User menu

Accès à distance ? S'identifier sur le proxy UCLouvain

Application of connectivity theory to model the impact of terrace failure on runoff in semi-arid catchments

Primary tabs

Meerkerk, Andreas [UCL] van Wesemael, Bas [UCL] Bellin, Nicolas [UCL]

Terraces are a common feature of Mediterranean landscapes. In many places they are no longer maintained so that the number of intact terraces is in prolonged decline. The aim of this paper is to examine the effect of terrace removal and failure on hydrological connectivity and peak discharge in an agricultural catchment (475 ha) in south-east Spain. The situation of 2006 is compared to that in 1956 and to a scenario without terraces (S2). The spatial distribution of concentrated flow was mapped after four storms in 2006. The degree of connectivity was quantified by means of connectivity functions and related to storm characteristics, land use and topography. For 1956, 2006 and scenario S2, connectivity functions and peak discharge to the river were determined for a storm with a return period of 8.2 years. The results show that the decrease in intact terraces has led to a strong increase in connectivity and discharge. The contributing area to the river system has increased by a factor 3.2 between 1956 and 2006. If all terraces were to be removed (scenario S2), the contributing area may further increase by a factor 6.0 compared to 2006. The spatial extent of concentrated flow and the degree of connectivity are related to storm magnitude as expressed by the erosivity index (EI30). Although a large part of the concentrated flow (25-50%) occurs on dirt roads, it appears that croplands become a major source of runoff with increasing rainfall. The results suggest that connectivity theory can be used to improve rainfall-runoff models in semi-arid areas. Copyright (c) 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Document type Article de périodique (Journal article) – Article de recherche
Publication date 2009
Language Anglais
Journal information "Hydrological Processes : an international journal" - Vol. 23, no. 19, p. 2792-2803 (2009)
Peer reviewed yes
Publisher John Wiley & Sons Ltd (Chichester)
issn 0885-6087
e-issn 1099-1085
Publication status Publié
Affiliation UCL - SC/GEO - Département de géologie et de géographie
Keywords runoff modelling ; hydrological connectivity ; terraces ; peak discharge ; contributing area ; south-east Spain
Links
  1. Agnese, Journal of Hydrology, 329, 39 (2006)
  2. Allard, Proceedings of the Geostatistical Simulation Workshop, Fontainbleau, France, 27-28 May 1993, 197 (1994)
  3. Amoros, Freshwater Biology, 47, 761 (2002)
  4. Arnáez, Catena, 57, 1 (2004)
  5. Bellin, Catena, 76, 114 (2009)
  6. Bracken, Hydrological Processes, 21, 1749 (2007)
  7. Cammeraat, Agriculture Ecosystems & Environment, 104, 317 (2004)
  8. Castillo, Siguimiento y evaluación de los efectos sobre el medio natural de la sequía y los procesos erosivos en la Región de Murcia, 166 (2002)
  9. Castillo, Journal of Hydrology, 284, 114 (2003)
  10. Castillo, Catena, 70, 416 (2007)
  11. Cerdà A., Soil erosion after land abandonment in a semiarid environment of southeastern Spain, 10.1080/15324989709381469
  12. Croke, Geomorphology, 68, 257 (2005)
  13. Ennabli, Les Aménagements Hydrauliques et Hydro-Agricoles en Tunisie (1993)
  14. Fleskens, Geoderma, 141, 260 (2007)
  15. Frot, Journal of Arid Environments, 72, 1213 (2008)
  16. Grove, The Nature of Mediterranean Europe-An Ecological History, 384 (2003)
  17. Harvey, Geomorphology, 44, 175 (2002)
  18. Hooke, Geomorphology, 56, 79 (2003)
  19. Hooke JM, Sandercock PJ. 2007. RECONDES: Conditions for restoration and mitigation of desertified areas in Southern Europe using vegetation-Final report, 250.
  20. Hutchinson, Journal of Hydrology, 106, 211 (1989)
  21. ICONA, Mapa de Suelos Escala 1:100·000 Cieza-891 (1986)
  22. Kirpich, Journal of Civil Engineering, 10, 362 (1940)
  23. Koulouri, Catena, 69, 274 (2007)
  24. Lesschen JP. 2008. Multi-scale interactions between soil, vegetation and erosion in the context of agricultural land abandonment in a semi-arid environment. PhD thesis, University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
  25. Lesschen, Catena, 71, 110 (2007)
  26. MacDonald, Earth Surface Processes and Landforms, 26, 251 (2001)
  27. Meerkerk, Journal of Arid Environments, 72, 2168 (2008)
  28. Mueller, Water Resources Research, 43, W090412 (2007)
  29. Nasri, Hydrological Sciences Journal, 49, 261 (2004)
  30. Nicolau, Geomorphology, 14, 297 (1996)
  31. Ocampo, Journal of Hydrology, 331, 643 (2006)
  32. Pringle, Hydrological Processes, 17, 2685 (2003)
  33. Puigdefabregas, Geomorphology, 23, 337 (1998)
  34. Reaney, Hydrological Processes, 21, 894 (2007)
  35. Rockström, Agricultural Water Management, 33, 183 (1997)
  36. Ruecker, Land Degradation & Development, 9, 179 (1998)
  37. Shaw, Hydrology in Practice, 569 (1994)
  38. Soil Conservation Service, National Engineering Handbook: Section 4, Hydrology (1985)
  39. Stieglitz, Global Biogeochemical Cycles, 17, 1105 (2003)
  40. Valentin, Geoderma, 55, 225 (1992)
  41. Van Dijk, Journal of Hydrology, 261, 1 (2002)
  42. Vandekerckhove, Catena, 33, 271 (1998)
  43. van Wesemael, Journal of Arid Environments, 40, 1 (1998)
  44. Verstraeten, Journal of Hydrology, 334, 440 (2007)
  45. Wemple Beverley C., Jones Julia A., Grant Gordon E., CHANNEL NETWORK EXTENSION BY LOGGING ROADS IN TWO BASINS, WESTERN CASCADES, OREGON, 10.1111/j.1752-1688.1996.tb03490.x
  46. Western, Water Resources Research, 37, 83 (2001)
  47. Yuan, Agricultural Water Management, 60, 217 (2003)
Bibliographic reference Meerkerk, Andreas ; van Wesemael, Bas ; Bellin, Nicolas. Application of connectivity theory to model the impact of terrace failure on runoff in semi-arid catchments. In: Hydrological Processes : an international journal, Vol. 23, no. 19, p. 2792-2803 (2009)
Permanent URL http://hdl.handle.net/2078.1/35302