scholarly journals Time-Of-Flight monitoring reveals higher sediment redistribution rates related to burrowing animals than previously assumed

2022 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paulina Grigusova ◽  
Annegret Larsen ◽  
Sebastian Achilles ◽  
Roland Brandl ◽  
Camilo del Río ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Arid Zone ◽  
Sediment Flux ◽  
Arid Climate ◽  
Detection Accuracy ◽  
Climate Zone ◽  
Surface Microtopography ◽  
Sediment Redistribution ◽  
New Instrument ◽  
The Mediterranean ◽  
Hillslope Scale

Abstract. Burrowing animals influence surface microtopography and hillslope sediment redistribution, but changes often remain undetected due to a lack of autonomous high resolution field monitoring techniques. In this study we present a new approach to quantify microtopographic variations and surface changes caused by burrowing animals and rainfall-driven erosional processes applied to remote field plots in arid and mediterranean Chile. We compared the mass balance of redistributed sediment within plot areas affected and not affected by burrowing animals, quantified the cumulative sediment redistribution caused by animals and rainfall, and upscaled the results to the hillslope scale. The new instrument showed a very good detection accuracy. The cumulative sediment redistribution within areas affected by burrowing animals was higher (−10.44 cm3 cm−2 year−1) in the mediterranean than the arid climate zone ( −1.41 cm3 cm−2 year−1). Daily sediment redistribution during rainfall within areas affected by burrowing animals were up to 350 % / 40 % higher in the mediterranean / arid zone compared to the unaffected areas, and much higher than previously reported in studies not based on continuous microtopographic monitoring. Furthermore, 38 % of the sediment eroding from the burrows accumulated within the burrow entrance while 62 % was incorporated into overall hillslope sediment flux. The cumulative sediment excavation by the animals was 14.62 cm3 cm−2 year−1 in the mediterranean and 16.41 cm3 cm−2 year−1 in the arid climate zone. Our findings can be implemented into long-term soil erosion models that rely on soil processes but do not yet include animal-induced surface processes on microtopographical scales in their algorithms.

scholarly journals How will climate change modify river flow regimes in Europe?

2013 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
pp. 325-339 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. Schneider ◽  
C. L. R. Laizé ◽  
M. C. Acreman ◽  
M. Flörke
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
River Flow ◽  
Anthropogenic Impacts ◽  
Flow Characteristics ◽  
Flow Regimes ◽  
Temperate Climate ◽  
Climate Zone ◽  
Natural Flow ◽  
The Mediterranean ◽  
Boreal Climate

Abstract. Worldwide, flow regimes are being modified by various anthropogenic impacts and climate change induces an additional risk. Rising temperatures, declining snow cover and changing precipitation patterns will interact differently at different locations. Consequently, in distinct climate zones, unequal consequences can be expected in matters of water stress, flood risk, water quality, and food security. In particular, river ecosystems and their vital ecosystem services will be compromised as their species richness and composition have evolved over long time under natural flow conditions. This study aims at evaluating the exclusive impacts of climate change on river flow regimes in Europe. Various flow characteristics are taken into consideration and diverse dynamics are identified for each distinct climate zone in Europe. In order to simulate present-day natural flow regimes and future flow regimes under climate change, the global hydrology model WaterGAP3 is applied. All calculations for current and future conditions (2050s) are carried out on a 5' × 5' European grid. To address uncertainty, bias-corrected climate forcing data of three different global climate models are used to drive WaterGAP3. Finally, the hydrological alterations of different flow characteristics are quantified by the Indicators of Hydrological Alteration approach. Results of our analysis indicate that on the European scale, climate change can be expected to modify flow regimes remarkably. This is especially the case in the Mediterranean (due to drier conditions with reduced precipitation across the year) and in the boreal climate zone (due to reduced snowmelt, increased precipitation, and strong temperature rises). In the temperate climate zone, impacts increase from oceanic to continental. Regarding single flow characteristics, strongest impacts on timing were found for the boreal climate zone. This applies for both high and low flows. Flow magnitudes, in turn, will be predominantly altered in the Mediterranean but also in the Northern climates. At the end of this study, typical future flow regimes under climate change are illustrated for each climate zone.

