High Resolution of Water Availability for Emilia-Romagna Region over 1961–2015

In this study, monthly time series of precipitations and temperatures from 1024 controlled and homogeneous meteorological stations located in the Emilia-Romagna region (northern Italy) are processed in order to assess potential climate changes that occurred during the period 1961–2015. Normal period as baseline between 1961 and 1990 (1990s) and recent period between 1991 and 2015 (2010s) were adopted in this study to analyse the possible effect of climate change on water availability during long-term period. Based on monthly and annual temperature (TT), precipitation (PP), and potential (ET0), the actual evapotranspiration (AET0) and water availability (WA) were computed at high spatial resolution. Between the two analysed periods, during the 2010s, it was found an increase in the maximum mean annual temperature by 1.08°C while the maximum mean annual precipitation saw a slight decrease (from 2222 mm to 2086 mm). The precipitation decrease is more intense in the South and West sectors of area (8%) and mainly depends on negative changes taking place during the winter and the beginning of spring (from December to March). The maximum mean annual ET0 and AET0 reached values of 663 mm and 565 mm during the 1990s, while during the 2010s, the found values were 668 mm and 572 mm, respectively. Because of the decrease in precipitation and increase in the ET0 and AET0, the WA (the proportion of precipitation that is available at the soil surface for subsequent infiltration and runoff processes) shows a reduction (about 10–20%) in the whole region, with exception of the North-East part of the Emilia-Romagna region. The decrease in the mean annual water availability induces severe issues concerning the water resources management across the whole Emilia-Romagna region.

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On the derivation of soil surface roughness from multi parametric PolSAR data and its potential for hydrological modeling

Hydrology and Earth System Sciences ◽

10.5194/hess-13-381-2009 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 13 (3) ◽

pp. 381-394 ◽

Cited By ~ 35

Author(s):

P. Marzahn ◽

R. Ludwig

Keyword(s):

Surface Roughness ◽

Hydrological Modeling ◽

Soil Surface ◽

Test Site ◽

Soil Bulk Density ◽

North East ◽

The North ◽

Soil Surface Roughness ◽

Ground Truthing ◽

Matching Techniques

Abstract. The potential of multi parametric polarimetric SAR (PolSAR) data for soil surface roughness estimation is investigated and its potential for hydrological modeling is evaluated. The study utilizes microwave backscatter collected from the DEMMIN test site in the North East of Germany during the AgriSAR 2006 campaign using fully polarimetric L-band E-SAR data. In addition to various measurements of soil physical properties, soil surface roughness was measured extensively using photogrammetric image matching techniques for ground truthing. The resulting micro-DSMs are analyzed to correlate a soil surface roughness index to three well established polarimetric roughness estimators. Good results are obtained for Re[ρRRLL] vs. RMS Height for areas with a polarimetric alpha angel α<40°, which is thus used to produce multi temporal roughness data of the test site. The proposed roughness inversion scheme showed sufficiently accurate results (RMSE=0.1) to allow for a first order assessment of soil-hydrological parameters (soil porosity, void ratio), which are crucial for the initialization and operation of hydrological surface models. While uncertainties remain, the dependency of soil bulk density parameters from surface roughness can be shown and thus highlights the potential of the retrieval approach for hydrological model applications.

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INFLUENCES OF BIOLOGICAL PREPARATIONS ON SOIL PROPERTIES IN THE SPRING WHEAT CROP

Proccedings of International Scientific Conference "RURAL DEVELOPMENT 2017" ◽

10.15544/rd.2017.013 ◽

2018 ◽

Author(s):

Rita ČEPULIENĖ ◽

Darija JODAUGIENĖ

Keyword(s):

