Calibration of the AquaCrop model for winter wheat using MODIS LAI images

In semi-arid environments vegetation density and distribution is of considerable importance for the hydrological water balance. A number of hydrological models exploit Leaf Area Index (LAI) maps retrievedby remote sensing as a measure of the vegetation cover, in order to enhance the evaluation of evapotran-spiration and interception losses. On the other hand, actual evapotranspiration and vegetation development can be derived through crop growth models, such as AquaCrop, developed by FAO (Food and Agricultural Organization), which allows the simulation of the canopy development of the main field crops. We used MODIS LAI images to calibrate AquaCrop according to the canopy cover development of winter wheat. With this aim we exploited an empirical relationship between LAI and canopy cover. In detail Aquacrop was calibrated with MODIS LAI maps collected between 2008 and 2011, and validated with reference to MODIS LAI maps of 2013-2014 in Rocchetta Sant'Antonio and Sant'Agata, two test sites in the Carapelle watershed, Southern Italy. Results, in terms of evaluation of canopy cover, provided improvements. For example, for Rocchetta Sant'Antonio, the statistical indexes vary from r = 0.40, ER = 0.22, RMSE = 17.28 and KGE = 0.31 (using the model without calibration), to r = 0.86, ER = 0.08, RMSE = 6.01 and KGE 0.85 (after calibration). © 2015 Elsevier B.V

Influences of Leaf Area Index estimations on water balance modeling in a Mediterranean semi-arid basin

Abstract. In the present work, the role played by vegetation parameters, necessary to the hydrological distributed modeling, is investigated focusing on the correct use of remote sensing products for the evaluation of hydrological losses in the soil water balance. The research was carried out over a medium-sized river basin in Southern Italy, where the vegetation status is characterised through a data-set of multi-temporal NDVI images. The model adopted uses one layer of vegetation whose status is defined by the Leaf Area Index (LAI), which is often obtained from NDVI images. The inherent problem is that the vegetation heterogeneity – including soil disturbances – has a large influence on the spectral bands and so the relation between LAI and NDVI is not unambiguous. We present a rationale for the basin scale calibration of a non-linear NDVI-LAI regression, based on the comparison between NDVI values and literature LAI estimations of the vegetation cover in recognized landscape elements of the study catchment. Adopting a process-based model (DREAM) with a distributed parameterisation, the influence of different NDVI-LAI regression models on main features of water balance predictions is investigated. The results show a significant sensitivity of the hydrological losses and soil water regime to the alternative LAI estimations. These crucially affects the model performances especially in low-flows simulation and in the identification of the intermittent regime

ED-XRF analysis of the mediaeval copper-based door in Monte Sant'Angelo (Southern Italy)

AbstractThis work regards the analysis of a copper-based door (dated 1076 AD) located at the entrance to the sanctuary of Monte Sant'Angelo (Southern Italy) by using a non-destructive technique and in situ chemical analysis. The door does not show serious corrosive phenomena and presents several types of decorative elements such as two inlays (of silver and copper colour) and three engravings (of red, black and green colour). A portable energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence (ED-XRF) spectrometer was used in order to evaluate the chemical composition of the door and of the decorations that adorn the artefact. No sampling or sample preparation was required before the measurements. Preliminary analysis on the materials that make up the door revealed that the panels and the frame of the two sashes are made of the same alloy, while the nails and the handles have a different composition. Graphical abstrac

Advanced Computer Technologies for Integrated Agro-Hydrologic Systems Modeling: Coupled Crop and Hydrologic Models for Agricultural Intensification Impacts Assessment

Coupling hydrologic and crop models is increasingly becoming an important task when addressing agro-hydrologic systems studies. Either for resources conservation or cropping systems improvement, the complex interactions between hydrologic regime and crop management components requires an integrative approach in order to be fully understood. Nevertheless, the literature offers limited resources on models’ coupling that targets environmental scientists. Indeed, major of guides are are destined primarily for computer specialists and make them hard to encompass and apply. To address this gap, we present an extensive research to crop and hydrologic models coupling that targets earth agro-hydrologic modeling studies in its integrative complexity. The primary focus is to understand the relationship between agricultural intensification and its impacts on hydrologic balance. We provided documentations, classifications, applications and references of the available technologies and trends of development. We applied the results of the investigation by coupling the DREAM hydrologic model with DSSAT crop model. Both models were upgraded either on their code source (DREAM) or operational base (DSSAT) for interoperability and parallelization. The resulting model operates at a grid base and daily step. The model is applied southern Italy to analyze the effect of fertilizer application on runoff generation between 2000 and 2013. The results of the study show a significant impacts of nitrogen application on water yield. Indeed, nearly 71.5 thousand cubic-meter of rain water for every kilogram of nitrogen and per hectare is lost as a reduction of runoff coefficient. Furthermore, a significant correlation between the nitrogen applications amount and runoff is found at a yearly basis with Pearson’s coefficient of 0.93

Delineation of flood‐prone areas in cliffed coastal regions through a procedure based on the geomorphic flood index

