Landscape Complexity and Ecosystem Modeling with the SWAT Model
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Earth Syst. Sci. Discuss., 10,Hydrology 7235–7290, 2013and Hydrology and www.hydrol-earth-syst-sci-discuss.net/10/7235/2013/ Earth System doi:10.5194/hessd-10-7235-2013 Earth System HESSD Sciences Sciences © Author(s) 2013. CC Attribution 3.0 License. 10, 7235–7290, 2013 Discussions Open Access Open Access Ocean Science This discussion paper is/hasOcean been under Science review for the journal Hydrology and Earth System Landscape Sciences (HESS). Please refer to the corresponding final paper in HESS if available.Discussions complexity and ecosystem modeling Open Access Open Access with the SWAT model Solid Earth Solid Earth An interdisciplinary swat ecohydrologicalDiscussions C. L. Shope et al. model to define catchment-scaleOpen Access Open Access Title Page The Cryosphere The Cryosphere Discussions hydrologic partitioning Abstract Introduction C. L. Shope1,*, G. R. Maharjan2, J. Tenhunen2, B. Seo2, K. Kim2, J. Riley2, Conclusions References 3 4 5 1 6 7 3 S. Arnhold , T. Koellner , Y. S. Ok , S. Peiffer , B. Kim , J.-H. Park , and B. Huwe Tables Figures 1Univ. of Bayreuth, Dept. of Hydrology, Universitatstrasse 30, 95440 Bayreuth, Germany 2 Univ. of Bayreuth, Dept. of Plant Ecology, Universitatstrasse 30, 95440 Bayreuth, Germany J I 3Univ. of Bayreuth, Dept. of Soil Physics, Universitatstrasse 30, 95440 Bayreuth, Germany 4Univ. of Bayreuth, Professorship of Ecosystem Services, Universitatstrasse 30, J I 95440 Bayreuth, Germany Back Close 5Department of Biological Environment, Kangwon National University, 192-1 Hyoja-Dong, Gwangwon-do, Chuncheon 200-701, South Korea Full Screen / Esc 6Kangwon Nat. Univ., Dept. of Env. Science, 192-1 Hyoja-Dong, Gwangwon-do, Chuncheon, 200-701, Republic of Korea Printer-friendly Version 7EWHA Womans Univ. Dept. of Environmental Science and Engineering, Seoul 120-750, Republic of Korea Interactive Discussion *now at: US Geological Survey, 2329 Orton Circle, Salt Lake City, UT, USA 7235 Discussion Paper | Discussion Paper | Discussion Paper | Discussion Paper | Received: 12 March 2013 – Accepted: 8 May 2013 – Published: 6 June 2013 Correspondence to: C. L. Shope ([email protected]) HESSD Published by Copernicus Publications on behalf of the European Geosciences Union. 10, 7235–7290, 2013 Landscape complexity and ecosystem modeling with the SWAT model C. L. Shope et al. Title Page Abstract Introduction Conclusions References Tables Figures J I J I Back Close Full Screen / Esc Printer-friendly Version Interactive Discussion 7236 Discussion Paper | Discussion Paper | Discussion Paper | Discussion Paper | Abstract HESSD Land use and climate change have long been implicated in modifying ecosystem ser- vices, such as water quality and water yield, biodiversity, and agricultural production. 10, 7235–7290, 2013 To account for future effects on ecosystem services, the integration of physical, biologi- 5 cal, economic, and social data over several scales must be implemented to assess the Landscape effects on natural resource availability and use. Our objective is to assess the capa- complexity and bility of the SWAT model to capture short-duration monsoonal rainfall-runoff processes ecosystem modeling in complex mountainous terrain under rapid, event-driven processes in a monsoonal with the SWAT model environment. To accomplish this, we developed a unique quality-control gap-filling al- 10 gorithm for interpolation of high frequency meteorological data. We used a novel multi- C. L. Shope et al. location, multi-optimization calibration technique to improve estimations of catchment- wide hydrologic partitioning. We calibrated the interdisciplinary model to a combination of statistical, hydrologic, and plant growth metrics. In addition, we used multiple loca- Title Page tions of different drainage area, aspect, elevation, and geologic substrata distributed Abstract Introduction 15 throughout the catchment. Results indicate scale-dependent sensitivity of hydrologic partitioning and substantial influence of engineered features. While our model accu- Conclusions References rately reproduced observed discharge variability, the addition of hydrologic and plant Tables Figures growth objective functions identified the importance of culverts in