An ecosystem-based approach to support water quality assessment and management under climate and land-use condition

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrea Critto ◽  
Hung Vuong Pham ◽  
Anna Sperotto ◽  
Silvia Torresan ◽  
Elisa Furlan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Ecosystem Services ◽  
Best Management Practices ◽  
Water Demand ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Freshwater Ecosystems ◽  
Water Yield ◽  
Management Scenarios ◽  
Nitrogen And Phosphorus ◽  
Change Models

<p>Freshwater ecosystems can be negatively affected by climate change and human interventions through the alteration of water supply and demand. There is an urgent need to protect the ecosystems, and the services they provide, to maintain their essential contribution to human wellbeing and economic prosperity, especially in a rapid and unpredictable global change context. In this work, we developed an integrated approach, coupling the outputs of ecosystem services (InVEST), climate (COSMO-CLM) and land use (LUISA) change models utilizing Bayesian Networks (BNs), to map freshwater-related Ecosystem Services (ESs), namely, water yield, nitrogen and phosphorus retention, and to assess their changes until 2050 under different management scenarios. First, InVEST was calibrated and validated with climate and land-use data to map and quantify ESs. Second, outputs of the ES model were integrated into the BN and the changes induced by different learning techniques and input settings were investigated. Finally, thousands of different scenarios were simulated testing multiple input variables configurations, thus allowing to describe the uncertainty of climate conditions, land-use change and water demand. Two types of inferences were conducted, namely, diagnostic and prognostic inference. The former permitted to find the best combination of the key drivers (i.e.  precipitation, land-use, and water demand) so that ESs are maximized while the latter concentrated on the quantification of ESs under different scenarios. This approach was applied and validated in the Taro River basin in Italy. The results show that the values of all the three types of ESs would decline in the medium-term period under most scenarios. Moreover, there would be a limit of space to improve those values, especially for nutrient retention services. The obtained results provide valuable support to identify and prioritize the best management practices for sustainable water use, balancing the tradeoffs among services. This analysis allows decision-makers to pick up one scenario with a specific configuration of land-use and water demand to optimize relevant ESs within their basin. Finally, these decisions are transformed into a “decision space” where the values of selected services are plotted in the space of ES to represent the gain/loss of each decision.</p>

scholarly journals Modeling freshwater quality scenarios with ecosystem-based adaptation in the headwaters of the Cantareira system, Brazil

2018 ◽  
Vol 22 (9) ◽  
pp. 4699-4723 ◽  
Author(s):  
Denise Taffarello ◽  
Raghavan Srinivasan ◽  
Guilherme Samprogna Mohor ◽  
João Luis Bittencourt Guimarães ◽  
Maria do Carmo Calijuri ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Ecosystem Services ◽  
Water Supply ◽  
Best Management Practices ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Spatial Scales ◽  
Swat Model ◽  
Water Yield ◽  
Water Supply Systems ◽  
Land Use Scenario

Abstract. Although hydrologic models provide hypothesis testing of complex dynamics occurring at catchments, freshwater quality modeling is still incipient at many subtropical headwaters. In Brazil, a few modeling studies assess freshwater nutrients, limiting policies on hydrologic ecosystem services. This paper aims to compare freshwater quality scenarios under different land-use and land-cover (LULC) change, one of them related to ecosystem-based adaptation (EbA), in Brazilian headwaters. Using the spatially semi-distributed Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) model, nitrate, total phosphorous (TP) and sediment were modeled in catchments ranging from 7.2 to 1037 km2. These headwaters were eligible areas of the Brazilian payment for ecosystem services (PES) projects in the Cantareira water supply system, which had supplied water to 9 million people in the São Paulo metropolitan region (SPMR). We considered SWAT modeling of three LULC scenarios: (i) recent past scenario (S1), with historical LULC in 1990; (ii) current land-use scenario (S2), with LULC for the period 2010–2015 with field validation; and (iii) future land-use scenario with PES (S2 + EbA). This latter scenario proposed forest cover restoration through EbA following the river basin plan by 2035. These three LULC scenarios were tested with a selected record of rainfall and evapotranspiration observed in 2006–2014, with the occurrence of extreme droughts. To assess hydrologic services, we proposed the hydrologic service index (HSI), as a new composite metric comparing water pollution levels (WPL) for reference catchments, related to the grey water footprint (greyWF) and water yield. On the one hand, water quality simulations allowed for the regionalization of greyWF at spatial scales under LULC scenarios. According to the critical threshold, HSI identified areas as less or more sustainable catchments. On the other hand, conservation practices simulated through the S2 + EbA scenario envisaged not only additional and viable best management practices (BMP), but also preventive decision-making at the headwaters of water supply systems.

