How can the grasslands under rainfall events modify water balance in drought conditions
Taking into account the well-established influence of hillslopes grasslands on runoff processes, the purpose of this study was to investigate how grasslands can affect the water flow pathways on hillslopes, in drought conditions. This study was performed in experimental grassland at plot-scale (e.g....
Main Authors: | , , , , |
---|---|
Format: | Article |
Language: | English |
Published: |
Sciendo
2018-09-01
|
Series: | Journal of Water and Land Development |
Subjects: | |
Online Access: | http://www.degruyter.com/view/j/jwld.2018.38.issue-1/jwld-2018-0042/jwld-2018-0042.xml?format=INT |
id |
doaj-6b79a39be8964e5fb8d56cddad485ccb |
---|---|
record_format |
Article |
spelling |
doaj-6b79a39be8964e5fb8d56cddad485ccb2020-11-25T00:43:34ZengSciendoJournal of Water and Land Development2083-45352018-09-01381536510.2478/jwld-2018-0042jwld-2018-0042How can the grasslands under rainfall events modify water balance in drought conditionsMinea Gabriel0Tudor Georgiana1Stan Florentina-Iuliana2Ioana-Toroimac Gabriela3Zamfir Raluca4Research Institute of the University of Bucharest, University of Bucharest, 36-46 Bd. M. Kogălniceanu, Sector 5, 050107, Bucharest, RomaniaNational Institute of Hydrology and Water Management, Bucharest, RomaniaNational Institute of Hydrology and Water Management, Bucharest, RomaniaUniversity of Bucharest, Faculty of Geography, Bucharest, RomaniaNational Institute of Hydrology and Water Management, Bucharest, RomaniaTaking into account the well-established influence of hillslopes grasslands on runoff processes, the purpose of this study was to investigate how grasslands can affect the water flow pathways on hillslopes, in drought conditions. This study was performed in experimental grassland at plot-scale (e.g., Festuca pratensis), in temperate humid continental climatic conditions of Curvature Subcarpathians, Romania. The rainfall, evapotranspiration, and soil moisture daily data, respectively 208 rainfall and 16 rainfall-runoff events data measured in grassland hills during the growing season (1 April up to 30 September 2015 and 2016) were used. Our results suggest that a runoff event response in extreme drought conditions occurs on grasslands only if precipitation exceeds the threshold of 31 mm Hortonian overland flow (HOF), while this threshold drops to 17 mm during moderate droughts and up to 8 mm for wet conditions. The rainfall events up to 16 mm proved to be insufficient to completely saturate the soil. Therefore, HOF has only a minor contribution in drought conditions, on grassland and light on bare soil. A complementary and negative effect of grasslands in drought conditions is the water resources suppressing on hillslopes.http://www.degruyter.com/view/j/jwld.2018.38.issue-1/jwld-2018-0042/jwld-2018-0042.xml?format=INTgrasslandshydrological droughtplot-scalerainfall-runoff eventswater flow pathways |
collection |
DOAJ |
language |
English |
format |
Article |
sources |
DOAJ |
author |
Minea Gabriel Tudor Georgiana Stan Florentina-Iuliana Ioana-Toroimac Gabriela Zamfir Raluca |
spellingShingle |
Minea Gabriel Tudor Georgiana Stan Florentina-Iuliana Ioana-Toroimac Gabriela Zamfir Raluca How can the grasslands under rainfall events modify water balance in drought conditions Journal of Water and Land Development grasslands hydrological drought plot-scale rainfall-runoff events water flow pathways |
author_facet |
Minea Gabriel Tudor Georgiana Stan Florentina-Iuliana Ioana-Toroimac Gabriela Zamfir Raluca |
author_sort |
Minea Gabriel |
title |
How can the grasslands under rainfall events modify water balance in drought conditions |
title_short |
How can the grasslands under rainfall events modify water balance in drought conditions |
title_full |
How can the grasslands under rainfall events modify water balance in drought conditions |
title_fullStr |
How can the grasslands under rainfall events modify water balance in drought conditions |
title_full_unstemmed |
How can the grasslands under rainfall events modify water balance in drought conditions |
title_sort |
how can the grasslands under rainfall events modify water balance in drought conditions |
publisher |
Sciendo |
series |
Journal of Water and Land Development |
issn |
2083-4535 |
publishDate |
2018-09-01 |
description |
Taking into account the well-established influence of hillslopes grasslands on runoff processes, the purpose of this study was to investigate how grasslands can affect the water flow pathways on hillslopes, in drought conditions. This study was performed in experimental grassland at plot-scale (e.g., Festuca pratensis), in temperate humid continental climatic conditions of Curvature Subcarpathians, Romania. The rainfall, evapotranspiration, and soil moisture daily data, respectively 208 rainfall and 16 rainfall-runoff events data measured in grassland hills during the growing season (1 April up to 30 September 2015 and 2016) were used. Our results suggest that a runoff event response in extreme drought conditions occurs on grasslands only if precipitation exceeds the threshold of 31 mm Hortonian overland flow (HOF), while this threshold drops to 17 mm during moderate droughts and up to 8 mm for wet conditions. The rainfall events up to 16 mm proved to be insufficient to completely saturate the soil. Therefore, HOF has only a minor contribution in drought conditions, on grassland and light on bare soil. A complementary and negative effect of grasslands in drought conditions is the water resources suppressing on hillslopes. |
topic |
grasslands hydrological drought plot-scale rainfall-runoff events water flow pathways |
url |
http://www.degruyter.com/view/j/jwld.2018.38.issue-1/jwld-2018-0042/jwld-2018-0042.xml?format=INT |
work_keys_str_mv |
AT mineagabriel howcanthegrasslandsunderrainfalleventsmodifywaterbalanceindroughtconditions AT tudorgeorgiana howcanthegrasslandsunderrainfalleventsmodifywaterbalanceindroughtconditions AT stanflorentinaiuliana howcanthegrasslandsunderrainfalleventsmodifywaterbalanceindroughtconditions AT ioanatoroimacgabriela howcanthegrasslandsunderrainfalleventsmodifywaterbalanceindroughtconditions AT zamfirraluca howcanthegrasslandsunderrainfalleventsmodifywaterbalanceindroughtconditions |
_version_ |
1725277756065841152 |