scholarly journals Water and forests in the Mediterranean hot climate zone: a review based on a hydraulic interpretation of tree functioning

2016 ◽  
Vol 25 (2) ◽  
pp. eR02 ◽  
Author(s):  
Teresa Soares David ◽  
Clara Assunção Pinto ◽  
Nadezhda Nadezhdina ◽  
Jorge Soares David
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Forest Management ◽  
Water Resources ◽  
Water Availability ◽  
Forest Growth ◽  
Bibliographic Databases ◽  
Climate Zone ◽  
Hot Climate ◽  
Tree Survival ◽  
The Mediterranean

Aim of the study: Water scarcity is the main limitation to forest growth and tree survival in the Mediterranean hot climate zone. This paper reviews literature on the relations between water and forests in the region, and their implications on forest and water resources management. The analysis is based on a hydraulic interpretation of tree functioning.Area of the study: The review covers research carried out in the Mediterranean hot climate zone, put into perspective of wider/global research on the subject. The scales of analysis range from the tree to catchment levels.Material and Methods: For literature review we used Scopus, Web of Science and Google Scholar as bibliographic databases. Data from two Quercus suber sites in Portugal were used for illustrative purposes.Main results: We identify knowledge gaps and discuss options to better adapt forest management to climate change under a tree water use/availability perspective. Forest management is also discussed within the wider context of catchment water balance: water is a constraint for biomass production, but also for other human activities such as urban supply, industry and irrigated agriculture.Research highlights: Given the scarce and variable (in space and in time) water availability in the region, further research is needed on: mapping the spatial heterogeneity of water availability to trees; adjustment of tree density to local conditions; silvicultural practices that do not damage soil properties or roots; irrigation of forest plantations in some specific areas; tree breeding. Also, a closer cooperation between forest and water managers is needed.Keywords: tree hydraulics; tree mortality; climate change; forest management; water resources.

scholarly journals Chemical composition of utility water in the arid climate zone on the examples of Kébili and Medenine regions (southern Tunisia)

2018 ◽  
Vol 155 ◽  
pp. 139-156 ◽  
Author(s):  
Beata Latos ◽  
◽  
Karolina Sobczak-Szelc ◽  
Krzysztof Skocki ◽  
Rafał Kozłowski ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Chemical Composition ◽  
Arid Climate ◽  
Climate Zone ◽  
Southern Tunisia

scholarly journals Exploring the impact of balconies on cooling energy demand in an arid climate zone

2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (2) ◽  
pp. 25-35
Author(s):  
Soufiane Boukarta
Keyword(s):  
Energy Demand ◽  
Parametric Method ◽  
Arid Climate ◽  
Climate Zone ◽  
Final Sample ◽  
Thermal Simulations ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The City ◽  
Cooling Energy Demand ◽  
Generalized Regression Model

Abstract This paper explores the impact of balconies on the energy demand required for cooling in the arid climate zone of the city of Adrar, in Algeria. For the purpose to assess several situations of the balconies, we have chosen a parametric method based on a campaign of thermal simulations. The open and eliminated balcony type were selected and characterized by four parameters: the balcony to room ratio, the orientation, the window type, and the balcony position. A set of 100 simulations was selected randomly based on the Monte-Carlo probability technique. The final sample was corrected based on Cook’s distance which gave 85 simulations as a final sample size. A generalized regression model was performed to identify the impact of each parameter. The accuracy of the model is above 97% and the sensitivity analysis shows that the most important factor is the balcony to room ratio which could reduce the energy demand up to 26% followed by the window type (24%), the orientation (8%) and the balcony position (5%). This conclusion stresses the idea of considering the balcony as a passive solution to reduce the cooling energy demand.

scholarly journals Solar radiation transfer for an ice-covered lake in the central Asian arid climate zone

Inland Waters ◽  
2020 ◽  
pp. 1-15 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiaowei Cao ◽  
Peng Lu ◽  
Matti Leppäranta ◽  
Lauri Arvola ◽  
Jussi Huotari ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Solar Radiation ◽  
Radiation Transfer ◽  
Arid Climate ◽  
Climate Zone ◽  
Central Asian
Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document