Author : Cheng Yanyan
Publisher :
ISBN 13 : 9780438395121
Total Pages : 130 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (951 download)
Book Synopsis Effects of Preferential Flow Paths and Land Use on Hydrological Behaviors in Tropical Catchments by : Cheng Yanyan
Download or read book Effects of Preferential Flow Paths and Land Use on Hydrological Behaviors in Tropical Catchments written by Cheng Yanyan and published by . This book was released on 2018 with total page 130 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The objective of this Ph.D. research is to better understand the effects of land use/land cover changes (LUCC) on hydrologic behaviors at watershed scale in humid seasonal tropics. Modeling and data analysis approaches were used in three parts. First, a physically-based, distributed model with four different model structures without and with preferential flow paths (PFPs) is developed to investigate the role of PFPs in steep, humid, tropical lowland catchments in the Panama Canal Watershed (PCW). Simple model structures are judged implausible based on a Nash-Sutcliffe criterion. The model structure with explicit simulation of PFPs performs the best, which clearly demonstrates the need to include PFPs that are historically underappreciated in hydrological modeling. Second, the effect of land covers on the formation of PFPs is incorporated into the proposed process-based hydrological model to address the underlying mechanism of hydrological responses due to LUCC. Results show that differences in PFP parameters attributable to LUCC can explain the mechanism of the “forest sponge effect”, wherein forested catchments produce more baseflow during long dry periods than pastured catchments. The effects of LUCC on PFPs can also explain land use dependent differences in peak flows and runoff ratios. Finally, a new approach is proposed to examine a unique but poorly understood step-wise increase in baseflow, using data from seven watersheds in the PCW. The extent to which the observed baseflow jump phenomenon can be attributed to rainfall characteristics and categorical catchment attributes (e.g., land cover, area, and slope) is explored. This approach aids in detecting key signals in observed discharge data. Together with the modeling efforts, it can significantly advance understanding of the role of PFPs and LUCC in shaping hydrological responses of the tropical catchments, with implications in land management to enhance hydrologic ecosystem services in humid tropical ecosystems.