QUANTIFICATION OF THE WATER BUDGET AND NUTRIENT LOADING IN A SMALL PEATLAND1

ABSTRACT: Few water budgets exist for specific types of wetlands such as peatlands, even though such information provides the basis from which to investigate linkages between wetlands and upland ecosystems. In this study, we first determined the water budget and then estimated nutrient loading from an upland farm field into a 1.5 ha, kettle-block peatland. The wetland contains highly anisotropic peat and has no distinct, active layer of groundwater flow. We estimated the depth of the active layer using Fick's law of diffusion and quantified groundwater flow using a chemical mass balance model. Evapotranspiration was determined using MORECS, a semi-physical model based on the Penman-Monteith approach. Precipitation and surface outflow were measured using physical means. Groundwater provided the major inflow, 84 percent (44,418 m³) in 1993 and 88 percent (68,311 m³) in 1994. Surface outflow represented 54 percent (28,763 m³) of total outflows in 1993 and 48 percent (37,078 m³) in 1994. A comparison of several published water budgets for wetlands and lakes showed that error estimates for hydrologic components in this study are well within the range of error estimates calculated in other studies. Groundwater inflow estimates and nutrient concentrations of three springs were used to estimate agricultural nutrient loading to the site. During the study period, nutrient loading into the peatland via groundwater discharge averaged 24.74 kg K ha^-1, 1.83 kg total inorganic P ha^d, and 21.81 kg NO₃-N ha^-1.     

THE FOREST–HYDROLOGY–POVERTY NEXUS IN CENTRAL AMERICA: AN HEURISTIC ANALYSIS

A ‘forest–hydrology–poverty nexus’ hypothesis asserts that deforestation in poor upland areas simultaneously threatens biodiversity and increases the incidence of flooding, sedimentation and other damaging hydrological processes. This paper uses rough heuristics to assess the applicability of this hypothesis to two montane forested countries in Central America: Guatemala and Honduras. We do so by using simple rules of thumb to identify watersheds at greater risk of hydrologically significant land use change, using information about land cover, slope, and watershed size. The location of these watersheds is compared to spatial maps of poverty and forests. We find plausible evidence for a forest–biodiversity–poverty connection in Guatemala, and to a lesser extent in Honduras.     

USABILITY ASSESSMENTS FOR HYDROLOGIC FORECASTING DSS1

ABSTRACT: Usability assessments were used to obtain feedback on the development of a flood forecasting decision support system. The feedback was used to guide design of system functionality, interface, training, implementation, and operations. The usability process was user focused and was dependent upon implementation of a prototype system in an operational setting. This paper describes concepts and methods applied to collect reflective and objective data on DSS components and information outputs. The general structure of the usability assessments is discussed and results of assessments are summarized.     

Spatial and Temporal Patterns of Low Streamflow and Precipitation Changes in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed

Spatial and temporal patterns in low streamflows were investigated for 183 streamgages located in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed for the period 1939–2013. Metrics that represent different aspects of the frequency and magnitude of low streamflows were examined for trends: (1) the annual time series of seven‐day average minimum streamflow, (2) the scaled average deficit at or below the 2% mean daily streamflow value relative to a base period between 1939 and 1970, and (3) the annual number of days below the 2% threshold. Trends in these statistics showed spatial cohesion, with increasing low streamflow volume at streamgages located in the northern uplands of the Chesapeake Bay Watershed and decreasing low streamflow volume at streamgages in the southern part of the watershed. For a small subset of streamgages (12%), conflicting trend patterns were observed between the seven‐day average minimum streamflow and the below‐threshold time series and these appear to be related to upstream diversions or the influence of reservoir‐influenced streamflows in their contributing watersheds. Using multivariate classification techniques, mean annual precipitation and fraction of precipitation falling as snow appear to be broad controls of increasing and decreasing low‐flow trends. Further investigation of seasonal precipitation patterns shows summer rainfall patterns, driven by the Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation, as the main driver of low streamflows in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed.     

Past desertification processes of Minqin Oasis in arid China

Irrigated farming has affected most natural oases in western China since the Han Dynasty employed advanced agricultural techniques in dryland areas. To date, little is documented about the process through which these oases were modified by human systems. In this study, a multi-disciplinary approach incorporating analysis of historical documents, archaeological field surveys, satellite imagery, and GIS data was used to understand desertification processes in the Minqin Basin in Gansu Province, China, over the historical period. Results suggest that initial reclamation efforts around the Minqin Oasis were launched in the Han Dynasty (121 BC–220 AD) and culminated in the Wei and Jin Dynasty (220–420). During the following 800 years from the Southern and Northern Dynasties (420–581) to the Yuan Dynasty (1271–1368), farmland disappeared and became desert when the region was taken over by nomadic people. The second period of intense development occurred in the Ming Dynasty (1368–1644) and was followed by another more aggressive development in the Qing Dynasty (1644–1911), which resulted in the largest reclaimed area in history. Oases were constantly reclaimed and subsequently abandoned and desertified over the whole historical period. The causes were complex, but the major cause was related to dynastic transition that often resulted in changes in national policies.     