scholarly journals Enhancing Ecosystem Services to Minimize Impact of Climate Variability in a Dry Tropical Forest with Vertisols

Hydrology ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 46
Author(s):  
Maria Simas Guerreiro ◽  
Eunice Maia de Andrade ◽  
Helba Araújo de Queiroz Palácio ◽  
José Bandeira Brasil ◽  
Jacques Carvalho Ribeiro Filho
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Ecosystem Services ◽  
Tropical Forest ◽  
Biomass Production ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Management Practice ◽  
Water Yield ◽  
Dry Tropical Forest ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Semi Arid

Increased droughts and variable rainfall patterns may alter the capacity to provide ecosystem services, such as biomass production and clean water provision. The impact of these factors in a semi-arid region, especially on a dry tropical forest with Vertisols and under different land uses such as regenerated vegetation and thinned vegetation, is still unclear. This study analyzes hydrologic processes under precipitation pulses and intra-seasonal droughts, and suggests management practices for ecosystem services improvement. A local 43-year dataset showed a varying climate with a decrease in number of small events, and an increase in the number of dry days and in event rainfall intensity, in two catchments with different land use patterns and with Vertisols, a major soil order in semi-arid tropics. The onset of runoff depends on the expansive characteristics of the soil rather than land use, as dry spells promote micro-cracks that delay the runoff process. Forest thinning enhances groundcover development and is a better management practice for biomass production. This management practice shows a lower water yield when compared to a regenerated forest, supporting the decision of investing in forest regeneration in order to attend to an increasing water storage demand.

Pesticide Contamination of Groundwater in Virginia: BMP Impact Assessment

1993 ◽  
Vol 28 (3-5) ◽  
pp. 379-387 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Mostaghimi ◽  
P. W. McClellan ◽  
R. A. Cooke
Keyword(s):  
Water Quality ◽  
Land Use ◽  
Best Management Practices ◽  
Water Samples ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Water Quality Monitoring ◽  
Pesticide Contamination ◽  
Cropping Patterns ◽  
Creek Watershed ◽  
Surface And Groundwater

The Nomini Creek Watershed/Water Quality monitoring project was initiated in 1985, as part of the Chesapeake Bay Agreement of 1983, to quantify the impacts of agricultural best management practices (BMPs) on improving water quality. The watershed monitoring system was designed to provide a comprehensive assessment of the quality of surface and groundwater as influenced by changes in land use, agronomic, and cultural practices in the watershed over the duration of the project. The primary chemical characteristics monitored include both soluble and sediment-bound nutrients and pesticides in surface and groundwater. Water samples from 8 monitoring wells located in agricultural areas in the watershed were analyzed for 22 pesticides. A total of 20 pesticides have been detected in water samples collected. Atrazine is the most frequently detected pesticide. Detected concentrations of atrazine ranged from 0.03 - 25.56 ppb and occurred in about 26 percent of the samples. Other pesticides were detected at frequencies ranging from 1.6 to 14.2 percent of all samples collected and concentrations between 0.01 and 41.89 ppb. The observed concentrations and spatial distributions of pesticide contamination of groundwater are compared to land use and cropping patterns. Results indicate that BMPs are quite effective in reducing pesticide concentrations in groundwater.

scholarly journals The Influence of Land Use Change on Key Ecosystem Services and Their Relationships in a Mountain Region from Past to Future (1995–2050)

Forests ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (5) ◽  
pp. 616
Author(s):  
Jie Gao ◽  
Xuguang Tang ◽  
Shiqiu Lin ◽  
Hongyan Bian
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Ecosystem Services ◽  
Land Use Change ◽  
Sustainable Land Use ◽  
Mountain Region ◽  
Water Yield ◽  
Mountain Regions ◽  
Mountain Areas ◽  
The Government ◽  
Steep Slopes

The ecosystem services (ESs) provided by mountain regions can bring about benefits to people living in and around the mountains. Ecosystems in mountain areas are fragile and sensitive to anthropogenic disturbance. Understanding the effect of land use change on ESs and their relationships can lead to sustainable land use management in mountain regions with complex topography. Chongqing, as a typical mountain region, was selected as the site of this research. The long-term impacts of land use change on four key ESs (i.e., water yield (WY), soil conservation (SC), carbon storage (CS), and habitat quality (HQ)) and their relationships were assessed from the past to the future (at five-year intervals, 1995–2050). Three future scenarios were constructed to represent the ecological restoration policy and different socioeconomic developments. From 1995 to 2015, WY and SC experienced overall increases. CS and HQ increased slightly at first and then decreased significantly. A scenario analysis suggested that, if the urban area continues to increase at low altitudes, by 2050, CS and HQ are predicted to decrease moderately. However, great improvements in SC, HQ, and CS are expected to be achieved by the middle of the century if the government continues to make efforts towards vegetation restoration on the steep slopes.

