, as well as short-term, monitoring of riverine fine sediment and corresponding surface and subsurface sources at nested sites within a catchment are essential. Such monitoring will inform the development and validation of models for predicting dynamics of fine sediment transport as a function of hydro-climatic and geomorphological controls. We highlight that the need for monitoring is particularly important for hilly catchments with complex and changing land use. We recommend that research should be prioritized for sloping farmland-dominated catchments.     

入田泥沙对黄河三角洲地区土壤物理性状的影响——以小开河引黄灌区为例

为研究人田泥沙对小开河灌区自然土壤的影响,用分析化验和工程测试等方法,分析了引黄泥沙和输沙人田后土壤颗粒组成、容重、孔隙状况等物理性状。结果表明：引黄泥沙中0．02～0．002mm的细粉粒比例最高,平均39-31％。小开河自然土壤中0．05-0．02mm的粗粉粒比例最高,为53．41％,泥沙中细粉粒和粘粒含量明显高于当地土壤。输沙人田使灌区土壤中0．02—0．002mm的细粉粒和〈0．002mm的粘粒比例明显增加,〉0．02mm的颗粒比例下降,虽有效避免了因渠首集中沉沙造成的土壤沙化和生态环境恶化,但增加了土壤的粘重程度。农田耕作在一定程度上增加土壤通气孔隙比例、降低土壤容重,但土壤毛管孔隙度依旧稳定在40％左右,毛管作用旺盛,使土壤通气状况不能满足作物需求。在黄河三角洲地区输沙入田的泥沙处理,应结合当地土壤的基本性质和水盐运动规律配置泥沙,以免增强当地土壤紧实、通透性差的性状。     

不同耕作方式对土壤性质与玉米生长的影响研究

通过种植前对土壤进行不同耕作处理试验,探讨不同耕作方式和耕作深度（30 cm,35 cm,45 cm）对土壤理化性状及玉米（Zea mays L）根系生长的影响。结果表明,三种耕作方式对土壤容重、土壤含水量、土壤微生物总量、玉米根系生长的影响表现为：深松耕作〉传统耕作〉免耕。其中,深松耕作对表层土壤（0～25 cm）容重降低作用大于深层土壤（25～45 cm）;对增加土壤含水量、增加土壤微生物总量、促进玉米根系生长方面的作用,深层土壤大于表层土壤;从不同耕作深度进行比较,深松45 cm〉深松35 cm〉深松30 cm〉传统耕作,即耕作越深,对土壤物理性状和作物根系生长影响越大。不同耕作处理间玉米产量无显著性差异。综合研究区的土壤性质、作物生长、自然环境等因素,雨养农区可采用免耕—深松的循环耕作模式,改良土壤性质,提高经济效益。