Spring Wheat ◽

Soil Surface ◽

Chemical Compounds ◽

Mean Annual Precipitation ◽

Wheat Crop ◽

Mean Annual Temperature ◽

Biological Processes ◽

Micro Structure ◽

The Mean ◽

Fertilizer Rates

The natural biochemical, biophysical and biological processes in the soil is changing due to the intensive use of pesticides. At present, it is actual fertilization technologies, which are based on non-fertilizer rates increase bat on their rational use because in the fertilizer is unnecessary chemical compounds that promote mineral nutritional elements leaching. Have been studied the effect of biological preparations BactoMix, AgroMik and Rizobakterin on soil physical properties. Experiments were carried out in 2015–2016 at the Experimental Station of Aleksandras Stulginskis University on Calcari-Endohypogleyic Luvisol. The mean annual temperature of the study site is 6.0–6.5 °C, mean annual precipitation is 600–650 mm and mean annual length of sun shine is 1750–1800 hour (Lithuanian Hydrometeorological Service). Biological preparations sprayed on the soil surface and incorporated in the soil by sowing spring wheat. The use of biological preparations had a tendency to reduce soil density (from 2.3 to 5.3 %), to increase soil porosity (from 0.6 to 2.1 %). Biological preparations had no significant influence on quantity couples filled with moisture and air. The hardness of the soil after spring wheat harvest was the smallest in the fields sprayed by Rizobakterin preparation. The use of biological preparations BaktoMix and Rizobakterin significantly increased soil moisture. The following preparations significantly decreased soil pulverized fractions (micro structure) and significantly increased amount of particles larger than 10 mm.

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Introducing mungbean as a preceding crop to enhance nitrogen uptake and yield of rainfed rice in the north-east of Thailand

Australian Journal of Agricultural Research ◽

10.1071/ar06309 ◽

2007 ◽

Vol 58 (11) ◽

pp. 1059 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

P. Suriyakup ◽

A. Polthanee ◽

K. Pannangpetch ◽

R. Katawatin ◽

J. C. Mouret ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Rice Yield ◽

N Uptake ◽

Soil Surface ◽

Total N ◽

Yield Increase ◽

Nitrogen Levels ◽

North East ◽

The North ◽

Rainfed Rice ◽

The Difference

One possible management option for farmers to improve the soil nitrogen (N) supply for rice production is the cultivation of a prior legume. The objective of this study was to investigate the value of such an option in the lowland of the north-east of Thailand. Two experiments were established in 2 typical locations in a split-plot design with 4 replicates. The main plots included 3 nitrogen levels (0, 30, and 60 kg N/ha) and the subplots, 4 pre-rice managements: (i) fallow with weeds removed (FW–); (ii) with weeds incorporated before the rice crop (FW+); (iii) mungbean incorporated at flowering as green manure (MGM); or (iv) incorporated after grains harvest (MR+). In both experiments the difference in rice yield between MGM and MR+ was not significant. In Expt 1, in contrast to Expt 2, the rice yield increase due to MR+ was significant and significantly higher than that due to application of 60 kg N/ha. Moreover, significantly higher apparent recovery of N (ANRm, kg N uptake increase/kg N supplied by residues), probably due to the continuous flooding of the soil surface, was achieved in this experiment. The low values of internal efficiency of N (IEN, kg total grains/kg total N uptake), ANRf (Δ kg N uptake/kg N supplied by fertiliser), and of ANUEf (Δ kg grains/kg applied N fertiliser) recorded in the MR+ treatment of Expt 1, suggest that no application of N fertiliser is needed where the soil water conditions allow high recovery of the N supplied by a preceding mungbean crop.

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DO LATITUDE, ELEVATION, TEMPERATURE, AND PRECIPITATION INFLUENCE BODY AND CLUTCH SIZES OF FEMALE COMMON FIVE-LINED SKINKS, PLESTIODON FASCIATUS (LINNAEUS, 1758)?