catchment-wide flow distribution. The results of this study provide a valuable resource to describe landscape J I 20 controls and their implication on discharge, sediment transport, and nutrient loading. This study also shows the challenges of applying the SWAT model to complex terrain J I and extreme environments. By incorporating anthropogenic features into modeling sce- narios, we can greatly enhance our understanding of the hydroecological impacts on Back Close ecosystem services. Full Screen / Esc Printer-friendly Version Interactive Discussion 7237 Discussion Paper | Discussion Paper | Discussion Paper | Discussion Paper | 1 Introduction HESSD Land use and climate change have been implicated in reduced ecosystem services such as high quality water yield, biodiversity, and agricultural production from the lo- 10, 7235–7290, 2013 cal to the global scale (Reid et al., 2010). Recently, these research studies have fo- 5 cused on the integration of land-use decision making and ecosystem services tradeoffs Landscape (Goldstein et al., 2012). The crop/land use distribution can have a substantial influence complexity and on the overall catchment water balance due to precipitation interception, evaporation, ecosystem modeling transpiration, soil moisture redistribution, and temporal variation in surface runoff asso- with the SWAT model ciated with crop development. The effects of land use change, including deforestation 10 (Forti et al., 1995), agricultural intensification (Berka et al., 2001), yearly variations in C. L. Shope et al. agricultural land use (Tilman et al., 2002), and construction of roads, culverts, and sed- iment detention ponds (Forman and Alexander, 1998), on stream discharge and water quality occur at a variety of spatial and temporal scales. Deforestation significantly af- Title Page fects streamflow characteristics (Calder, 1992) by increasing erosion and decreasing Abstract Introduction 15 soil moisture and soil nutrient concentrations; while agricultural intensification affects surface runoff by altering infiltration, evaporation, and timing of runoff. The agricultural Conclusions References intensification effects can be compounded by double cropping systems (Calder, 1992). Tables Figures Therefore, the prediction of ecosystem services expected under future land use de- cisions and changing climate conditions has become increasingly important. These J I 20 complex policy and management decisions require the integration of not only physical processes, but the inclusion of robust economic and social data over a range of scales J I to assess the effects on water resource allocation and ecologic behavior. As agricultural land use increases, the need for water resources management increases, particularly Back Close in complex topography driven by extreme events, where water management becomes Full Screen / Esc 25 an increasingly important factor in obtaining desired ecosystem services. A coupled hydrological and crop production model is an efficient approach to sim- Printer-friendly Version ulate the interactions of catchment physical characteristics, agricultural practices, and weather inputs on the water yield, biogeochemistry, sediment transport and agricultural Interactive Discussion 7238 Discussion Paper | Discussion Paper | Discussion Paper | Discussion Paper | economic gains. Calibrated watershed-scale models are a useful tool for understanding management practices and the consequences of land use and climate change (Pieri HESSD et al., 2007) and to evaluate conservation practices in locations with limited observa- 10, 7235–7290, 2013 tional data (Cho et al., 2012). Further, model scenarios can be helpful in identifying 5 reasonable measures for assessing environmental ecological status while taking into account relevant factors like climate, land distribution, and water use (Lam et al., 2012; Landscape Krysanova et al., 2005). Watershed simulation models are commonly separated into complexity and either ecologic or hydrologic investigations (Kumar and Duffy, 2009; Xu et al., 2012a; ecosystem modeling Hellebrand and van den Bos, 2008). By incorporating both ecological and hydrologic with the SWAT model 10 data into a single modeled system, the number of modeled parameters increases as well as the spatial and temporal discretization. However, with increased