scholarly journals Assessing Matching Characteristics and Spatial Differences between Supply and Demand of Ecosystem Services: A Case Study in Hangzhou, China

Land ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (6) ◽  
pp. 582
Author(s):  
Peng Tian ◽  
Jialin Li ◽  
Luodan Cao ◽  
Ruiliang Pu ◽  
Hongbo Gong ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Ecosystem Services ◽  
Urban Area ◽  
Food Supply ◽  
Soil Conservation ◽  
Supply And Demand ◽  
Water Yield ◽  
Western Region ◽  
Trade Offs ◽  
Carbon Retention

Ecosystem services (ESs) is a term used to describe the foundations of the well-being of human society, and several relevant studies have been carried out in this area. However, given the fact that the complex trade-offs/synergy relationships of ESs are a challenging area, studies on matching mechanisms for ES supply and demand are still rare. In this study, using the InVEST model, ArcGIS, and other professional tools, we first mapped and quantitatively evaluated the supply and demand of five ES types (water yield, soil conservation, carbon retention, food supply, and leisure and entertainment) in Hangzhou, China, based on land use, meteorology, soil, and socio-economic data. Then, we analyzed the matching characteristics between the supply and demand of these ESs and analyzed the complex trade-offs and synergy between the supply and demand of ESs and factors affecting ESs. The results of this analysis indicate that although the ES supply and demand of carbon retention tended to be out of balance (supply was less than demand), the supply and demand of the other four ES types (i.e., water yield, soil conservation, food supply, and leisure and entertainment) were in balance (supply exceeded demand). Finally, the spatial heterogeneity of the supply and demand of ESs in Hangzhou was significant, especially in urban areas in the northeast and mountainous areas in the southwest. The supply of ESs was based on trade-offs, whereas the demand of ESs was based on synergy. Our results further show that the supply and demand of ESs in the urban area in Hangzhou were out of balance, whereas the supply and demand of ESs in the western region were coordinated. Therefore, the linkage of ES flows between this urban area and the western region should be strengthened. This innovative study could provide useful information for regional land use planning and environmental protection.

The future of soil biochemistry and services in the UK under plausible climate, land use and land management scenarios

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dmitry Yumashev ◽  
Victoria Janes-Bassett ◽  
Jess Davies
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Land Management ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Crop Yields ◽  
Grassland Restoration ◽  
Climate Scenarios ◽  
Management Scenarios ◽  
Nitrogen Emissions ◽  
Soil Biochemistry ◽  
The Uk

<p>In this study, we explore plausible future states of soil organic matter, biomass, food production and soil greenhouse gas emissions across the UK under a range of climate, land use and land management scenarios. We use state-of-the-art soil biochemistry model, N14CP-Ag, combined with UKCP18 climate scenarios and ASSET land cover change and crop scenarios mapped onto a UK-wide grid with around 100,000 land parcels. Historic runs cover the period from the start of the Holocene interglacial (-12 kyr BP) to 2015; scenarios run from 2016 out to 2100. The results show variations of soil organic carbon (SOC) of around 10% between 2016 and 2100 relative to the simulated starting value of 1.4 Gton in 2015, with reductions of up to 7% under arable expansion scenarios and increases of up to 3% under grassland restoration scenarios. The effect of changing cropping patterns on UK-wide SOC is comparatively small. As climate scenarios move from lower to higher global emissions, the SOC reductions under arable expansion become more pronounced, while the SOC increases under grassland restoration diminish and eventually turn into losses. UK-wide crop yields show resilience to climate change and are maximised for the arable expansion scenario with protected sites of special scientific interest. Soil CO2 and nitrogen emissions get progressively higher in warmer climates. The results of this study are expected to contribute to a future UK agricultural policy aimed at rewarding farmers for sustainable land management practices.</p>

scholarly journals Calibration and validation of SWAT model and estimation of water balance components of Shaya mountainous watershed, Southeastern Ethiopia

2013 ◽  
Vol 10 (11) ◽  
pp. 13955-13978 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. A. Shawul ◽  
T. Alamirew ◽  
M. O. Dinka
Keyword(s):  
Best Management Practices ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Assessment Tool ◽  
Swat Model ◽  
Watershed Modeling ◽  
Coefficient Of Determination ◽  
Water Yield ◽  
Time Step ◽  
Monthly Streamflow ◽  
Mountainous Watershed

