In order to clarify how groundwater leakage and river runoff occur in a catchment under tectonic movement, the water balance was estimated in the forested (88.3% in area) Oikamanai River catchment (area, 62.6 km2), Ho...In order to clarify how groundwater leakage and river runoff occur in a catchment under tectonic movement, the water balance was estimated in the forested (88.3% in area) Oikamanai River catchment (area, 62.6 km2), Hokkaido, Japan. The catchment’s geology is early Miocene to Pliocene sedimentary bedrock of partly high permeability, accompanied by currently active faults. Daily evapotranspiration, E, in water balance was calculated by applying the one-layer model to meteorological data in the rainfall season of 2011 and 2012, with the topographic influence on heat balance of the catchment considered. The coupling with the short-term water balance method for river runoff events allows us to estimate groundwater leaking to the other catchments through the faults and bedrock. As a result, the leakage corresponded to 50% - 80% of effective rainfall (=P - E: P, rainfall) in 2011, whereas it was lower or negative in 2012. The estimate of leakage then included variability of ca. 80%. In 2012, shallow groundwater storage seems to retain high baseflow during non-rainfall.展开更多
Many studies show that semi-arid rangelands throughout the world have been rapidly converted from a grassland state to a bush encroachment state during the past 50 years. Bush encroachment includes the spread of local...Many studies show that semi-arid rangelands throughout the world have been rapidly converted from a grassland state to a bush encroachment state during the past 50 years. Bush encroachment includes the spread of local woody species and/or incursion of woody species introduced from other ecosystems into semi-arid savannas and grassland ecosystems. Rangeland degradation due to bush encroachment causes several challenges, affecting the production of livestock and pastoral people livelihoods in most parts of Africa. Scientists have long been attempting to develop schematic and mathematical theories to explain the observed phenomenon of bush encroachment, and several theories were proposed and developed. The well-regarded theories include: (1) Waiter's two-layer model, (2) Moir's one-layer model, (3) state-and-transition theory, (4) equilibrium theory, (5) disequilibrium theory, and (6) non-equilibrium theory. Within those theories, the most frequently-indicated driving factors that explain bush encroachment include over-grazing, availability of soil nutrient and moisture, elevated CO2 levels, frequency and intensity of fire, spread of seeds of woody species by livestock and wild animals. It should be stressed that couplings and interactions among diverse driving factors are more often at work in determining the condition of bush encroachment. To summarize, the effort in managing semi-arid ecosystems needs critical knowledge to understand the cause-effect relationships of underlying factors through integrated approach. Therefore, future research on encroachment of woody plants should be multi-discipline oriented and multi-partnership involved.展开更多
文摘In order to clarify how groundwater leakage and river runoff occur in a catchment under tectonic movement, the water balance was estimated in the forested (88.3% in area) Oikamanai River catchment (area, 62.6 km2), Hokkaido, Japan. The catchment’s geology is early Miocene to Pliocene sedimentary bedrock of partly high permeability, accompanied by currently active faults. Daily evapotranspiration, E, in water balance was calculated by applying the one-layer model to meteorological data in the rainfall season of 2011 and 2012, with the topographic influence on heat balance of the catchment considered. The coupling with the short-term water balance method for river runoff events allows us to estimate groundwater leaking to the other catchments through the faults and bedrock. As a result, the leakage corresponded to 50% - 80% of effective rainfall (=P - E: P, rainfall) in 2011, whereas it was lower or negative in 2012. The estimate of leakage then included variability of ca. 80%. In 2012, shallow groundwater storage seems to retain high baseflow during non-rainfall.
文摘Many studies show that semi-arid rangelands throughout the world have been rapidly converted from a grassland state to a bush encroachment state during the past 50 years. Bush encroachment includes the spread of local woody species and/or incursion of woody species introduced from other ecosystems into semi-arid savannas and grassland ecosystems. Rangeland degradation due to bush encroachment causes several challenges, affecting the production of livestock and pastoral people livelihoods in most parts of Africa. Scientists have long been attempting to develop schematic and mathematical theories to explain the observed phenomenon of bush encroachment, and several theories were proposed and developed. The well-regarded theories include: (1) Waiter's two-layer model, (2) Moir's one-layer model, (3) state-and-transition theory, (4) equilibrium theory, (5) disequilibrium theory, and (6) non-equilibrium theory. Within those theories, the most frequently-indicated driving factors that explain bush encroachment include over-grazing, availability of soil nutrient and moisture, elevated CO2 levels, frequency and intensity of fire, spread of seeds of woody species by livestock and wild animals. It should be stressed that couplings and interactions among diverse driving factors are more often at work in determining the condition of bush encroachment. To summarize, the effort in managing semi-arid ecosystems needs critical knowledge to understand the cause-effect relationships of underlying factors through integrated approach. Therefore, future research on encroachment of woody plants should be multi-discipline oriented and multi-partnership involved.