Integrated vegetation designs for enhancing water retention and recycling in agroecosystems

Ryan, J. G.; McAlpine, Clive; Ludwig, John A.

doi:10.1007/s10980-010-9509-7

Cited by 21 publications

(15 citation statements)

References 80 publications

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“…Together, surface roughness and plant litter attributes increase stormwater retention by slowing the speed of runoff, and increasing detention storage and infiltration. Other ecosystem services that may accrue from IVB are enhanced soil ecosystem processes, water quality, carbon retention and biodiversity conservation [77,78].…”

Section: Benefits Of Ivbmentioning

confidence: 99%

Modelling the Potential of Integrated Vegetation Bands (IVB) to Retain Stormwater Runoff on Steep Hillslopes of Southeast Queensland, Australia

Ryan

McAlpine

Ludwig

et al. 2015

Land

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Rainfall intensity is predicted to increase under a changing climate, leading to increased risks of hillslope erosion, downstream sedimentation and flooding. For many catchments used for grazing and agricultural land uses, it will become increasingly important to maintain ecohydrological functioning despite climatic extremes. One means to achieve this is through strategic reforestation using locally endemic species, in spatial configurations that effectively intercept, retain or and redistribute overland flows. This paper adopts a modelling approach for investigating the potential of one such design termed "integrated vegetation bands" (IVB), to increase the retention of runoff across steep hillslopes, particularly in the sub-tropics where rainstorms are becoming increasingly intense. A spatially distributed simulation model (MIKE-SHE) was applied to a steep, grazed catchment (Maronghi Creek catchment, Southeast Queensland, Australia) to compare stormwater runoff characteristics between: (1) the existing pasture land cover; and (2) a series of hypothetical IVB added across this pasture land. The IVB were approximately 20 m wide, and configured at 5% gradient towards ridgelines. Results for estimates of overland flow depth and infiltration (spatial), and accumulative water balance (temporal), confirm that OPEN ACCESSLand 2015, 4 712 the area of hillslope retaining > 10 mm/day more runoff increased by 22% under IVB compared to the pasture land use. Excluding the IVB themselves, the area of hillslope where runoff retention increased was 11%. During the most intense rainfall, IVB held up to 25% greater water depth and had 10% greater infiltration at the hillslope scale. At the sub-catchment scale, discharge decreased by 7% and infiltration increased by 23%. The findings for sub-tropical landscapes presented here are consistent with studies conducted in temperate regions. Based on the results of this preliminary modelling work, the IVB concept has been established as a paired-catchment field trial in a high rainfall catchment in Southeast Queensland, Australia.

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Section: Benefits Of Ivbmentioning

confidence: 99%

Modelling the Potential of Integrated Vegetation Bands (IVB) to Retain Stormwater Runoff on Steep Hillslopes of Southeast Queensland, Australia

Ryan

McAlpine

Ludwig

et al. 2015

Land

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“…In [20], there is a comprehensive discussion of the many benefits of integrating bands of native vegetation in agricultural practice. They give specific details on the mechanisms whereby a cleared landscape creates a hotter and drier landscape and how the integrated bands of native vegetation restore water recycling into the landscape, through making it cooler and returning more water to the lower atmosphere through turbulent exchanges with wind and centres of forced convection.…”

Section: Evidence Of Beneficial Effects Of Upland Plantingsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Rainfall Enhances Vegetation Growth but Does the Reverse Hold?

Boland

2014

Water

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In the literature, there is substantial evidence presented of enhancement of vegetation growth and regrowth with rainfall. There is also much research presented on the decline in rainfall with land clearance. This article deals with the well documented decline in rainfall in southwest Western Australia and discusses the literature that has been presented as to the rationale for the decline. The original view was that it was the result of climate change. More recent research points to the compounding effect of land use change. In particular, one study estimated, through simulation work with atmospheric models, that up to 50% of the decline could be attributed to land use change. For South Australia, there is an examination the pattern of rainfall decline in one particular region, using Cummins on the Eyre Peninsula as an example location. There is a statistically significant decrease in annual rainfall over time in that location. This is mirrored for the vast majority of locations studied in South Australia, most probably having the dual drivers of climate and land use change. Conversely, it is found that for two locations, Murray Bridge and Callington, southeast of Adelaide, there is marginal evidence for an increase in annual rainfall over the last two decades, during which, incidentally, Australia experienced the most severe drought in recorded history. The one feature common to these two locations is the proximity to the Monarto plateau, which lies between them. It was the site of extensive revegetation in the 1970s. It is conjectured that there could be a connection between the increase in rainfall and the revegetation, and there is evidence presented from a number of studies for such a connection, though not specifically relating to this location.

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“…How do we redesign and restore landscapes for maintaining multiple functions and ecosystem services in a changing climate where the future is uncertain? Maintaining and restoring multiple landscape functions and ecosystems services are critical to sustainable landscapes and are mentioned in several of the papers in this special edition (O'Farrell et al 2010;Ryan et al 2010;Verboom et al 2010). Ryan et al (2010) discuss the need to adapt semiarid agricultural landscapes to offset the risks associated with changes to water availability, climate and biodiversity under future global environmental change.…”

Section: Understanding Complexity and Detecting Changementioning

confidence: 99%