Abstract. To utilize water resources in a sustainable manner, it is necessary to understand the quantity and quality in space and time. This study was initiated to evaluate the performance and applicability of the physically based Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) model in analyzing the influence of hydrologic parameters on the streamflow variability and estimation of monthly and seasonal water yield at the outlet of Shaya mountainous watershed. The calibrated SWAT model performed well for simulation of monthly streamflow. Statistical model performance measures, coefficient of determination (r2) of 0.71, the Nash–Sutcliffe simulation efficiency (ENS) of 0.71 and percent difference (D) of 3.69, for calibration and 0.76, 0.75 and 3.30, respectively for validation, indicated good performance of the model simulation on monthly time step. Mean monthly and annual water yield simulated with the calibrated model were found to be 25.8 mm and 309.0 mm, respectively. Overall, the model demonstrated good performance in capturing the patterns and trend of the observed flow series, which confirmed the appropriateness of the model for future scenario simulation. Therefore, SWAT model can be taken as a potential tool for simulation of the hydrology of unguaged watershed in mountainous areas, which behave hydro-meteorologically similar with Shaya watershed. Future studies on Shaya watershed modeling should address the issues related to water quality and evaluate best management practices.

scholarly journals Case study of extracting soil and land use maps to determine agricultural best management practices that can be applied to prevent erosion and fertile soil loss

2020 ◽  
Vol 61 (4) ◽  
pp. 313-327
Author(s):  
Akıner Ernur
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Best Management Practices ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Assessment Tool ◽  
Management Practice ◽  
Global Climate ◽  
Residential Areas ◽  
Filter Strips ◽  
Land Type ◽  
Agricultural Areas

The Büyük Melen river in the Melen Basin meets Istanbul's drinking water needs. Protecting the basin against nutrient pollution is vital in this regard as well. This study focuses on the best possible management practice (BMPs) in the Melen Basin to reduce the export of nutrients from the agricultural areas. A region comprising industrial, farming, and residential zones is the Melen basin. There is a forecast of global climate change in Turkey, and scientists and also governors must know which areas are no longer farming zones and which will be more appropriate for agriculture. Turkey's territory is a high-risk desertification area. In Melen Basin, the soil type and land use properties have been determined and mapped using GIS and Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT). Buffer BMP filter strips can be used effectively for nutrient protection that can be carried from residential areas and motorways by runoff. The region in the basin is steep, and its clay and sandy soil structures are ideal for parallel terraces, grade stabilization, strip, and contour cultivation. Unless the ground can not retain or store water, the soil can undergo sudden floods, causing an erosion of the soil's productive surface layer. When we protect the land, this condition is reduced. The land type and land use mapping should be drawn up as soon as possible for the remaining Turkish basins by scientific methods. This research is intended to be an illustration for researches on other agricultural basins in Turkey and the world for this reason.

scholarly journals Modeling the supply, demand, and stress of water resources using ecosystem services concept in Sirvan River Basin (Kurdistan-Iran)

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jahanbakhsh Balist ◽  
Bahram Malekmohammadi ◽  
Hamid Reza Jafari ◽  
Ahmad Nohegar ◽  
Davide Geneletti
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Ecosystem Services ◽  
Water Resources ◽  
River Basin ◽  
Water Scarcity ◽  
Supply And Demand ◽  
Stress Index ◽  
Water Yield ◽  
Yield Model ◽  
Software Environment

Abstract Water resources modeling can provide valuable information to planners. In this respect, water yield is an ecosystem service with significant roles in the sustainability of societies and ecosystems. The present study aimed to model the supply and demand of water resources and identify their scarcity and stress in the Sirvan river basin. For this purpose, we employed the ecosystem services concept as new thinking in earth sciences and using soil, climate, and land use data. Firstly, the Landsat satellite images of 2019 were prepared after different corrections, and the land use map was produced. Then, precipitation, evapotranspiration, root restricting layer depth, and evapotranspiration coefficients of the land uses were prepared and modeled in InVEST 3.8.9 software environment. The findings indicated that the water yield in this river basin is 5,381 million m3, with sub-basins 5, 11, and 1 having the highest water yield per year and sub-basin 2 having the lowest water yield. Moreover, sub-basins 5 and 11 had the highest water consumption. Based on the estimated water scarcity and stress index, sub-basin 8 has experienced water scarcity and sub-basin 4 water stress. We conclude that applying the InVEST Water Yield model to assess water resource status at the basin and sub-basins level can provide suitable results for planning.

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