Environmental Geography Ofthe Semi-Arid Regions Ofthe
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
“Environmental Geography ofthe Semi-arid Regions ofthe Hungarian Great Plains and Arizona: Comparative Changes for Sustainable Productivity” by Kimberly Taylor A Dissertation Presented in Partial Fulfiilment of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Philosophy Janus Pannonius University December 1996 “Environmental Geography of the Semi-arid Regions of the Hungarian Great Plains and Arizona: Comparative Changes for Sustainable Productivity” by Kimberly Taylor has been approved December 1996 APPROVED: Supervisory Committee ACCEPTED: Supervising Professor Chair, Doctorate Committee ABSTRACT A comparative study ofthe Great Plains ofHungary and the Basin area of Phoenix, Arizona was performed. Both of these regions are experiencing increasing semi-arid conditions via the desertification process taking place in various regions across the giobe. The environmental, geographical, and physical aspects arc discussed and analyzed with the goal of developing new environrnental policies. The main emphasis is to be placed on the fact that the key to sustainable development is proper land use. Through analysis ofthe antbropogenic influences ofagricultural production, urbanization, and industrialization, recommendations are given to decrease the negative effects of human influence in the wake of significant ciimate changes. The effects of these ciimate changes are predicted for each region, and recommendations presented to either prevent or reverse the ecological changes that have been induced. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I wish to thank Dr. István Fodor and Dr. George Halasi-Kun for their guidance, encouragement and support. Their interest in this project and critical comments regarding the preparation ofthis dissertation were most valued. I extend gratitude to Dr. Ferenc Schweitzer for Kis professional support and provision of valuable information. I would also like to thank Dr. Jozsef Toth for his professional support ofthis project. I am grateful to Dr. Botond Sinóros-Szabó, without whom the initiation ofthis project would not have been possible. In addition, I would like to thank Dr. Erdie Morris, whose support, encouragement, advice and smile made the process easier. Thanks are also due to Dr. Phil Fernandez, Dr. David Wing, and Dr. Jim Witherspoon for their personal and professional support. A major thanks John Holleman for Kis technical assistance, and to Joyce Holleman for her heip on the manuscript. Thank you to my friend Alicia Doyle for her professional photographic assistance. I would also like to thank Dr. Jerry Justus who lectured for me numerous times, reviewed papers and always said “we just want you to know you’re doing a good job and we appreciate you”. I would like to personaily thank the Szabó family for being there for me every time I have been in Hungary. A special word ofthanks goes to my husband, my mother, and my sister. Mark, tharik you for being understanding, patient, supportive, and my best friend. Mom and Keily, thank you for your constant love, support and patience with this entire time frame. Most ofall, I would like to thank Jehovah for everything He has biessed me with. This dissertation is dedicated to Him. TABLE OF CONTENTS Chapter 1: Environmental, Physical and Geographical Background of Hungary and Arizona 1 Introduction 1 Hungary: The General Facts 7 The General Physical Geography of Flungary 7 The Physical Geography of the Great Plain 13 The General Ciimate of Hungary 19 The Ciimate ofthe Great Plains 22 The Soils ofHungary 26 The Soils ofthe Great Plain 29 Natural Vegetation of Hungary 31 The Vegetation of the Great Plain 33 Hydrological Conditions in Hungary 35 Water Reserves ofthe Great Plain 42 Arizona: The General Facts 44 General Physical Geography of Arizona 44 Physical Geography ofthe Basin and Range Province of Arizona 50 General Ciimate of Arizona 53 The Ciimate ofthe North Basin and Range Province 59 The Soils of Arizona 63 . Soils ofthe North Basin and Range Province 64 The Vegetation of Arizona 65 Vegetation ofthe North Basin and Range Province 70 Hydrological Conditions in Arizona 75 Water Resources in the North Basin and Range Province . 77 Chapter 2: Environmental Geography of Water Resources in Hungary and Arizona 100 Introduction 100 The Hungarian Enviroimient: Past to Present 106 Arizona from an Environmental Perspective 111 Chapter 3: Potential Ramifications oflncreasing Desertification in Hungary and Arizona 118 Introduction 118 Possible Outcomes of Increasing Desertification in Hungary 119 Possible Outcomes oflncreasing Desertification in Arizona 128 Chapter 4: Agriculture and the Environment in Hungary and Arizona 131 Hungary and Agriculture 131 Agriculture and Arizona 146 Chapter 5: Urbanization and the Environment in Hungary and Arizona 154 Hungary and Urbanization 154 Arizona and Municipal Water Demand 162 Chapter 6: Industrialization in Hungary and Arizona 168 11 L . Industrialization in Hungary 168 Industrialization in Arizona 172 Chapter 7: Water Resource Policy Analysis in Hungary and Arizona 176 Water Resource Policy Analysis in Hungary 176 Water Resource Policy Analysis in Arizona 179 Chapter 8: New Results 187 Chapter 9: Recommendations for Sustainable Future Productivity 190 Introduction 190 Hungary 191 Arizona 192 References 194 Ui. LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1.1: States in South Eastern Europe, 950-1990 8 Figure 1.2: Hungary’s Present-Day Position in Europe 9 Figure 1.3: Basin Orientation of }{ungary 10 Figure 1.4: Geomorphological Regions of Hungary 12 Figure 1.5: The Great Hungarian Plains 15 Figure 1.6: Political Map ofHungary 23 Figure 1.7: Topography and Hydrography ofthe Danube Basin 36 Figure 1.8: Passage by Land to California 45 Figure 1.9: Three Macroregions of Arizona 46 Figure 1.10: Generalized ReliefofArizona 48 Figure 1.11: Physiographic Diagram of Arizona 49 Figure 1.12: Biogeographic Provinces ofthe Southwest 51 Figure 1.13: Population Distribution 54 Figure 1.14: Koppen Ciimate Regions 55 Figure 1.15: Annual Rainfall in Arizona 61 Figure 1.16: Vegetation in Arizona 66 Figure 1.17: Interior Chaparall of Arizona 68 Figure 1.18: Vegetational Subregions of the Sonoran Desert 71 Figure 1.19: Desert Scrub ofthe Lower Colorado River Valley 72 Figure 1.20: Vegetation ofthe Arizona Upland Desert 74 Figure 1.21: Arizona’ s Ancient Irrigation Network 76 Figure 1.22: Arizona’s Planning Areas and Groundwater Basins 78 Figure 1.23: Regional Map 79 Figure 1.24: Regional Map 81 Figure 1.25: Regional Map 83 Figure 1.26: Regional Map 85 Figure 1.27: Earth Fissure in Arizona 89 Figure 2.1: The Water Cycle 102 Figure 2.2: Reduction ofthe Ozone Layer 105 Figure 2.3: Satellite Photo Map of Arizona 115 Figure 2.4: River Flow in Arizona 116 Figure 3.1: Areal Distribution of the “Days of heat” in 1993 121 Figure 3.2: Areal Distribution ofthe Longest Precipitation-Poor Period in the Summer of 1993 122 Figure 3.3: Actual and Potential Salt Effected Soils in Hungary 126 Figure 3.4: Areal Position ofthe Largest Droughts of 1990-93 127 Figure 4.1: Drought Index: H = Evaporation per year/Precipitation per year 136 Figure 4.2: Water Use According to Sector 137 4 3 Quality of Surface Waters 140 Figure lv L Figure 4.4: Groundwater Quality in Various Hungarian Hydrogeological Areas 143 Figure 5.1: Quotient of Inhabitants with Public Water Supply and those with Public Sewerage 158 Figure 5.2: Anzona Population Distribution, 1994 163 / V. LIST OF TABLES Table 4.1: Land Under Cultivation by Area 132 Table 4.2: Supply ofFertilizers 14 Table 4.3: Irrigation by Type ofLand 135 Table 4.4: Sampiing Sites of Surface Water Grouped According to River System and Sampiing Frequency 139 Table 4.5: Mean Values ofNitrate and Orthophosphate Ions During the Fourth, Fifth, and Sixth Five-year Plan Periods (1976-80, 1981-85, 1986-90) 139 Table 4.6: Total Water Availability and Use 141 Table 4.7: Stream Sediment Sampies Collected by the U.S. Fish aiid Wildlife Service, 1985-87 152 Table 5.1: Urban and Rural Population (in percent) 155 Table 5.2: Housing Stock by Numbers ofRooms and Services (in percent) 156 Table 5.3: Soil Degradation Processes, Acidification 161 Table 6.1: Historical Industrial Sectors 169 Table 6.2: Industrial Generation of Wastewater 171 Table 6.3: Industries in Arizona 173 Vi. CHAPTER1: ENVIRONMENTAL, PHYSICAL, AND GEOGRAPHICAL BACKGROUND OF HUNGARY AND ARIZONA INTRODUCTION Earth, one ofthe nine planets within our solar system, is 510 million square kilometers ard contains a human population of 5 billion. Earth can be discussed in terms ofbeing a system, as a system is an interrelated set ofthings linked by flows of energy and matter. The nature of the organization of a system can be either open or ciosed. Earth has characteristics of both. In terms of energy, our planet can be ciassified as an open system. Analogous to this lack of self-containment is the functioning of a green leaf. Water, carbon dioxide, and sunlight represent inputs of energy which effect matter (via carbohydrates) while energy outputs inciude oxygen aud water transpiration. The Earth, energeticaily speaking, functions in the same manner. Solar energy enters the system and heat energy leaves the system freely, while some energy is temporarily stored in various states. Theoretically, the amounts of energy input and energy output are ultimately equal and in a fixed amount, therefore the Earth is in a relatively steady-state equilibrium in regards to fixed, dependent events. It is when either the input is greater than the output or the output remains in a stored capacity for 2 too long ofa period oftime that the dynamic equilibrium ofthe Earth’s geosystems change. These changes tend to be gradual over time and space, but do have cumulative effects on the operation of the system. This is currently the situation in the case of increasing atmospheric and ocean temperatures, as well as in the fluctuating weather patterns that are occurring across the giobe.