Case Study: Effect of Climatic Characterization on River Discharge in an Alpine-Prealpine Catchment of the Spanish Pyrenees Using the SWAT Model

The new challenges in assessment of water resources demand new approaches and tools, such as the use of hydrologic models, which could serve to assist managers in the prediction, planning and management of catchment water supplies in view of increased demand of water for irrigation and climatic change. Good characterization of the spatial patterns of climate variables is of paramount importance in hydrological modelling. This is especially so when modelling mountain environments which are characterized by strong altitudinal climate gradients. However, very often there is a poor distribution of climatic stations in these areas, which in many cases, results in under representation of high altitude areas with respect to climatic data. This results in the poor performance of the models. In the present study, the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) model was applied to the Barasona reservoir catchment in the Central Spanish Pyrenees in order to assess the influence of different climatic characterizations in the monthly river discharges. Four simulations with different input data were assessed, using only the available climate data (A1); the former plus one synthetic dataset at a higher altitude (B1); and both plus the altitudinal climate gradient (A2 and B2). The model’s performance was evaluated against the river discharges for the representative periods of 2003–2005 and 1994–1996 by means of commonly used statistical measures. The best results were obtained using the altitudinal climate gradient alone (scenario A2). This study provided insight into the importance of taking into account the sources and the spatial distribution of weather data in modelling water resources in mountainous catchments.This research was supported by the CICYT project CGL2014-52986-R. We acknowledge support by the CSIC Open Access Publication Initiative through its Unit of Information Resources for Research (URICI)

Hydrology and sediment yield calibration for the Barasona reservoir catchment (Spain) using SWAT

1 .pdf copy (A4) of the original poster from the authors. 1 .pdf copy (1 Pag.) of the abstract published by the Organization. © Author(s) 2013. CC Attribution 3.0 License.The purpose of this study was to improve the calibration of SWAT model to use it in an alpine catchment as a simulator of processes related to water quality and soil erosion. SWAT is spatially semi-distributed, agro-hydrological model that operates on a daily time step (as a minimum) at basin scale. It is designed to predict the impact of management on water, sediment and agricultural chemical yields in ungaged catchments.This research was financially supported by the project EROMED (CGL2011-25486).Peer reviewe

Spatial and temporal changes in apportionments by using sediment fingerprinting in a Spanish Pyrenean river catchment

1 .pdf with the extended abstract from the Book Abstracts of Assembly.- 1 .pdf copy of the original poster presented by the authors.Central Spanish Pyrenees) and the major sediment sources identified included badlands developed in the middle part of the catchment and the agricultural fields in its lower part. In this study the < 63 m sediment fraction from the channel bed sediment samples from the main rivers (Ésera and Isábena), their tributaries and surface reservoir sediments, the latter spanning two decades, are investigated following the fingerprinting procedure to assess how the land use sediment contributions change along the streams and on time to the reservoir.Peer reviewe

Fingerprinting sediment contribution from alpine soils to mountain reservoirs

6 Pags.- 1 Tabl.- 1 Fig.Soil in alpine environments plays a key role in the development of ecosystem services and information is required on processes that lead to soil erosion to maintain and preserve this important resource. In common with other mountain alpine environments, the Benasque catchment is characterized by temperatures below freezing that can last from November to April, intense rainfall events, and rugged topography which makes assessment of erosion challenging. Indirect approaches to soil erosion assessment offer opportunity to evaluate soil erosion in such areas. In this study sediment fingerprinting procedures were used to evaluate soil sources in the area of the Posets- Maladeta National Park (Central Spanish Pyrenees). Sediment contributions of potential sediment sources defined by soil type (Kastanozems/Phaeozems; Fluvisols and Cambisols) were assessed by different characterizations of sources and identified Fluvisols, which dominate the riparian zone, as the main sediment source at the time of sampling indicating the importance of connectivity and also potential differences in the source dynamic of material in storage versus that transported efficiently from the system during high flows. The approach enabled us to better understand soil erosion processes in the Benasque alpine catchment wherein identified areas that, due to high connectivity, contribute more to sediment deposits.This research was funded by the project CGL2011-25486.Peer reviewe

Extrapolating soil redistribution rates estimated from 137Cs to catchment scale in a complex agroforestry landscape using GIS

1 .pdf copy (1 Pag.)of the exhaustive abstract published by the Organization. © Author(s) 2015. CC Attribution 3.0 License.This study aims to assess soil redistribution in an agroforestry catchment characterized by abrupt topography and an intricate mosaic of land uses using 137Cs data and GIS. A new methodological approach using GIS is presented as an alternative of interpolation tools to extrapolating soil redistribution rates in complex landscapes. This approach divides the catchment into Homogeneous Physiographic Units (HPUs) based on unique land use, hydrological network and slope value.Peer reviewe

Extrapolating soil redistribution rates estimated from 137Cs to catchment scale in a complex agroforestry landscape using GIS

1 .pdf copy (! Pag.) of the official extended abstract of the Poster presented by the authors.This study aims to assess soil redistribution in an agroforestry catchment characterized by abrupt topography and an intricate mosaic of land uses using 137Cs data and GIS. A new methodological approach using GIS is presented as an alternative of interpolation tools to extrapolating soil redistribution rates in complex landscapes.Peer reviewe

Establishing a tracer-based sediment budget to preserve wetlands in Mediterranean mountain agroecosystems (NE Spain)