Journal of North American Herpetology ◽

10.17161/jnah.vi.13867 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 32-41

Author(s):

Jake S. Morrissey ◽

Brandon Barr ◽

Andrew E. Austin ◽

Lauren R. Babcock ◽

Robert Powell

Keyword(s):

Body Size ◽

Mean Annual Precipitation ◽

Eastern North America ◽

Mean Annual Temperature ◽

Negatively Associated ◽

The North ◽

Female Body Size ◽

Temperature And Precipitation ◽

Plestiodon Fasciatus ◽

Positive Effect

Common Five-lined Skinks (Plestiodon fasciatus) have an extensive distribution that includes much of eastern North America. We examined 490 female specimens (274 with putative clutch sizes) from throughout the range to see if latitude, elevation, mean annual temperature, and/or mean annual precipitation affected body or clutch sizes. We predicted that larger females would produce larger clutches, latitude and elevation would negatively affect both body and clutch sizes, and that temperature and precipitation would exert a positive effect. Our results did not consistently support those predictions. Body size was positively associated with latitude, negatively associated with temperature, and not associated with elevation or precipitation. Clutch size was not related to female body size, but in most instances was positively associated with temperature and precipitation but negatively associated with elevation and latitude. Effectively K-selected in the North and r-selected in the South, body and clutch sizes in this species appear to be responding to different select.

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Influence of water availability in the distributions of branched glycerol dialkyl glycerol tetraether in soils of the Iberian Peninsula

Biogeosciences ◽

10.5194/bg-11-2571-2014 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 11 (10) ◽

pp. 2571-2581 ◽

Cited By ~ 41

Author(s):

J. Menges ◽

C. Huguet ◽

J. M. Alcañiz ◽

S. Fietz ◽

D. Sachse ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Iberian Peninsula ◽

Soil Ph ◽

Water Availability ◽

Aridity Index ◽

Mean Annual Precipitation ◽

Limiting Factor ◽

Mean Annual Temperature ◽

Hydrological Conditions ◽

Combined Application ◽

Influence Of Water

Abstract. The combined application of the MBT (degree of methylation) and CBT (degree of cyclization) indices, based on the distribution of branched glycerol dialkyl glycerol tetraethers (brGDGTs) in soils, has been proposed as a paleoproxy to estimate mean annual temperature (MAT). CBT quantifies the degree of cyclization of brGDGTs and relates to soil pH. MBT and the simplified version MBT' quantify the degree of methylation of brGDGTs and relate to MAT and soil pH. However, other factors such as soil water availability have also been suggested to influence MBT' and possibly restrict the combined application of the MBT' and CBT indices as a paleotemperature proxy. To assess the effect of hydrological conditions on MBT' and CBT, a set of 23 Iberian Peninsula soil samples, covering a MAT range from 10 to 18 °C and a mean annual precipitation (MAP) range of 405 mm to 1455 mm, was analyzed. We found that the CBT was indeed significantly correlated with soil pH in our sample set. In contrast, MBT' was not correlated with MAT but had a significant correlation with the aridity index (AI), a parameter related to water availability in soils. The AI can explain 50% of the variation of the MBT', and 70% of the residuals of MAT estimated with the MBT/CBT proxy as compared to instrumentally measured MAT. We propose that, in arid settings, where water may be an ecologically limiting factor, MBT' is influenced by hydrological conditions rather than temperature. Thus, our results suggest that the combination of MBT' and CBT indices should be applied with caution in paleotemperature reconstructions in soils from dry subhumid to hyperarid environments.

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USING MULTI-DIMENSIONAL MICROWAVE REMOTE SENSING INFORMATION FOR THE RETRIEVAL OF SOIL SURFACE ROUGHNESS

ISPRS - International Archives of the Photogrammetry, Remote Sensing and Spatial Information Sciences ◽

10.5194/isprsarchives-xli-b8-1257-2016 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol XLI-B8 ◽

pp. 1257-1262 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

P. Marzahn ◽

R. Ludwig

Keyword(s):