The geomorphic flood index (GFI) method provides a good representation of flood-prone areas. However, the method does not account for floodwater transfers in undefined interbasins (UIBs), which represent intercluded small basins along the coastline likely to be flooded by adjacent major rivers. The present work addresses this shortcoming by complementing the GFI approach with an iterative procedure that considers UIBs and water transfers between basins. The methodology was tested on a coastal basin in southern Italy and the outcome was compared with a flood map obtained by a two-dimensional hydraulic simulation. GFI performance as a morphological descriptor improved from 74% (standard method) to 94% with the addition of the iterative procedure. The proposed methodology, with the same parameterization, was applied on a second adjacent coastal basin obtaining improvements both in terms of true positive (from 56 to 79%) and false negative rates (from 44 to 21%). Finally, a sensitivity analysis to the flood return periods highlighted a strong influence on model parameterization for return periods below 20 years. This achievement represents a new development in the application of the GFI method, which can help stakeholders in a more time- and cost-effective flood risk management in hazard-prone areas

A review of coupled hydrologic and crop growth models

Abstract Coupling hydrologic and crop models is becoming an increasingly important approach in the development of agro-hydrologic theme. Scientists and decision makers working to address issues in the areas of resource conservation and agricultural productivity are interested in the complementary processing of the two coupled systems. The objective of the present work is to review relevant studies related to hydrologic and crop models coupling, and to analyze the domain applicability, limitations, and other considerations

On the use of temporal series of L-and X-band SAR data for soil moisture retrieval. Capitanata plain case study

This paper investigates the use of time series of ALOS/PALSAR-1 and COSMO-SkyMed data for the soil moisture retrieval (mv) by means of the SMOSAR algorithm. The application context is the exploitation of mv maps at a moderate spatial and temporal resolution for improving flood/drought monitoring at regional scale. The SAR data were acquired over the Capitanata plain in Southern Italy, over which ground campaigns were carried out in 2007, 2010 and 2011. The analysis shows that the mv retrieval accuracy is 5%-7% m^3/m^3 at L- and X band, although the latter is restricted to a use over nearly bare soil only

Build-Up/Wash-Off Monitoring and Assessment for Sustainable Management of First Flush in an Urban Area

The characterization of stormwater runoff on urbanized surfaces by means of comparison between experimental data and simulations is a strict requirement for a sustainable management of urban sewer systems. A monitoring campaign was carried out within a residential area in Puglia (Southern Italy) in order to collect and evaluate quantity and quality data. A strong correlation was observed between COD (Chemical Oxygen Demand) and TSS (Total Suspended Solid) concentrations, whose values exceed water quality standards. TSS was used for calibration of Storm Water Management Model (SWMM) which was then validated with reference to the pollutograph’s shape and the peak-time. The first flush phenomenon occurrence was also investigated by looking at the distribution of pollutant mass vs. volume in stormwater discharges, using the so-called “M(V) curves”. Results show that on average the first 30% of that washed off carries 60% of TSS and provides important information for the design of efficient systems for first flush treatment

A Rationale for Pollutograph Evaluation in Ungauged Areas, Using Daily Rainfall Patterns: Case Studies of the Apulian Region in Southern Italy

In the context of the implementation of sustainable water treatment technologies for soil pollution prevention, a methodology that try to overcome the lack of runoff quality data in Puglia (Southern Italy) is firstly tackled in this paper. It provides a tool to obtain total suspended solid (TSS) pollutographs in areas without availability of monitoring campaigns. The proposed procedure is based on the relationship between rainfall characteristics and pollutant wash-off. In particular, starting from the evaluation of the observed regional rainfall patterns by using a rainfall generator model, the storm water management model (SWMM) was applied on five case studies located in different climatic subareas. The quantity SWMM parameters were evaluated starting from the drainage network and catchments characteristics, while the quality parameters were obtained from results of a monitoring campaign conducted for quality model calibration and validation with reference to the pollutograph’s shape and the peak-time. The research yields a procedure useful to evaluate the first flush phenomenon in ungauged sites and, in particular, it provides interesting information for designing efficient and sustainable drainage systems for first flush treatment and diffuse pollution treatment

Pelvic pain in reproductive age: US findings

Pelvic pain in reproductive age often represents a diagnostic challenge due to the variety of potential causes characterized by overlapping clinical symptoms, including gynecological and other disorders (e.g., entero-colic or urological). It is also necessary to determine if there is a possibility of pregnancy to rule out any related complications, such as ectopic pregnancy. Although ultrasound (US), computed tomography (CT), and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) are strongly integrated, the choice of which is the ideal diagnostic tool should be guided both by clinical suspicion (gynecological vs. non-gynecological cause) and by the risk ratio-benefit (ionizing radiation and instrumental costs), too. The didactic objective proposed by this review consists in the diagnosis of the cause and differential of pelvic pain in reproductive age by describing and critically analyzing the US diagnostic clues of the most frequent adnexal, uterine, and vascular causes