天山北坡典型荒漠草地退化特征及其成因

以天山北坡典型荒漠草地为研究对象,利用"点-线-面"的方法,结合景观生态学的原理,以人类活动频繁的城市和农业为主要研究点,设置横竖样带分析典型荒漠草地19 a间的动态变化,进而从自然社会因子角度探讨荒漠草地退化成因。结果表明:1990-2008年间,研究区域荒漠草地面积急剧下降,而农业及其它用地面积增加。同时,荒漠草地覆盖度也明显下降,特别是中覆盖度和高覆盖度草地植被变化较大。从自然因素和社会因素角度分析草地退化原因,起主导作用的是人类的活动和不合理的资源利用导致草地面积减少、覆盖度降低。因此,通过对天山北坡草地退化特征及其成因分析的研究,以期为合理利用、科学管理天然草地提供理论基础。     

黄河上游高寒区水资源变化的气候响应特征

利用黄河高寒区吉迈(达日县)水文站、国家气象局达日、玛多观测站1959-2007年,共计49 a水文、气象及部分冻土监测资料,采用峰型度及丰枯率指数、Mann-Kendall时间序列突变点及趋势检验方法、小波分析法、灰色关联分析等统计方法,分析径流年际、年内变化特征,探讨径流长期变化主要影响因素,并建立核主成分支持向量机(KPCA-LSSVM)预测模型,对未来2011-2014年径流情势进行分析。结果表明,由于区域气候、下垫面条件变化及人为因素影响,不同时期作用于水资源的主导因素存在差异,径流时间序列存在明显突变点,为1961、1999和2005年;黄河源区径流2002-2006年间存在不显著减少趋势,小波分析表明未来3~9 a内,年径流量将略高于1990-2007年间的平均值;1983年后冻结期气温升高,季节性冻土退化较为明显,对于径流的补给减少,是地区河道水资源减少的原因之一;模型预测结果显示,由于降水对于径流的延迟作用和气温升高引起冻融关系变化等原因,2011-2014年水源区河川径流量与多年平均值相比减少25.3%。     

降水变化对荒漠草原土壤呼吸的影响

全球气候变化使得降水格局发生显著改变.土壤呼吸作为土壤碳库向大气释放CO₂的重要途径,其对降水变化的响应可能会影响陆地生态系统碳循环进程,并对全球气候变化产生反馈作用,但目前关于土壤呼吸对降水变化的响应没有一致的结论.以黄土高原西部荒漠草原为对象,通过野外降水控制实验减水40%（-40%）、减水20%（-20%）、自然降水、增水20%（20%）和增水40%（40%）,探究降水变化对土壤呼吸动态的影响及其与土壤含水量、土壤温度、地上生物量、土壤有机碳、微生物量碳和碳氮比（有机碳总氮比）等因素的关系.结果表明,在3 a期间不同降水处理下土壤呼吸的日变化呈现较一致的单峰和双峰模式.土壤呼吸随降水量的增加均呈增加趋势,且相较对照,土壤呼吸在降水控制实验第二年（偏湿年份）和第三年（偏干年份）表现出显著差异,表明降水变化对土壤呼吸产生了遗留效应.同时,相比对照,偏湿年土壤呼吸在-40%处理下显著最低,在40%处理下显著最高,土壤呼吸对减水处理的负响应强于对增水处理的正响应;偏干年土壤呼吸在增水处理下显著高于对照,且对增水处理的正响应明显强于减水处理.此外,土壤含水量、地上生物量、土壤有机碳和碳氮比是显著影响土壤呼吸的环境因子,且随降水量的增加而增加;土壤呼吸随土壤含水量、地上生物量、土壤有机碳和碳氮比的增加而增加,随微生物量碳的增加而减少,其中土壤含水量对土壤呼吸的解释率最高,这表明土壤含水量是控制荒漠草原区土壤呼吸的主要环境因子.无论在偏湿或偏干年份,降水变化下,植物生物量输入幅度均低于土壤呼吸输出幅度,表明降水变化可能不利于土壤碳固存,尤其偏干年份降水变化对碳库输出的影响更强.因此,荒漠草原区不同干湿年份降水变化对土壤呼吸的影响可能对生态系统碳循环过程产生不同的影响,进而为区域碳预算评估提供参考.     

几种荒漠植物对干旱过程的生理适应性比较

在甘肃临泽实地取样进行试验,比较了胡杨、花棒和梭梭等荒漠植物离体枝条的光合、蒸腾作用对组织水势降低的响应,以探讨其对干旱过程的适应性.结果显示,梭梭在-2～-5.5MPa、胡杨在-1～-4.5MPa的枝叶水势下具有较高的光合速率和水分利用效率,花棒和二白杨则在水势低于-2 MPa时光合速率和水分利用效率均显著下降;同时,梭梭的最大蒸腾速率不足2 mmol m-2 s-1,而同样条件下胡杨和二白杨的最大蒸腾速率则在4～6 mmol m2 s-1.因此,几种荒漠植物中,梭梭最能够适应干旱荒漠环境;胡杨因蒸腾失水较多而对环境水分有较强的依赖性,适应极端干旱的能力不及梭梭;花棒虽具有蒸腾耗水少的特点,但因在环境严重缺水时光合效率低而影响了其对荒漠的适应能力.     

人类活动对北江流域径流系列变化的影响初探

以北江流域45年(1956-2000年)内降雨量及主要控制性水文站石角站水文资料为基础,研究了流域内降雨径流的变化特征,发现降雨系列基本没有变化,而径流系列呈缓慢上升趋势。对径流系数系列进行分析显示,1973年前后径流系数发生了较大的改变,将1956-1972年做为基准期,利用降雨-径流关系,定量分析了人类活动对径流演变的作用,发现人类活动的间接影响是造成径流增加的原因。最后分析了流域内近20年来的水土流失和植被变化情况,进一步说明了流域内下垫面状况发生了改变。