Surface Roughness ◽

Hydrological Modeling ◽

Soil Surface ◽

Microwave Remote Sensing ◽

Ground Truth ◽

Bare Soil ◽

North East ◽

The North ◽

Soil Surface Roughness ◽

Matching Techniques

In this Paper the potential of multi parametric polarimetric SAR (PolSAR) data for soil surface roughness estimation is investigated and its potential for hydrological modeling is evaluated. The study utilizes microwave backscatter collected from the Demmin testsite in the North-East Germany during AgriSAR 2006 campaign using fully polarimetric L-Band airborne SAR data. For ground truthing extensive soil surface roughness in addition to various other soil physical properties measurements were carried out using photogrammetric image matching techniques. The correlation between ground truth roughness indices and three well established polarimetric roughness estimators showed only good results for Re[ρRRLL] and the RMS Height s. Results in form of multitemporal roughness maps showed only satisfying results due to the fact that the presence and development of particular plants affected the derivation. However roughness derivation for bare soil surfaces showed promising results.

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Water availability determines branched glycerol dialkyl glycerol tetraether distributions in soils of the Iberian Peninsula

Biogeosciences Discussions ◽

10.5194/bgd-10-9043-2013 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 10 (6) ◽

pp. 9043-9068 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

J. Menges ◽

C. Huguet ◽

J. M. Alcañiz ◽

S. Fietz ◽

D. Sachse ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Iberian Peninsula ◽

Soil Ph ◽

Water Availability ◽

Aridity Index ◽

Mean Annual Precipitation ◽

Mean Annual Temperature ◽

Moisture Regimes ◽

Wide Range ◽

Moisture Conditions ◽

Significant Attention

Abstract. The MBT/CBT has recently gained significant attention as a novel paleotemperature proxy. It is based on the distribution of branched glycerol dialkyl glycerol tetraethers (GDGTs) in soils. The CBT quantifies the degree of cyclisation and relates to soil pH. The MBT' quantifies the degree of methylation and relates to mean annual temperature and soil pH. Combining these two indices allows estimation of mean annual temperature (MAT). However other factors such as soil water availability or moisture conditions have been suggested to influence the MBT'. To assess the effect of moisture conditions on the MBT'/CBT a set of 23 Iberian Peninsula soil samples covering a temperature range from 10–18 °C and a wide range of soil moisture regimes (405 mm to 1455 mm mean annual precipitation per year), was analyzed. We find that CBT is significantly correlated to soil pH confirming it as a robust proxy. In contrast the MBT' index was not correlated to MAT and was weakly correlated to annual mean precipitation (MAP). Instead we found a significant correlation between MBT' and the Aridity Index (AI), a parameter related to water availability in soils. The AI can explain 70% of the residuals of MAT estimation and 50% of the actual variation of the MBT'. This suggests that in dry environments or under moisture shortage the degree of methylation of branched GDGTs is not controlled by temperature but rather by the degree of water available. Our results suggest that the MBT/CBT index is not applicable as a paleotemperature proxy in dry subhumid to hyperarid environments.

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The Atacama toad (Rhinella atacamensis) exhibits an unusual clinal pattern of decreasing body size towards more arid environments

BMC Zoology ◽

10.1186/s40850-021-00090-w ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 6 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Felipe Durán ◽

Marco A. Méndez ◽

Claudio Correa

Keyword(s):