Pags.- 5 Figs.- 2 Tabls.- Suppl. Materials. The definitive version is available at: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/00489697Mountain wetlands in Mediterranean regions are particularly threatened in agricultural environments due to anthropogenic activity. An integrated study of source-to-sink sediment fluxes was carried out in an agricultural catchment that holds a small permanent lake included in the European NATURA 2000 Network. More than 1000 yrs of human intervention and the variety of land uses pose a substantial challenge when attempting to estimate sediment fluxes which is the first requirement to protect fragile wetlands. To date, there have been few similar studies and those that have been carried out have not addressed such complex terrain. Geostatistical interpolation and GIS tools were used to derive the soil spatial redistribution from point 137Cs inventories, and to establish the sediment budget in a catchment located in the Southern Pyrenees. The soil redistribution was intense and soil erosion predominated over soil deposition. On the areas that maintained natural vegetation the median soil erosion and deposition rates were moderate, ranging from 2.6 to 6 Mg ha yr− 1 and 1.5 to 2.1 Mg ha yr− 1, respectively. However, in cultivated fields both erosion and deposition were significantly higher (ca. 20 Mg ha yr− 1), and the maximum rates were always associated with tillage practices. Farming activities in the last part of the 20th century intensified soil erosion, as evidenced by the 1963 137Cs peaks in the lake cores and estimates from the sediment budget indicated a net deposition of 671 Mg yr− 1. Results confirm a siltation risk for the lake and provide a foundation for designing management plans to preserve this threatened wetland. This comprehensive approach provides information useful for understanding processes that influence the patterns and rates of soil transfer and deposition within fragile Mediterranean mountain wetlands subjected to climate and anthropogenic stresses.We thank the CICYT project EROMED (CGL2011-25486) for the financial support.Peer reviewe

Soil processes in recently deglaciated environments in Maritime Antarctica: a study case from Elephant Point (Livingston Island, South Shetland Islands)

1 .pdf file with the extended abstract from the Book Abstracts.- 1. pdf copy of the original poster presented by authors.Periglacial processes are widespread in all the peninsula, but the type and characteristics of soils depen on the timing of glacier retreat. In this research we aim to assess how the glacier retreat affects the recently formed soils. Ten sites were sampled along a transect crossing different geomorphological units (beach, raised beaches, moraine, proglacial environment), following the direction of glacier retreat.Peer reviewe

Joint application of the ModRMMF and IC models of soil erosion and sediment connectivity: improvement of modelling predictions

1 .pdf copy (110x84 cm) of the original poster from the authors. 1 .pdf copy (1 Pag.)of the abstract published by the Organization. © Author(s) 2013. CC Attribution 3.0 License.Soil detachment, sediment delivery and redistribution are non-linear processes that depend on many factors and their values change as a function of the different temporal and spatial scales. Therefore the development of accurate and broad models is a difficult task and most approaches cover a limited number of processes. Objective: To boost the predictive ability of two models by their joint application in a Mediterranean agricultural system. Goals: 1) Run the ModRMMF and IC models in a small agricultural system (Cereal Plot) at very high spatial scale (1 x 1 m). 2) Joint analysis of the results in order to identify those areas with net soil loss and deposition. 3) Run the calibrated IC model in ¿La Reina¿ gully catchment (5x5 m scale) to assess the potential soil redistributionThis research was funded by the Project ‘Erosion and redistribution of soils and nutrients lo Mediterraneon agroecosystems: radioisotopic tracers of sources and sinks and modelling of scenarios (EROMED) (CGL2OI 1 25486 BTE) of the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (former Ministry of Scence and Innovation)Peer Reviewe

Erosión hídrica y conectividad en un Calcisol cultivado: variaciones espacio temporales de la pérdida y acumulación de suelo

4 Pags.- 1 Fig. Libro ed. con las Comunicaciones y Ponencias del VI Simposio Nacional sobre Control de la Degradación y Restauración de Suelos (Amería. 4-7 febrero, 2013).La modelización de la pérdida y redistribución del suelo resulta una tarea de complejidad creciente al aumentar la resolución temporal y espacial del estudio. En este trabajo se aplican los modelos ModRMMF e IC de erosión del suelo y conectividad del sedimento, respectivamente, en una parcela de cultivo del Prepirineo Central a alta resolución espacial (1 x 1 m). El análisis de los resultados obtenidos con ambos modelos permite evaluar la capacidad de cada uno de ellos para predecir los distintos procesos implicados. El área de estudio presenta un clima mediterráneo continental y se encuentra hidrológicamente aislada al norte y al sur por un camino asfaltado y una acequia de drenaje, respectivamente. La pérdida de suelo promedio, para el conjunto del área de estudio, es de 1,84 Mg ha-1 año-1, teniendo lugar el 78% de la pérdida total en sólo 5 meses: marzo, abril, mayo, octubre y noviembre. Este valor anual es ligeramente superior a la máxima tasa de erosión tolerable e inferior al cuantificado en otros suelos cultivados del Prepirineo. El mapa de conectividad identifica con detalle la red de drenaje y el análisis comparativo de los valores de erosión y conectividad ha permitido identificar dos poblaciones, a partir de un valor de IC = -4.2, que corresponden a zonas en las que predominan los procesos de pérdida o acumulación neta de suelo. La aplicación conjunta de ambos modelos resulta acertada, al añadir valor, el uno sobre el otro, a las predicciones que resultan por separado.Peer reviewe