scholarly journals A signature-based approach to quantify soil moisture dynamics under contrasting land-uses

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ryoko Araki ◽  
Flora Branger ◽  
Inge Wiekenkamp ◽  
Hilary McMillan
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Soil Moisture ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Shallow Groundwater ◽  
Land Uses ◽  
Catchment Scale ◽  
Soil Moisture Dynamics ◽  
Land Use Types ◽  
Event Based ◽  
Moisture Dynamics

Soil moisture signatures provide a promising solution to overcome the difficulty of evaluating soil moisture dynamics in hydrologic models. Soil moisture signatures are metrics that quantify the dynamic aspects of soil moisture timeseries and enable process-based model evaluations. To date, soil moisture signatures have been tested only under limited land-use types. In this study, we explore soil moisture signatures’ ability to discriminate different dynamics among contrasting land-uses. We applied a set of nine soil moisture signatures to datasets from six in-situ soil moisture networks worldwide. The dataset covered a range of land-use types, including forested and deforested areas, shallow groundwater areas, wetlands, urban areas, grazed areas, and cropland areas. Our set of signatures characterized soil moisture dynamics at three temporal scales: event, season, and a complete timeseries. Statistical assessment of extracted signatures showed that (1) event-based signatures can distinguish different dynamics for all the land-uses, (2) season-based signatures can distinguish different dynamics for some types of land-uses (deforested vs. forested, urban vs. greenspace, and cropped vs. grazed vs. grassland contrasts), (3) timeseries-based signatures can distinguish different dynamics for some types of land-uses (deforested vs. forested, urban vs. greenspace, shallow vs. deep groundwater, wetland vs. non-wetland, and cropped vs. grazed vs. grassland contrasts). Further, we compared signature-based process interpretations against literature knowledge; event-based and timeseries-based signatures generally matched well with previous process understandings from literature, but season-based signatures did not. This study will be a useful guideline for understanding how catchment-scale soil moisture dynamics in various land-uses can be described using a standardized set of hydrologically relevant metrics.

scholarly journals A signature-based approach to quantify soil moisture dynamics under contrasting land-uses

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ryoko Araki ◽  
Flora Branger ◽  
Inge Wiekenkamp ◽  
Hilary McMillan
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Time Series ◽  
Soil Moisture ◽  
Shallow Groundwater ◽  
Storm Event ◽  
Land Uses ◽  
Soil Moisture Dynamics ◽  
Land Use Types ◽  
Event Based ◽  
Moisture Dynamics

Soil moisture signatures provide a promising solution to overcome the difficulty of evaluating soil moisture dynamics in hydrologic models. Soil moisture signatures are metrics that represent catchment dynamics extracted from time series of data and enable process-based model evaluations. To date, soil moisture signatures have been tested only under limited land-use types. In this study, we explore soil moisture signatures’ ability to discriminate different dynamics among contrasting land-uses. We applied a set of nine soil moisture signatures to datasets from six in-situ soil moisture networks worldwide. The dataset covers a range of land-use types, including forested and deforested areas, shallow groundwater areas, wetlands, housing areas, grazed areas, and cropland areas. These signatures characterize soil moisture dynamics at three temporal scales: event, seasonal, and time-series scales. Statistical and visual assessment of extracted signatures showed that (1) storm event-based signatures can distinguish different dynamics for most land-uses, (2) season-based signatures are useful to distinguish different dynamics for some types of land-uses (forested vs. deforested area, greenspace vs. housing area, and deep vs. shallow groundwater area), (3) timeseries-based signatures can distinguish different dynamics for some types of land-uses (forested vs. deforested area, deep vs. shallow groundwater area, non-wetland vs. wetland area, and ungrazed vs. grazed area). We compared signature-based process interpretations against literature knowledge: event-based and time series-based signatures were generally matched well with previous process understandings from literature, but season-based signatures did not. This study demonstrates the best practices of extracting soil moisture signatures under various land-use and climate environments and applying signatures for model evaluations.

Modelling the Hydrologic Regime of Arid Inland Wetlands: Non-linear Relationship Between Root-uptakes of Water and Underground Water Table

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lin Li ◽  
Hu Liu ◽  
Yang Yu ◽  
Wenzhi Zhao
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Land Use ◽  
Soil Moisture ◽  
Water Table ◽  
Land Use Changes ◽  
Northwestern China ◽  
Wetland Ecosystem ◽  
Soil Moisture Dynamics ◽  
Inland Wetlands ◽  
Moisture Dynamics