Body Size ◽

Geographic Variation ◽

Water Availability ◽

Size Variation ◽

Mean Annual Precipitation ◽

Arid Environments ◽

Theoretic Approach ◽

Adult Size ◽

The North ◽

Data Support

Abstract Background The causes of geographic variation of body size in ectotherms have generally been attributed to environmental variables. Research in amphibians has favored mechanisms that involve water availability as an explanation for the geographic variation of body size. However, there are few studies at intraspecific level on amphibians that inhabit desert or semi-desert environments, where hydric restrictions are stronger. Here, we describe and inquire as to the causes of the geographic variation of body size in the semi-desert toad Rhinella atacamensis, a terrestrial anuran that is distributed over 750 km along a latitudinal aridity gradient from the southern extreme of the Atacama Desert to the Mediterranean region of central Chile. We measured the snout-vent length of 315 adults from 11 representative localities of the entire distribution of the species. Then, using an information-theoretic approach, we evaluate whether the data support eight ecogeographic hypotheses proposed in literature. Results Rhinella atacamensis exhibits a gradual pattern of decrease in adult body size towards the north of its distribution, where the climate is more arid, which conforms to a Bergmann’s cline. The best model showed that the data support the mean annual precipitation as predictor of body size, favoring the converse water availability hypothesis. Conclusions Most studies in amphibians show that adult size increases in arid environments, but we found a converse pattern to expected according to the hydric constraints imposed by this type of environment. The evidence in R. atacamensis favors the converse water availability hypothesis, whose mechanism proposes that the foraging activity determined by the precipitation gradient has produced the clinal pattern of body size variation. The variation of this trait could also be affected by the decreasing productivity that exists towards the north of the species distribution. In addition, we found evidence that both pattern and mechanism are independent of sex. Lastly, we suggest that behavioral traits, such as nocturnal habits, might also play an important role determining this differential response to aridity. Therefore, the support for the converse water availability hypothesis found in this study shows that amphibians can respond in different ways to water restrictions imposed by arid environments.

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USING MULTI-DIMENSIONAL MICROWAVE REMOTE SENSING INFORMATION FOR THE RETRIEVAL OF SOIL SURFACE ROUGHNESS

ISPRS - International Archives of the Photogrammetry, Remote Sensing and Spatial Information Sciences ◽

10.5194/isprs-archives-xli-b8-1257-2016 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol XLI-B8 ◽

pp. 1257-1262

Author(s):

P. Marzahn ◽

R. Ludwig

Keyword(s):

Surface Roughness ◽

Hydrological Modeling ◽

Soil Surface ◽

Microwave Remote Sensing ◽

Ground Truth ◽

Bare Soil ◽

North East ◽

The North ◽

Soil Surface Roughness ◽

Matching Techniques

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Assessment of air pollution due to ozone in the north-east region Romania

Present Environment and Sustainable Development ◽

10.15551/pesd2021152014 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 15 (2) ◽

pp. 171-187

Author(s):

Alina Nistor ◽

Bogdan Nistor ◽

Dumitru Mihaila

Keyword(s):

Air Quality ◽

Ozone Concentration ◽

Negative Impact ◽

Soil Surface ◽

Road Transport ◽

Ozone Pollution ◽

Ozone Concentrations ◽

North East ◽

The North ◽

East Region

The results of air quality monitoring in automatic stations in the North-East Region-Romania (RNER) region in the period 2009 - 2020 indicated that the declared ozone concentration values were generally lower than those regulated by law - information threshold > 180 μg/m3 as required by Directive 2008/50/EC and Law 104/2011. Air quality in RNER relative to ozone concentration was good, with only one exceeding of the information threshold (NT1 - 28 April 2009, 12:00 - 180,28 μg/m3). The highest multi-annual averages (2009 – 2020) were calculated for IS 4 stations (59,5 μg/m3), EM 3 (53,4 μg/m3) and SV 1 (50,3 μg/m3). High values were generally recorded at urban-type stations, where urban characteristics, heavy road transport and the presence of airports generated high ozone concentrations. The lowest multi-annual ozone concentrations were calculated for stations VS 1 (41,5 μg/m3), BC 2 (41,9 μg/m3), IS 3 (42,0 μg/m3) and BC 3 (42,7 μg/m3). Low values were generally registered at industrial stations, where the atmospheric calm and the frequency of urban haze favored the accumulation of pollutants on the soil surface, limiting the formation of ozone. Ozone pollution is viewed with concern by environmental specialists in RNER, due to the fact that this element has a negative impact on people and the environment.

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