<p><strong>Abstract: </strong>Wetlands remaining in the arid inland river landscapes of northwestern China suffer degradation and their resilience and ability to continue functioning under hydrologic and land use changes resulting from climate change may be significantly inhibited. Information on the desert-oasis wetlands, however, is sparse and knowledge of how ecological functioning and resilience may change under climate change and water-resource management is still lacking. Research in oasis wetland areas of the Northwestern China identified linkages between subsurface flow, plant transpiration, and water levels. In this study, we present an ecohydrological analysis of the energy and water balance in the wetland ecosystem. A process-based stochastic soil moisture model developed for groundwater-dependent ecosystems was employed to modelling the interactions between rainfall, water table fluctuations, soil moisture dynamics, and vegetation, and to investigate the ecohydrology of arid inland wetlands system. Field measured groundwater levels, vertical soil moisture profiles, soil water potentials, and root biomass allocation and transpiration of pioneer species in the wetlands were used to calibrate and validate the stochastic model. The parameterized model was then running to simulate the probability distributions of soil moisture and root water uptake, and quantitative descript the vegetation–water table–soil moisture interplay in the hypothesized scenarios of future. Our analysis suggested the increasing rates of water extraction and regulation of hydrologic processes, coupled with destruction of natural vegetation, and climate change, are jeopardizing the future persistence of wetlands and the ecological and socio-economic functions they support. To understand how climate change will impact on the ecohydrological functioning of wetlands, both hydrological and land use changes need to be considered in future works.</p><p><strong>Keywords: </strong>Wetland ecosystem, groundwater, soil moisture dynamics, water balances, Heihe River Basin</p>

A catchment-based approach to recharge estimation in the Liverpool Plains, NSW, Australia

2006 ◽  
Vol 57 (3) ◽  
pp. 309 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. Sun ◽  
P. S. Cornish
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Assessment Tool ◽  
Shallow Groundwater ◽  
Land Uses ◽  
Point Scale ◽  
Catchment Scale ◽  
Crop Models ◽  
Scale Models ◽  
Catchment Model ◽  
Catchment Runoff

This study investigated drainage and shallow groundwater change in a headwater catchment of the Liverpool Plains in north-western New South Wales. A catchment model, SWAT (Soil and Water Assessment Tool), was used to explore rain-fed drainage to shallow groundwater and its relationship to land use. Drainage was predicted along with the prediction of runoff on a catchment and land-use basis over a simulation period of 44 years. Predicted drainage in the catchment was 8 mm/year for the 44 years, which essentially matched estimates derived from bore data observed in the catchment over a 22-year period. These estimates of drainage are much lower than published estimates based on scaling up to the catchment using estimates of drainage derived from point-scale models for different land uses. Estimates of drainage for the different land uses, derived from the catchment model, were also generally lower than simulated drainages from other studies in the area using point-scale models. The investigation demonstrates a place for catchment-based modelling for estimating drainage at the catchment scale. This is mainly because observed catchment runoff is used as an error controller in catchment recharge modelling, whereas scaled-up point-scale modelling generally does not use observed catchment runoff to derive the catchment drainage. Modelling on the Liverpool Plains catchment also suggests that some of the drainage entering the vadose zone and groundwater is later lost via evapotranspiration, a process not generally simulated in crop models, and requiring further investigation to improve understanding of recharge processes and accuracy of modelling.

Elucidating soil moisture dynamics in agricultural landscapes under varying weather patterns

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Veronica Fritz ◽  
Thakshajini Thaasan ◽  
Andrew Williams ◽  
Ranjith Udawatta ◽  
Sidath Mendis ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Soil Moisture ◽  
Soil Water ◽  
Water Cycle ◽  
Water Storage ◽  
Soil Water Storage ◽  
Storm Events ◽  
Weather Patterns ◽  
Land Use Types ◽  
Moisture Dynamics

<p>Changing weather patterns and anthropogenic land use change significantly alter the terrestrial water cycle. A key variable that modulates the water cycle on the land surface is soil moisture and its variability in time and space. Hydrological models are used to simulate key components of the water cycle including infiltration, soil storage and uptake by plants. However, uncertainties remain in accurately representing soil moisture dynamics in models. Here, with the aid of several sensors installed at a 30-ha experimental research facility, we attempt to quantify differences in soil water storage across multiple land use types – cropped area, mosaic of turf grass and native plants, and an unkept weeded area as control land use. We will also discuss the accuracy of sensors to correctly measure soil water storage. Our study was conducted at an agricultural experimental station in Columbia, Missouri, USA. We use a variety of instruments to measure weather, evapotranspiration, and soil water. We used boundary layer scintillometers to measure near-surface turbulence, sensors to continuously track soil moisture and temperature, as well as weather stations for precipitation, air temperature, solar radiation and wind speed.  Changes in volumetric water content and soil temperature are measured at 5-minute intervals at 10-, 20-, and 40-cm soil depths to compare soil water storage among the three land use types. We also took soil samples before and after several storm events to calibrate the sensor readings at three sites. We, then, analyzed several storm events over a period of five months and compared the actual soil moisture and soil temperature dynamics at finer time intervals. With additional measurements of weather and boundary layer turbulence, we hope to reveal the landscape and weather control on soil moisture distribution across multiple land uses, and their subsequent impact on plant water uptake. Our preliminary results indicate that continuously disturbed agricultural lands depletes soil moisture at faster rates, which may present challenges in maintaining land productivity in the long term.</p>

scholarly journals Recent Land Use Changes on an Urban Watershed in Moncton, New Brunswick, Canada

2016 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mélanie LeBlanc ◽  
Guillaume Fortin
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Land Use Changes ◽  
Land Uses ◽  
Urban Watershed ◽  
Surface Areas ◽  
Run Off ◽  
Land Use Types ◽  
Natural Land ◽  
The City

Changes in land use, which threaten ecosystems and habitats, have an impact on run-off and water quality on urban areas. Using a GIS program we have classified the land use of the Humphreys Brook watershed and quantified the changes that have occurred using landscape metrics. A rapid growth of the city emerges from our results. All land use types of urban nature have seen an increase in surface areas to the detriment of natural land uses. Moreover the landscape indices are showing signs of rectangularity, where humans have introduced straight edges, and other common processes of transformation to the landscape.

scholarly journals Analysis of soil moisture condition under different land uses in the arid region of Horqin sandy land, northern China

Solid Earth ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 6 (4) ◽  
pp. 1157-1167 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. Y. Niu ◽  
A. Musa ◽  
Y. Liu
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Soil Moisture ◽  
Soil Water ◽  
Soil Layer ◽  
Temporal Variations ◽  
Land Uses ◽  
Deep Soil ◽  
Moisture Condition ◽  
Soil Moisture Condition ◽  
Land Use Types

Abstract. Land use plays an important role in controlling spatial and temporal variations of soil moisture by influencing infiltration rates, runoff and evapotranspiration, which is important to crop growth and vegetation restoration in semiarid environments, such as Horqin sandy land in north China. However, few studies have been conducted comparing differences of dynamics of soil water conditions and the responses of soil to infiltration under different land use types in semiarid area. Five different land use types were selected to analyze soil moisture variations in relation to land use patterns during the growing season of 2 years. Results showed that soil moisture condition was affected by different land uses in semi-arid sandy soils. The higher soil moisture content among different land uses was exhibited by the grassland, followed by cropland, poplar land, inter-dunes and shrub land. The temporal variations of soil moisture in different land uses were not always consistent with the rainfall due to the dry sequence. Moreover, soil water at the surface, in the root zone and at the deep soil layer indicated statistical differences for different types of land cover. Meanwhile, temporal variations of soil moisture profile changed with precipitation. However, in the deep soil layer, there was a clear lag in response to precipitation. In addition, seasonal variations of profile soil moisture were classified into two types: increasing and waving types. And the stable soil water layer was at 80–120 cm. Furthermore, the infiltration depth exhibited a positive correlation with precipitation under all land uses. This study provided an insight into the implications for land and agricultural water management in this area.

scholarly journals Event and seasonal hydrologic connectivity patterns in an agricultural headwater catchment

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lovrenc Pavlin ◽  
Borbála Széles ◽  
Peter Strauss ◽  
Alfred Paul Blaschke ◽  
Günter Blöschl
Keyword(s):  
Soil Moisture ◽  
Shallow Groundwater ◽  
Groundwater Table ◽  
Peak Time ◽  
Spatial And Temporal Patterns ◽  
Topographic Wetness Index ◽  
Event Scale ◽  
Soil Moisture Dynamics ◽  
Moisture Dynamics ◽  
Headwater Catchment

Abstract. Connectivity of the hillslope and the stream is a non stationary and non linear phenomenon dependent on many controls. The objective of this study is to identify these controls by examining the spatial and temporal patterns of the similarity between shallow groundwater and soil moisture dynamics and streamflow dynamics in the Hydrological Open Air Laboratory (HOAL), a small (66 ha) agricultural headwater catchment in Lower Austria. We investigate the responses to 53 precipitation events and the seasonal dynamics of streamflow, groundwater and soil moisture over two years. The similarity, in terms of Spearman correlation coefficient, hysteresis index and peak-to-peak time, of groundwater to streamflow shows a clear spatial organisation, which is best correlated to topographic position index, topographic wetness index and depth to the groundwater table. The similarity is greatest in the riparian zone and diminishes further away from the stream where the groundwater table is deeper. Soil moisture dynamics show high similarity to streamflow but no clear spatial pattern. This is reflected in a low correlation of the similarity to site-characteristics, however, the similarity increases with increasing catchment wetness and rainfall duration. Groundwater connectivity to the stream on the seasonal scale is higher than that on the event scale indicating that groundwater contributes more to the baseflow than to event runoff.

scholarly journals Emerging methods for noninvasive sensing of soil moisture dynamics from field to catchment scale: a review

2015 ◽  
Vol 2 (6) ◽  
pp. 635-647 ◽  
Author(s):  
Heye R. Bogena ◽  
Johan A. Huisman ◽  
Andreas Güntner ◽  
Christof Hübner ◽  
Jürgen Kusche ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Soil Moisture ◽  
Catchment Scale ◽  
Soil Moisture Dynamics ◽  
Noninvasive Sensing ◽  
Moisture Dynamics
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